The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER conducting a successful physical education programme in the Catholic Primary Schools for the past 19 years, Deven Johnson has made the switch to the government schools and has now been relocated to Exuma.

In his transfer from New Providence, Johnson is now overseeing the physical education programme for primary schools in George Town, Mount Thompson, Moss Town and William’s Town.

“It’s something that I have to get used to,” Johnson said. “The culture is something different, but I have to adjust to this island life.”

Johnson’s last posting in New Providence was at St Cecilia’s where he coached the Strikers to a runners-up position against the St Thomas More Sparks in the last Catholic Diocesan Basketball League played three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that having made his presence felt wherever he coached, he’s hoping to do the same in his new role in Exuma.

“My expectations are pretty high,” he said. “I’m going to try to see if I can implement some things that are not here in terms of sports in the schools and see if I can get an inter-school league here as well.

“I see some kids here already who have the potential, so there’s a lot of work that I can do to get things going here.”

In addition to coaching at St Cecilia’s, Joghnson also spent some time at St Francis/Joseph where he coached the Shockers to a number of titles and he also coached the Big Red Machine at St Augustine’s College.

This year, Johnson also formed the 242 Ballers Basketball Club, which made a successful debut in a tournament in the Turks and Caicos Islands and last month, they captured the inaugural Caribbean Hoopfest title.

“I started the programme to see if I could get some of these boys off to school,” Johnson said. “The programme has been successful so far because we got three players off to high school and another is now in college.”

Those players who secured scholarships to play in the US are Maric=an Pickstock, Michael Munnings, Laterro Young, who will all be going to Life Prep, while Jamerolston Vil, who is heading to United International College.

In his departure for Exuma, Johnson left Mario OPickstock and Bob Hudson to run the programme until he get a chance to return to New Providence to help out.

Johnson also served as the last president of the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association. He noted that the league will have to conduct elections to establish a new slate of officers.

In Exuma, he said he will be looking at ways in which he can help to resurrect the women’s basketball programme, especially from what he saw from their participation in the sixth Bahamas GHames in July.