By André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter From The Gleanner

Much-travelled Jamaican track and field coach, Jerry Holness, spent three years coaching in Dubai and just recently started a new experience in the Cayman Islands.

Still, for all his travels, Holness, a former Manchester High school coach, has developed an even greater appreciation of Jamaica’s athletics culture and a better understanding of the level of respect that local coaches receive internationally.

“Honestly, I really came to the understanding that we need to be grateful for what we have in Jamaica; we need to cherish it because track and field means so much to the entire nation,” Holness told The Gleaner during a recent chat. “We have to try and keep this legacy going.

“I spent three years in the United Arab Emirates, in Dubai, to be exact. The experience was good, but it’s a different feel to what we have in Jamaica. I have travelled the world extensively, but when it comes to a track and field culture, there is no place like Jamaica,” Holness added.

AMBITIOUS

“Probably I was a bit ambitious based on how things are in Jamaica, and it was just not the same there in the Middle East. After three years and the fact that I was so far away from home and my family, I decided to try and get something closer to home, hence, I ended up in the Cayman Islands,” said Holness, explaining his decision to trade Dubai for the Cayman Islands.

“I am actually on Cayman Brac, where I am the director of sports there. And it’s another different culture, even though it’s a part of the Caribbean, you would expect that the culture would be common, but it’s just not the same,” Holness noted.

“It’s a small island with about 2,000 people, so it’s a struggle to get people to participate. I am trying to influence them, but it’s an uphill task. Sports is not really a priority to them there. There are no real programmes, so everything is dependent on the national programme and as you know, it all has to depend and start at the grassroots level,” said Holness, who spoke to the reception to Jamaican coaches based on his experience, and the possibility of returning home to coach.

“We are well received and respected worldwide, and I am glad that I was able to be a part of the few Jamaican coaches who could go into other countries and territories to share a part of our culture,” Holness said.

“Return home? I would never close the door behind me, Jamaica is home and once the right situation presents itself, I would never burn that bridge,” he noted.

For more on this story go to:

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140211/sports/sports2.html