The Editor, Sir:

If you, like me, never went to Kingston College (KC) it is hard to love them and their fixation on 'Fortis'. But you have to respect whatever it is that makes grown men agonise over a 4.5-point lead and erupt in uncontrolled glee when 1.5 of those points remain at the end of the last event of a schoolboy track and field championships. Such was the euphoria shown by the KC faithful as they bear-hugged, hit high fives and simply basked in the victory that was Champs 2009.

Championships 2009 was, in many ways, a metaphor of life itself. In four days away from the stricture and formality of the classroom, there were many lessons for the students who participated. Lessons in executing after months of preparation, lessons of magnanimity in victory (some have not learnt), lessons in dealing with disappointments, lessons in respecting other competitors and officials, lessons about getting up dusting yourself off and going again - lessons in life.

Special moment

There was Foga Road High School, the quintessence of an unknown entity winning their first gold medal after all of two years in existence. Amidst the rivalry at the top, this new school from central Jamaica basked in their special moment. One should be mindful that, despite what else is happening around you, keep your head and focus on your prize and do not become distracted by the din and dance of others.

Of course, there will be conflicting views on how it was won. As I passed one of our Beijing medalists who was one her way to the restroom, she was clearly upset about the idea of sending a heavily bandaged athlete to participate in the finals of a 200m race. But for the KC faithful, that was the true "Fortis-never-say-die spirit". As the youngster jogged through the last stages of said race some decried the cruelty; they lamented long-term damage and waxed about the welfare of the lad. But the men (and boys) in purple simply outlined that is how Champs is won and spoke of "Bally Reid" and his heroic run over a similar distance many moons ago.

Rescue attempt

The antithesis of that will make the Calabar supporters uncomfortable. When their athlete fell at the start of a 100m final, he got up and walked away from the fray, all the fight, like the wind, seemingly knocked out of him. At that moment, he never appreciated the need to jog to the line and get that one point. Yet the final race saw a huge effort by one of Calabar's champions trying to rescue what was already lost.

In many ways, schoolboy track and field is a microcosm of our socio-economic dichotomy. The haves and the have-nots. Some schools have tremendous school pride born, for the most part, from outstanding achievements. Other schools lack that kind of confidence by virtue of not having similar achievement. And, like the socio-economic set-up, the haves control the 'means of production', the haves are in the position of power and the haves tend to 'attract' to similar positions of power only their kind.

But lest we descend into bashing those who achieve, let us for a moment, as bitter as it is for some, be inspired by their achievement, learn from how they organise themselves, learn how they build on their success and use each one to inform the next.

I am, etc.,

PAUL F. BROWN

Linstead P.O.

St Catherine