About 300 children from Noranda Bauxite’s operating areas in St Ann are participating in summer camp activities run by the bauxite company. The camp activities known as the Mini League programme are held each year in Discovery Bay and Alexandria. The Mini League camps which cater to youngsters aged 13 to 19 years started Monday July 14, and are conducted at the Port Rhoades Sports Club (formerly Noranda Sports Club) and the St. D’Acre Community Centre in the company’s mining area. The day camps include coaching and competition in cricket and netball, character development sessions, summer classes, and training in general lifestyle values. Some 45 adult volunteers including Noranda employees are acting as coaches, team managers and coordinators of the 12 cricket and 12 netball teams that meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays until the grand closing ceremony on Thursday July 31. The programme is sponsored in total by Noranda Bauxite. All participants are provided with lunch and a full set of uniforms and gear to familiarize the youngsters with the rules and traditions of the games. The matches are played under international standards, Noranda says. “The programme is ruled by a Code of Conduct with emphasis on discipline, sportsmanship, patriotism and respect for each other”, says Nathan Thompson, Noranda’s Personnel and industrial relations manager. “Before starting a match opposing teams shake hands, sing the National Anthem, and repeat a pledge which promises to ‘respect the national flag, strive to win, but win or lose to play the game fair.” According to Noranda’s public and community relations superintendent Kent Skyers the principle is “bend the tree while it is young.” He says that although the camps carry a focus on cricket and netball, “there is a strong emphasis on character development as we seek to promote a child development programme using sportsmanship, discipline, and adult leadership as guidelines for raising our youngsters” Skyers says that the Mini League which was started in 1979 by Kaiser Bauxite has become an institution in St. Ann, and provided a nursery for community, parish and national teams. Cricketers who have reached national representative levels include Orville Pennant, Andre Dyer, Carl McDonald, Raghni Francis, Marlon Pinnock and Glenroy Hall. Chinelle Henry has played for the national women’s cricket team. “When they return to school after summer the Mini League participants appear to be more disciplined than their classmates. You can spot a Mini Leaguer, he walks straighter and taller than the others.” says Lavern Clarke, principal of Discovery Bay All Age School.
