Staff WriterLAUDERHILL, August 29, 2010 – Scores of Jamaica high school alumni and sports enthusiasts will descend on the Lauderhill Sports Complex, 7500 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Lauderhill, FL 33319, for the exciting second annual South Florida Jamaica High School Alumni Soccer and Netball Tournament slated for Labor Day Weekend. The event gets underway on Sunday, September 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Monday, September 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The tournament, which is presented by the Jamaica High School Alumni Sporting Network (JHSASN), is expected to be bigger and better than last year’s staging, since this Labor Day weekend 24 teams will be competing to win a cash prize and have the honor of hoisting the coveted National Weekly Trophy.
According to JHSASN president, Lavern Deer, “One of the main focuses of JHSASN is to foster educational development through sports. In Jamaica, many high school athletes lack the right combination of education and sports. Students who excel in sports also need to balance it with education – that is what will increase their opportunities beyond high school. Sports alone won’t get them the scholarships they deserve.”
Ms Deer said one of the reasons that JHSASN is continuing to develop relationships with high schools in Jamaica is because “A lot of student athletes don’t have any direction; they don’t know the next step to take after high school.” She said, however, “We are engaging the alumni associations in South Florida, through the tournament, to participate in providing schools not only sporting equipment, but books and mentorship programs to ensure that athletes are prepared to take their skills and education to the college level.”
The event is also a way for Jamaica high school Old Boys and Old Girls to relive their past through competitive sports, and a reunion, in a weekend of fun and entertainment for the entire family.
Last year, 17 teams competed in the soccer and netball tournament, with Ruseas High and
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Ardenne High emerging as champions. In January 2010, cash and athletic equipment were donated to the alma maters of the winning teams.
This year alumni teams from the following schools will participate in the soccer and netball tournaments:
Soccer: Jamaica College, Herbert Morrison, Garvey Maceo, Mannings High (From Jamaica), Meadowbrook High, Trench Town High, St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), Wolmer’s Boys, Camperdown High, Ruseas High, Cornwall College, Manchester High, Ocho Rios High, Excelsior High, Calabar High and Kingston College. Netball: Meadowbrook High, Ardenne High, Dunoon Technical High, Mona High (From Jamaica) Queens High, Vere Technical High and Frome Technical High.
As a warm up to the sporting extravaganza, the organizers have added the Alumni All‐School Jam slated for Friday, September 3, 2010 from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. at the Inverrary Hotel Ballroom, 3501 Inverrary Blvd., Ft Lauderdale, FL 33319.
The JHSASN tournament is sponsored by National Weekly, Western Union, Jamaica National, Victoria Mutual, Lauderhill Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC), Kiwanis Club of Lauderdale Lakes, Caribbean Americas Soccer Association (CASA), Grace Foods, Community Youth Sports Development Inc., City of Lauderhill, Greater Caribbean American Cultural Coalition (GCACC), Pro Events Unlimited, Carib United FC and D’Empire Management.
About JHSASN Jamaica High School Alumni Sporting Network (JHSASN) was founded in 2009 by a group of sport enthusiasts and marketing specialists. The aim of JHSASN is to reunite past students who attended high school in Jamaica and create a platform to relive their competitive experience. In addition, JHSASN establishes relationships with high schools in Jamaica by donating sporting equipment and school supplies to the winning teams of the South Florida Jamaica High School Alumni Soccer and Netball Tournament (Fostering Education through Sports).
For more information about the South Florida Jamaica High School Alumni Soccer and Netball Tournament or the Jamaica High School Alumni Sporting Network (JHSASN) please log on to our website at http://www.jhsasn.com.
Contact:
Lavern Deer B.S, MBA
JHSASN President
Carib United FC Inc
786-370-7597
www.caribunitedfc.com
www.jhsasn.com
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