LONG-STANDING president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Colin Klass, made little impact, if any, when he addressed the specially invited gathering at the annual Awards Dinner of the Federation, held last Saturday night at the Georgetown Club. The football boss in his presentation, as usual, splattered with glitches of grammar, failed to highlight the numerous achievements of the GFF in 2010 or his Federation’s vision for 2011, and towards the end of his 20 minutes at the microphone he was very philosophical.
“When I reflect on our numerous achievements in 2010, and those achievements would not have been possible without all of you and I want to not dwell on the negatives but on the positives of things we have done. You have contributed in some way in making 2010 the success it was.
“The thing about 2010 is that we cannot apply any changes, but what we can do is to ensure that 2011 is better than 2010 by doing the right thing now.
The past cannot be adjusted. Whatever you have done or didn’t do you can only say you are sorry, but you cannot change the past, but we can make the future better, different and more exciting for all the people that will follow us and that is the young people.
“And our contribution to them is to continue to serve them and to make the environment so charged that they can experience better than we did in 2010.”
“The area of organisation has continued to be a challenge to all our affiliates. In the new constitution of 2011 they are now referred to as Regional Associations … Ladies and gentlemen, again, if we are going to impact positively and set the correct examples for the young people, if we are going to make changes in Guyana we have to impact those changes and we could only impact those changes if we do what we expect them to do and don’t tell them to do what we want them to do.
“We can only impact changes when we lead effectively.
“We can do it for Guyana’s football and have been doing it for Guyana’s football and that is why we were able to survive with or without any help, but we know that with your help the impact upon the social fabric of our society can be more effective, so your contribution is still necessary.
‘I think if we are going to make a positive impact on 2011 … we have to look at forgiveness because you’ll have to leave behind some of the baggage you have been carrying or is tempted to bring forward in 2011. It wouldn’t work. Baggage will weigh you down,” Klass warned.
Klass missed the opportunity to educate and inform the many businesses present what the Federation needs to effectively run the sport and in his closing remarks he turned to philosophy.
“In closing, things are to be used, the coach said, and people are to be loved, but the problem in today’s world is that people are used and things are loved …. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch tour words, they become actions. Watch your actions they become habits, watch your habits they become character, watch your character it becomes your destiny.’
“If you are quick to take offence then you’ll be under the control of those you find offensive, if you are easily angered then your actions will be dictated by those who anger you.
“If you are obsessed by what other people think then you’ll be imprisoned by their thoughts. If you yearn for easy answers and quick solutions you’ll fall prey to people who offer you nothing but promises.
“If you find the truth too difficult to bear you’ll be enslaved to those who tell you what you want to hear. When you have the courage to think for yourself and the strength to accept what is the commitment and discipline to make a difference then you experience Freedom, Freedom, Freedom.
“You have true freedom to live the purpose, joy, fulfilment.
“Let your lives be defined not by the actions that others think or do but rather your own unique vision. Raise your eyes above the pettiness and follow the path of greatness that is within you”.