By Daniel Haynes
JOSEPH ‘Reds’ Perreira, the Pomeroon boy considered one of the best cricket commentators in the Caribbean, gave an inspirational and informative talk to a group of youngsters from the Buxton-Friendship community on the impact of sport on Tuesday evening. The Buxton United Football Club U-17 players as well as the Buxton football officials benefited from his knowledge of not just sport but the inner workings of everyday life.
The first topic for Reds was infrastructure. He said infrastructure is very important. “What happens in terms of equipment at your school level is important. You all have to protect your infrastructure, and safeguard it, because when it is gone, your development is stalled,” he told a small gathering in the Buxton-Friendship Primary School.
He said whether it is lights for a new field or something as simple as a goalpost, the care and attention given to them will determine how long they can be used.
He then quickly switched tempo speaking about the difference between clubs and teams. “It is very simple,” he said, “captains and vice-captains run teams but it is the executive body that runs a club, and it is that executive body’s responsibility to ensure the cohesion and successful running of the club.”
Perreira could not overemphasise the point that without a club there would not be a team. At this point ‘Reds’ recounted his tenure as Santos Football Club’s coach, reliving the memory when every Wednesday the club would have a dominoes day to ensure the club members meet and spend time together to enhance cohesion.
He paused a while to enquire if there was any such system in place in Buxton, and when the reply was negative, the disappointment was clear on his face and he recommended there should be a change.
His major focus, however, was that the youths know that education is the first thing they must look after before all else.
“Education is important, it is something you should take seriously; it is vital that you finish school and have something to your name,” said Reds, who could not overstate the point. “It is always better to be prepared than to be lucky, and education prepares you for life.”
He then talked about helping in the home and not shirking the responsibilities of doing chores. He stressed the importance of respecting authority as well as their parents.
He then let the youngsters go with two lines: “Be respectful and hold on to education, without those two things you cannot go wrong.”
`Reds’ closed off the meeting by telling the officials that they should reach out to Buxtonians abroad and remember them in the community. “It is these Buxtonians who hold the power to fast-track the development of youngsters in the community.”
He added that if it was not for the Guyana Football Federation he would not be in Buxton giving the talk and expressed his gratitude to them.
