35 Years!
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The highly talented 18-year-old setter left the island yesterday to embark on a four-year volleyball scholarship at the University of Lindenwood, Missouri, United States.
London has been a reserve setter on the Barbados senior team since 2002. However, as a key member of the junior team he led Barbados to the Caribbean Volleyball Championships (CVC) title in Aruba last June.
Tallest setter.
His all-round ability also led the Barbados Community College (BCC) to double crown honours during the 2004/05 season.
The 6ft 3in player is the tallest setter to don national colours. That height gives him the blocking edge which setters generally lack at the net.
He has represented Barbados at two Junior CVCs, two Senior CVCs, the CAC Games, the Pan American Championships, two NORCECA tournaments and World Championships Qualifiers.
London's scholarship came about by his No.1 fan, mother Roxanne London, targeting North American universities and colleges.
Ironically, the positive response from Lindenwood arrived at the same time as an offer from New Haven, where several Barbados girls have gotten scholarships in the past.
"However, the offer from Lindenwood was more attractive," said Ms London who will be travelling with her son to assist in his settling in.
London, who studied mechanical engineering at BCC, will be taking up computer studies at Lindenwood.
He expressed great thanks to the coaches and management of both the junior and senior national teams as well as the support of his teammates.
However, the greatest thanks were reserved for his mother who supported him in all of his volleyball matches for Christ Church Foundation, BCC, the BNB Juniors as well as the Barbados junior and senior teams.
Early days.
London also highlighted the work of Foundation coach Fernando Skeete who helped to mould him from his early days on the Foundation's under-15 team.
The new year promises a lot for volleyball with "Cawmere" player Fabian Bartlett also getting a scholarship to the United States.
This is the first time that males from Barbados have received volleyball scholarships to the United States, unlike the females who have landed more than 20 scholarships since 1986.
35 Years!
That is how long Mrs. Cynthia Reid has been teaching. This was revealed at the interview I had with her at her home in Regency Park. Mrs. Reid said that she started teaching from 1970 after returning to Barbados from France. In the past 35 years there were challenges, good times and not so good times. But what Mrs. Reid enjoyed most was the interaction with the students. Especially the first form students who would need some extra attention to get them settled and accustomed to life in a secondary school. Her best times at Foundation were on Sports days. Mrs. Reid was in Skeete house.
In a world filled with so many negative influences the former deputy Principal of Foundation School said that children should try to set worthwhile goals. Strive for excellence and quality in everything that they do so that when it is done they can have the self satisfaction of knowing that it was well done and was the absolute best they have ever done. Students should also pay attention to what are called "Valley experiences". These are the things that come up in life that try to set you back. These she said were there to make you stronger.
For those of you out there who would like to be a Principal or perhaps Deputy Principal of a school. Mrs. Reid said that you need to know not only how to run a school, but how to deal with people. How to deal with teachers and students fairly, without compromise but without either side feeling betrayed or taken advantage of. She suggested a course in Human Resource management and the Certificate in Education.
Her hobbies are Reading, swimming, going to the beach, sowing and gardening. She has four grandchildren but no pets. Her husband is deceased. Mrs. Reid is currently a Lay Minister at St. David's Anglican Church and is looking forward to being retired.
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