It has come down to this. Five players, critical to their teams' success in the Flow Champions Cup, are in a keen tussle to see who will be named the Red Stripe Star Baller and come away with a cheque for $300,000. That award will go to the player who best demonstrates sportsmanship, camaraderie, teamwork, being there for his peers and, of course, strong skill sets on the field of play.
The award is to be made on May 11 at the offices of the Jamaica Football Federation.
Dervin Campbell is a striker for Sandals Whitehouse, a team that made it all the way to the semi-finals before being eliminated by St Georges. Campbell scored two goals in the four matches and, according to coach and vice-president, Aaron Lawrence, he plays a major role in the team's success.
The club's secretary, Rochelle Forbes, echoed Lawrence's sentiments and revealed that his impact goes well beyond the field of play. "Dervin is very passionate about football," she said, "and he motivates the team." Forbes explained that Campbell never allows his teammates to hang their heads, no matter what the challenge. "You will hear him tell them, 'We play because we love to play, so let's go do this. We want to fight and we want to win'," she said.
Journeyman Demetrio Billet seems to have found a home at Santos. He scored two goals - both against Benfica - during the Flow Champions Cup. Wayne Shaw, a director at Santos, describes Billet, who is better known as Zico, as a player who many of the younger players look up to. "He plays link and centre forward and is very skilful," Shaw said. "So a lot of the younger players look up to him."
In his early 30s, Billet has played for several teams and is a seasoned campaigner who doesn't ruffle feathers. "He is very quiet and gets along with everyone," Shaw said, adding that he is a very dedicated footballer who is always at training sessions.
Two nominees from St Georges
Flow Champions Cup finalists, St Georges Football Club, boast two nominees for the Star Baller Award - Richardo Watson and Romeo Parks. Between them, they have scored five of their club's goals en route to the finals against Tivoli and they will be key to their club's chances of defeating their more fancied rivals Tivoli Gardens.
"Watson is a skilful player with pace," explains Cedric Ormsby, the club's manager.
Ormsby said Watson, who has two goals in the competition to date, is carrying a few injuries, but he is often upbeat and is very much a team man. "He is a team player, he gets along with everyone," the manager revealed. "He has a never-say-die attitude and when the chips are down, he is one of the players who rallies the team."
Unlike Watson, Parks is injury free and according to Ormsby is a dangerous player who has been called to national duty on several occasions. "If you give him a half a chance, he will score," the manager said, adding that it is not unusual for opposing teams to assign two players to him. Just as important, Ormsby explained, Parks is also a team player who possesses a sense of humour.
Last, but certainly not least, is national representative Keammar Daley who represents finalists Tivoli Gardens. Daley has, for years now, been a stand out for his club and is perhaps one of Jamaica's most popular players. He has not scored in the competition to date but his value to the club goes well beyond his goal-scoring abilities. "He doesn't have to be a goal scorer to be outstanding," club manager Brian Rose argued. "He can be a leader and a distributor on the field and those are the qualities that Keammar displays."
Rose also revealed that Daley works hard and displays high levels of good sportsmanship, especially in terms of fair play. "With these skills, he has a good a shot as any at winning the Red Stripe Star Baller Award."
Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110507/sports/sports6.html
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