John Adams High aiming for # 1 this year
by Robert Elkin,Caribbean Life
2009 PSAL (NYC High Schools) Champions. Photo by Matthew Patel
In New York City last year two Queens schools – Newcomers of Long Island City and John Adams battled it out for the city-wide Public Schools Athletic League championship. This time around Adams of Ozone Park would like very much to overtake their rivals and hold that championship honor.As in any interscholastic sport, graduation losses to key personnel are part of the game. Last June, Adams graduated seven starters, including Thakur Singh, who was its best player. He ended up at Queensborough Community College.
Head Coach Alex Navarrete is carrying a roster of three seniors in Baljinder Kumar, Nicholas Ramratten and Dhanraj Singh on a 22-player roster, including 19 under classmen.
2009 PSAL (NYC High Schools) Champions. Photo by Matthew Patel
Head Coach Alex Navarrete is carrying a roster of three seniors in Baljinder Kumar, Nicholas Ramratten and Dhanraj Singh on a 22-player roster, including 19 under classmen.
“Still I have a young team with a lot of talent on it,” said Navarrete. “Four of my incoming players eventually will be up ‘there’ in the city, for they are top players. This will be a transition year. Next year I’ll definitely raise the bar and ‘do something.’”The majority of the players are from Guyana, Trinidad, Bangladash, India and Pakistan. They love the game and cricket is their main sport.
“We don’t face (defending champion) Newcomers during the season for the two schools do not compete in the same division,” the coach went on.
“The more I see my team play…the more I can become convinced whether they’ll be competitive or not,” Navarrete added.
Teamwork, discipline, the willingness to work hard and become better players are the major strengths of the cricket team at Adams.
“When you find the right chemistry in a team that can do all that, that’s how you can become a better team,” the coach went on. “These kids when they come to the high school level know how to play the game of cricket. When you know they represent their school is something that they love, they put all their effort into it.
“The advantage that I have with the cricket team is that I always get numbers. I don’t look for their talent as I look for their discipline. If they are willing to commit 100 percent to the program, including their school work, teammates and coach, they’ll make the team.
In the division Richmond Hill and Aviation will be competitive. There are some who are curious about the new teams, including Jamaica and Lane.
“My expectations for the year is for the boys to have fun, to earn experience, to get exposed on the high school level, and next year for them to take it to the next level and hopefully go all the way to the finals,” the veteran coach said.
NYC High Schools Cricket (PSAL) is beginning its 3rd year, and now has 28 teams in its League, headed by Commissioner Bassett Thompson.
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