“A man with a vision”

…Garrett praises Henry Chase for his success
By Jemima Holmes
“Chase man to us is like Martin Luther King, ‘the man with a vision’. He saw things that probably no one else saw, and his vision and success can be shown by the number of sportsmen and women he graduated upon completion of CSEC or CAPE exams, the number of athletes studying abroad directly from his institution and so much more. It’s people like this we need around sporting bodies to make a difference.”

Those were the sentiments expressed by up-and-coming footballer Jeremy Garrett as he reflected on the overwhelmingly positive influence that Henry Chase has had on his life.
Fondly known as “Sir Chase”, the renowned educator and Principal of the Chase’s Academic Foundation handed Jeremy Garrett a golden opportunity back in 2014 to attend his school. Previously a student at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary, where he gained a place after sitting the National Grade Six Assessment, Garrett felt as though “Multi” was all about academics and craved a balance where he could simultaneously focus on the sport he loved most—football.

At Chase, the aspiring footballer was able to juggle academics and the sport, in which he excelled time and time again. While having the ‘balance’ meant a lot to the now 20-year-old defensive star, Garrett noted that Henry Chase was also very serious about his students’ academic performances. Reflecting on his first encounter with the educator, Garret shared that this sparked a fire inside him that would continuously urge him to work hard.
“Upon my first meeting with Mr Chase alongside my mother, I could tell this man was about practicality and business. Meaning, he was very clear on why I am here, what needs to be done, what he will do and in the end, he said, ‘if you do these few things I tell you, without a doubt, you’ll get a scholarship and you might be playing abroad in 2/3 years’.”
“With that, he fuelled the passion in me to work hard, he was very vocal and expressive with his large distinguished voice, and at the end of the conversation, he shook my hand and said ‘let’s make this happen Mr Garrett’,” the footballer told this publication.

It was only until Garrett was ingrained in the Parade Street, Kingston Institution that he realised the lengths that Henry Chase would go in order to ensure that his students would surpass expectations.
“Mr Chase was more than an influence to me and to all the other players that went to Chase’s Academy. I am not afraid to say it, this is a man that provides books, lunch, school uniforms, passage and so much more for players, just so we can be comfortable in order for us to do well. He did everything in his power, it’s hard to explain how influential this man was since, sometimes, it felt like he was a father figure to all of us,” Garrett explained.
This publication was informed about Chase’s knack for teaching life lessons in the process of delivering ‘bookwork’. In addition, he was a constant source of reassurance and positivity, which turned out to be an important aspect of Garrett’s ascension on the football field.
“There isn’t really anything significant he did for me that he never did for all the other players but there were times when I wanted to quit and just leave school, it was pressure. There were times when I was injured, injury brings stress and I wanted to quit everything but this man, once again, bent backwards to talk to me, showed me again why I am here, he knows it’s hard but he said nothing in life is ever easy.”
“And trust me, when Mr Chase tells you nothing in life is easy, you better believe it; he is speaking from great experiences,” the 20-year-old went on to explain.
Hailing from the Fruta Conquerors FC, where he began playing in 2009 in their Youth Academy, Jeremy Garrett is all too familiar with the notion of “ghetto youths” using the sport as a means of staying off the streets and out of trouble. As a result of this, one thing that Garrett admired most about his teacher was his practice of giving underprivileged youths second chance.
“So what this brilliant man did was reach out to all these youths, you know, to show them that the world has not yet given up on them but he is there to give them another chance at success at his private institution, free of cost.”
“It’s now that I’m getting older, I ask myself what if we had people in the Government with this sort of vision, we can only dream on that I guess,” Garrett went on to state.
One thing that is no secret to many in the sports arena, is the constant criticism that Chase has faced over the years, predominantly in his sports programmes. To this end, Garrett boldly denounced his former teacher’s critics, noting that he believes that it only pushed Sir Chase to continue helping his students.
“Many outsiders tried to bring this man and his programme down, saying he is all about football, he just wants to win etc but those same people were part of the congregation that congratulated me and all of the other talented sportsmen from Chase who got scholarships and went on to study abroad. I think it motivated him to keep on doing what he believes is right and what he knows will benefit us in the life ahead,” he opined.
Not without mentioning other pillars of his career, such as his mother, GFF President Wayne Forde, Coach Vurlon Mills, and his colleagues at the Fruta Conquerors Football Club, Garret gushed with gratitude for one of his main supporters, Sir Chase.
“Words cannot express enough how grateful I and all the others are of how generous you are to all of us. We need more like Mr Chase around Guyana, you’ll see how sports would evolve dramatically once there are resources and time. Thank you sir!”
Under Chase’s watch, the school’s football team won three consecutive Milo U-18 Tournaments and two Digicel School’s Football Tournaments.
Following his success at the CSEC and CAPE examinations, Garrett gained a scholarship at the Louisiana State University at Eunice in 2018. He is expected to complete his diploma in Rehabilitation Science this semester.