Awardees Morris, Thompson want to uplift Cascade

Former Strike Squad captain Clayton Morris and three-time Olympic medallist Richard Thompson were brimming with Cascade pride yesterday, as they were two of 11 awardees during the opening of the spanking new Cascade Community Centre.

Stalwarts from St Ann's/Cascade/Mt Hololo and environs were recognised for their excellence and longevity in the fields of sport, culture, art and education, with Morris and Thompson lauded for their service to Trinidad and Tobago in football and athletics.

Morris, who is currently the coach of the Deaf Sports TT men's futsal team, is hoping to bring his initiatives and ideas to help uplift his community which he holds closer to his heart.

Through a programme implemented by the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) in 2017, Morris successfully spearheaded what he terms a futsal-crime initiative which taught prisoners how to play the sport of futsal and also encouraged strong principles such as discipline, work ethic and teamwork.

With crime constantly being a thorn to citizens, Morris has plans of presenting a similar plan to the St Ann's/Cascade Community Council should he be given the opportunity.

"I'm grateful that they want the people who received awards today to have an input on the Council," Morris said. "For this centre to be opened in a time where crime is taking over the place, it's amazing that a small community like St Ann's/Cascade/Mt Hololo can come together and pool its resources like this."

Morris noted that several ex-prisoners who came through his programme are now serving as motivational speakers themselves.

"Some of the students who were in that futsal-crime programme have been set free," Morris told Newsday. "They are now sharing to students in secondary schools with their testimonies and giving their experience on how to deal with conflict resolution. I don't know how it is to be locked up in prison but I know sport helped me and I'd like to impart that knowledge and experience."

Thompson, whose father Ruthven Thompson Sr collected the award on his behalf, was also honoured by his boyhood community, and he also expressed a desire to give back to the St Ann's/Cascade region. Thompson, a member of TT's 4x100m relay team who were retroactively upgraded to gold for their run at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, was standing "Cascade-strong" in his pre-recorded video message.

"I am a three-time Olympic medallist from TT but I am also a three-time Olympic medallist from Cascade," Thompson said. "This community has contributed so much to my development as an athlete. Today, I am extremely proud to hear that this community centre is being opened. Cascade-strong and Cascade-proud!"

Thompson Sr was also delighted with the opening of the centre, and he believes it could be the catalyst for unearthing new talent in the community.

"This would enhance the upliftment of the whole community because it can be utilised by people in the community to uplift the community," Thompson Sr said. "It should be a spawning ground to talent in the community in drama, sport and art. "For Richard, I think when he comes home this could be a good place for him to meet with the youth of the community and throw out ideas to them or even meet with them and arrange for training sessions and things like that.

"He can give his experience on how things are outside in the sporting world at the international level. We need to know what to do to get to that level."