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| Courtesy of The Gleaner |
The sprints may be fast races but to be good you've got to be in the race for a long time. Howard Aires, was the embodiment of this. For over 25 years he served as either the president or vice president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association.
I first met Aires in 2008, when I covered the Jamaican Olympic trials as a reporter for Sports Illustrated. I interviewed him and he never forgot my face. Since then I have attended several track and field meets at the National Stadium in Kingston and it was always good to see him and talk. He was always gracious when he saw me: smiling, reconnecting from the last time we spoke, or introducing me to someone he thought I should know.
His presence at the stadium was a given. He sat in the VP section of the grandstand seats, orchestrating any deficiencies he saw in the meet. He sat with his wife, former schoolmates who were his lifelong friends, and friends in politics and athletics.
Of all the meets at the stadium, I think he will most be missed at Champs. His seat was in the section which Kingston College men have possessed for years. He wasn’t just an official but would be perched at the edge of his seat cheering and screaming, as the other spectators would be, at the athletes.
I always thought watching he and his friends were inspiring. They sat with their wives and old friends, and were all committed to supporting the young athletes pouring their hearts out on the track and field. They didn’t just sit as wizards, with years of knowledge ready to disperse, but as people who were emotionally invested in the success of Jamaican athletics.
Just as Jamaican sprinters are being acknowledge as some of the best in the world; Aires should be acknowledge in his contribution to this success. He was committed to the athletes long before it was fashionable. He saw the talent and ability of the young men and women in the sport and dedicated his life towards enhancing them.
