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Simone Edwards ... Everywhere we go people cheer for us, even if we're losing.

Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport Editor

IN HER own small way, Simone Edwards is trying to make a big impact on the lives of many. The co-captain of Jamaica's senior women's basketball team appears to be driven by an unending desire to uplift people through the enhancement of opportunities, especially those in her real home community, August Town.

For the past three years, Edwards has been schooling eight kids at basic school level in August Town, where she has also established what is basically a training centre, to develop the skills of adults, also through education.

"My main project is in Angola. There's this basic school ... I sponsor six kids for the year. The sponsorship covers everything - uniform, school fees, lunch; and two from the Hermitage area, s there's eight," she admitted. "You do things not for credit, but because you know the person needs it and people appreciate it. Even though it's not much, but it goes towards a kid's schooling.

Just natural

"You grew up in a community and whatever you can do you do, so it helps that community. It's just natural for me. For me, I know how hard it was growing up. It can make a difference in one's life," the former Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) championship winner with Seattle Storm explained."Apart from being a player, that's my hobby."

Besides her children's project, every summer Edwards, who is high on education and achievements, brings home loads of stuff including books, school bags, shoes, clothing and other school accessories she gets from various projects in the United States, that she donates.

She also got sponsorship to build the Hermitage Learning Centre, where classes are held for men who want to be masons, women to learn trade, others to get assistance with homework and preparation for GSAT and CXC.

Need for centres

"It caters for anyone in the area. There are different places in August Town that this programme is extended to - Jungle Top, Angola," explains Edwards. "My goal is just to get enough people behind me to have some centres that people can come in and play games, after school programmes, to socialise, use computers, etc.," said Edwards, who retired last year. "If you look around in the ghettos there's not much of these things. I think we've to give them things to do."

She added: "You can give them money all you want, it's not going to take them out of their situation, their lives won't change. Help them to help themselves and their kids by sending them to school."

It underscores the fact that even though the community in which she spent her developmental years is many hundreds of miles from New Jersey where she works full-time as coach of the basketball team at Bradford University, Edwards forever spares a thought and lots of effort to help those in need - kids and adults alike.

After all that's how she got her chance through a basketball scholarship at 17 years, while she attended Kingston Technical High School (KTHS) in Kingston, when she wasn't even playing the sport.

Completed degree

She did play netball and ended up at Seminole Junior College, and went on to complete a degree in sociology while blazing a hot trail of success on the basketball courts. Edwards quickly established herself at Seminole and, in her senior year, she led the team scoring with a .557 field-goal shooting average.

Later, she was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.

"I'm the only black female, I think it's awesome to go to a state that's basically white and they invite you back and put you in their Hall of Fame," exclaimed

Edwards, bursting with pride. "Coming from Jamaica and breaking into that ... it's an accomplishment that I'm proud of. You break a few barriers - just knowing where you're coming from."

Next was the WNBA, where she spent a year at New York Liberty as a developmental player (on injury reserve), which meant she basically couldn't play unless the squad got really depleted of its regular players; then she went to a Seattle Storm team which boasted stars like Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird and she made her mark in a six-year tenure that brought one championship.

To this day, it makes her the only Jamaican to have won a WNBA championship ring.

"Many players play for a long time, even in the NBA, and they've never won a ring," Edwards noted of the satisfaction that comes with that achievement.

Besides being a top player, she also made a huge impression at Seattle - both on and off the court. In an article posted on the Seattle Storm's website at her retirement, Anne Donovan, head coach and director of player personnel, said: "Simone Edwards has been one of the Seattle Storm's biggest cornerstones. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work with and win a championship with this incredible, inspirational young woman.

"Simone has been an integral part of the Storm's success both on the court and in making our mark in Seattle's community. Simone will be forever remembered with tremendous fondness."

Rubbed shoulders with the best

It highlights how Edwards - who has rubbed shoulders with the game's best - brought happiness to those who crossed her path in a professional career that also took her to Italy (two years), Spain and Hungary (one year apiece) and for six years in Israel, which she calls her favourite.

"It (Israel) scares some people, but I believe it's one of the most beautiful countries out there. It just felt like home. It's comforting, lots of beaches, it just felt like Jamaica, it's small and easy to get around."

It speaks to the 6'4" centre's love for home, a factor which influenced her WNBA retirement last year as she needed to be freed up to play for her country.

"I wouldn't have been able to (play for Jamaica) if I didn't," Edwards pointed out. "It's just so important for me to take Jamaica to the next level in basketball and I thought this was the time as we were hosting the CARICOM tournament for the first time."

Jamaica went on to win their first ever CARICOM women's basketball championship, then become the first English-speaking team to make it to the Pan Am Games in over 50 years and the first English-speaking team to make it to the FIBA Americas Championship. At the latter tournament, Edwards won the Leading Goalscorer's Award.

"For me to go up and collect that award, for Jamaica, I think that's the biggest award in my life," noted Edwards, who turns 34 on November 17. The reason why she cherishes the award so much is because many of the game's best players from "powerhouses like the United States, Cuba and Brazil also played in this tournament".

Her Jamaica co-captain, Oberon Pitterson, who has known Edwards since her days at KT, singled out her abilities to ignite the team.

Good person

"She's a very good person, very competitive," said Pitterson, a former captain and coach of the Sunshine Girls netball team. "When she goes out there and steps on the court she finds ways to encourage the players.

"Her understanding is great and she tries to get everybody involved. She's a hard worker and when she goes out there she gives it her best shot."

In terms of getting to the next level, Edwards firmly believes Jamaica have talent but need greater financial backing.

She said: "We don't get any money. We do it because we love our country. It's not about the money, it's about the pride. It just hurts me that we're not getting any support, we don't get money, anything. They (players) are giving everything because they're proud to play for Jamaica, and they don't come crying that they're not getting any money, but it seems unfair and I don't think we've got enough credit. We made history three times without any support.

"Everywhere we go people cheer for us, even if we're losing. People, they just love Jamaica and nothing beats that. But it gets a little frustrating. I think we can go places. Lack of funding is killing us."

In the meantime, though, while developing basketball skills at Bradford, Edwards, who started her masters in psychology, will continue her thrust to educate others so they may benefit in the way she did.

Loves teaching the game

"Basketball is what got me out of Jamaica. We have so many athletes and a lot of them need to pick up sport and try to get a scholarship. That 's the opportunity

I want to provide for people out there," she said.

"I love teaching the game and it gives me an opportunity to get scholarships for some Jamaican kids and really make sure that they get their education and stay focused and develop their game to comeback and represent the country. "I want to make sure that they finish up their education and get their degree. We can't wait for the politicians to do it, we have to do it ourselves."

Feedback: audley.boyd@gleanerjm.com