Selassie Gardens supporters cheer on their side to victory in the Homestyle Juices Southern Conference Division One Basketball League at the National Stadium court on June 27.

LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

A HOME-MADE basketball hoop sits in the centre of the section of Payne Land known as High Rise. The familiar inner-city apartment blocks surround the hoop and a 30' x 30' concrete playing surface. Children take aim in the midday sun, hoping one day to represent their community.

This is where the dream began for Selassie Gardens Flames - champions of the Homestyle Juices Southern Conference Division One Basketball League. The team from Tavares Gardens, more popularly known as Payne Land, has brought their community to life in more ways than one.

For them, the trophy represents pride, strength and opportunities.

"We feel nice and proud 'cause people always a step wi down," said one female member of the community, referring to the stigma Payne Land has as an inner-city community which at times is marred by violence.

The community is located just off Spanish Town Road, several yards from Three Miles. It covers about 400 square metres and is home to about 10,000 people.

And it seemed almost all of them packed the National Stadium court, prancing and dancing on the stadium's feeble benches, when their team, their heroes, took the court.

Much to celebrate

They had much to celebrate with Selassie Gardens losing only twice the entire season - in the mid-season final to Hagley Park Thorns and the first game of the best-of-three final to Braves Chiefs. After that first game loss to Braves, Selassie Gardens went on to win the remaining two games and claimed their first basketball title on June 27 at the National Stadium court. A huge success for a team that is only two years old.

The architect behind it all is Inspector Dennis Gardner. He heads the Community Safety and Security team for South St Andrew at the Hunts Bay Police Station. Gardner has always been close to basketball, having previously coached Charlemont Magics to the Division One final two years ago. Coincidentally, that's how his relationship with Selassie Gardens began in January.

"I happened to be walking outside the station and saw these three young men asking for assistance to attend a basketball game in Ocho Rios," Gardner told The Gleaner two Wednesdays ago at his office.

"I found out that they were actually from Selassie Gardens, which was the team Charlemont were to play - so we made a contribution to their transport. Subsequently, they won both games (of the JPS All-Island League) and knocked us out.

"After winning they asked me to be part of the team."

Captain Oneil Christie, who was one of the three players at the police station that day, along with Kemar Cohen and Travis Thomas, said the players were impressed with how Gardner handled the team and wanted him to work alongside their coach, Rohan Feanny.

"We liked how he dealt with the team, and we see that he wanted a winning team to coach," Christie joked.

Suspicion

Despite the team and Gardner's good intentions, a policeman entering an inner-city community most times rouses suspicion.

So, naturally, Gardner had his concerns.

"You went into the community with a lot of apprehension," he said. "(However), the reception was one of acceptance over time. First I was seen as the policeman coaching the team, but now I'm referred to as coach."

Gardner said the bond developed between the police and the residents, through basketball, had gotten so strong that they were willing to travel to games on a bus, known as 'War Bus', which is used to transport detainees to the police station.

"Normally when you go into the inner city, people see the 'War Bus' and hide," said Gardner. "But the people of Payne Land have grown to love it so much that one time we got a different bus with AC and was cleaner, but they vehemently denied it."

Changing peoples attitude

This marks one of the goals Gardner wanted to achieve when he decided to work with the community - changing peoples attitude towards the police.

Gardner and his team of constables - Nashoen Wray, Vincent Solomon, Alexley Smith and Jerome Constantine - have been working in Payne Land since January. Basketball is only one medium they use to show that the police and the residents can work together to solve some of the social ills.

There are also youth clubs and the School Resource Programme, in which police offer counselling and disciplinary help in schools.

"The acceptance of the police by the community has been overwhelming," Gardner noted. "What we want now is to minimise the violence," he added, pointing out that there has been five reported murders since January.

Through all the intervention programmes, Gardner said, the biggest obstacle has been breaking the culture and mindset of the residents.

"The greatest challenge was to move away from the culture of the community and get them to believe in themselves," Gardner said of the basketball team.

For all their successes on the court, confidence was a problem and indiscipline reared its ugly head occasionally. Gardner, who admitted he felt like quitting when things weren't going as intended, said a particular conversation in the middle of the season gave him the extra resolve to continue.

"One of the senior players on the team came to me and said, 'coach, we don't know what it's like for somebody to stick with us in the tough times. Whenever things go good something bad always happens to change the course of things'."

"That made me think," said Gardner, conceding that quitting would only manifest the team's negative expectations.

Of the 12-member team, only three players are employed, as the team mimics its environs. The players, of whom all but one are from the community, say it is not that they are lazy, but that "nothing is out there". However, with a shiny trophy to gaze on, hope is renewed.

"This inspires us and the people in the community," said Christie.

"This actually means more to the community than the players. A fi dem own."

"Out of the success of basketball, the players have realised they can achieve more," Gardner added.

When The Gleaner visited the community two Wednesdays ago, everyone wanted to sing their praise about Gardner and the team.

The team mascot, Collin Cooper, more popularly known as 'Russian', could be seen everywhere during the decisive Game Three draped in a custom-made suit built just for the game.

"Yeh man, mi get the money in a di day and buy the material same time and get a tailor mek it," 'Russian' said gleefully.

Good values

Garfield Boyd, who prefers to be called 'Richie', praised the coach and the values he brought to the team.

"Him bring discipline and everybody appreciate the coach and a nuh true him deh beside mi mek mi a sey suh," Boyd stated, with Gardner standing humbly next to him.

With warring factions in Payne Land somewhat under control, the residents have had more time to celebrate with their sporting heroes - the basketball team as well as top badminton players Shakira Bailey, Stacy-Ann Blake and Sheinell Hyatt, who all attend Haile Selassie High, which is located in the community.

With several formal events planned to celebrate the basketball team's success, the residents say the community could be making the news for all the right reasons rather than the wrong ones. Some times all they need is someone willing to lead them.

"Coach bring a whole heap a support, we can't even thank him," 'Russian' stated. "We nah tell yu se it a guh crime-free, but if we had more people like Mr. Gardner you would hear more positive than negative coming out of Payne Land."

Feedback: levaughn.flynn@gleanerjm.com