Briggs big on bat and ball- in the crowd

Constantly in search of compelling cricket action, Calvin Briggs can often be found in the crowd during the Courts/Suzuki Division 1 competition.

Briggs, looks forward to his weekend outings and the break provided from the daily rigours of teaching, a profession to which he has dedicated most of his life.

Unlike most cricket fans who show some loyalty to a particular club, Briggs is simply on the hunt for keen competitive cricket and is not particularly concerned about the result favouring either team.

"I go where I think there will be a good cricket game," Briggs said.

"I am not a supporter of any cricket team. I played a lot of cricket when I attended the Alleyne School, then I joined the Belleplaine Social Club and I played BCL cricket for them. I have always been involved in cricket from a playing point of view and from an administrative point of view."

Briggs was referring to his days as president of the Belleplaine Club which now plays in the Intermediate division of the Barbados Cricket Association's competition. Briggs also represented another St. Andrew club, the Lakes Sports Club.

The cricket enthusiast readily admits that the standard of the cricket he watches religiously each week is below what it was when he played but this does not deter him from watching.

"Like a good Barbadian you still watch, you become angry and then you watch again," he quipped.

Even the disappointing performance of the West Indies team in England did nothing to sway Briggs from his beloved sport.

"I would awake early each morning and turn the television on," he said.

Fifteen years in the classroom have given him first hand experience of many facets of school life, not least that involving sport. He believes in order to rebuild Barbados and West Indies cricket it is necessary to start from the schools.

"You have to start at Primary level then expand to secondary."

The Luther Thorne Primary School Principal noted that somehow some youngsters seem to get lost after leaving school.

Recognising the more diverse nature of the modern curriculum Briggs readily embraces the introduction of technology.

"The education system is part of the world therefore technology must have a place. For Barbados to hold its head up information technology must be a part of what we are doing."