Monrovia – The Executive Director of the National High School Sports, Dionysius Sebwe, has issued a clarion call to young athletes across Liberia to prioritize their academic pursuits alongside their sporting ambitions.
By: Christopher C. Walker, [email protected]
Mr. Sebwe, speaking during a formal ceremony where his organization presented a cash prize of US$7,000 to Howard Academy for clinching the National High School Kickball Championship, urged students to believe that education and sports can coexist.
Addressing a gathering of students, administrators, and sports stakeholders, Sebwe a former Lone Star defender and former Deputy Minister for Sports delivered a message on the necessity of preparing for life after the final whistle.
“There is life after the game. Play the game, love the game, but acquire education in preparation for your future,” he urged.
He cautioned that athletic careers are often short-lived. Without a solid educational foundation, he warned, players remain vulnerable to exploitation, particularly when navigating the complexities of professional contracts.
Drawing from his personal trajectory, Sebwe cited his own transition from professional football to public service during the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration as proof that education is the most reliable pillar for long-term stability.
Promoting Education Through Sports
Sebwe emphasized that the tournament’s core objective transcends mere competition. He noted that the initiative is strategically designed to bolster school enrollment and ensure young people remain academically engaged while honing their athletic prowess.
“Football players are not dull people. The opportunity we had is what we want to give to you guys,” he said, asserting that sports and education are complementary, not mutually exclusive.
Howard Academy Celebrates Victory
Established in 2018 in Caldwell, Howard Academy has rapidly built a formidable reputation, amassing over 12 trophies across sports, entertainment, and academic disciplines.
During the presentation, representatives from the school and the tournament’s organizing committee joined the school’s sports director to officially hand over the championship trophy to the institution’s leadership.
Notably, the school administration used the platform to issue a formal apology to the organizers, addressing instances of misconduct by some students during the heat of the tournament.
Investing in the Future
Also speaking at the event, Kelvin Sebwe, a member of the organizing committee, encouraged the school to reinvest the prize money into sustainable projects that would benefit future generations of students.
He revealed that the organizers are exploring ways to increase the prize money and potentially take the two kickball finalists to neighboring countries to expose kickball, which is uniquely Liberia’s own sport.
In a prompt response, the administration pledged to undertake a significant infrastructure project.
The school’s principal, Pastor Tony M. Woart, revealed plans to construct a basketball court on the campus, an announcement that was met with rapturous applause from the student body.
James D. Blamo, Vice Principal, said the school’s success did not come as a surprise because of the heavy investment in the sports department.
“I can tell you we have the best kickball team in the country and can assure you that next year we will be champions again,” Blamo said.
“We have won trophies and cash prizes before, but this is the biggest. I can tell you that this money will be used for the intended purposes, and we will call the organizers for the dedication of the project.”
Blamo admitted that there was initial skepticism regarding the cash prize due to past experiences with other tournaments where promised prizes were never delivered.
Other Winners Honored
In a related development, the National High School Championship on Tuesday presented Nathan F. Reeves Charity High School with a US7000 prize for winning the football category.
Meanwhile, Alvin Kollie of Nathan F. Reeves Charity high school received US 1,000 for winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the football category of the 2025/2026 edition of the tournament.
The National High School Sports program is an organization that employs sports to boost school enrollment and reduce illiteracy.
Since organizing the first nationwide high school championship in 2017, the program has featured over 150 Ministry of Education-sanctioned schools, leading to a significant surge in enrollment, particularly for female students in the Southeast.
