Stewart focused on a path of achievement

By Morissa Lindsay

Barbados’ multi-talented athlete Alex Stewart has made a name for himself in both squash and tennis at St George’s School located in Rhode Island after completing his first year at the institution.

The talented 16-year-old who represents the Barbados Squash Association and the Barbados Tennis Association and refers to himself as the Dragon for the competitive fire he brings to both disciplines, said he has adjusted well at St. George’s School. He was also recognized for his efforts as one of their leading players in squash and tennis.

It has been a memorable year for the right-handed player whose name was among the list of players that received honourable mention for the Independent School League (ISL) and New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) for squash.

“My hard work and determination continued to reap success as I was also awarded All ISL and most recently All ISL League for Tennis. My school recently held a sports award ceremony and I won the York Tennis Award,” Stewart said proudly.

A former student of the St. Michael School, Stewart left last year to pursue his dream of being a student-athlete in North America and shared with Barbados TODAY a comprehensive review of what his experiences have been like.

“The transition to the new school environment took some adjusting but with the support of St George’s School staff, family and peers, I was able to adjust and focus on my journey. I am still trying to adjust to the food. This is my biggest challenge. We have Chapel twice a week which I like and every night we have a quiet period for two which allows us to study, and complete assignments and homework.

“Then there is lights out. You even have to sign in each night by 7:45 and if you have to leave campus before that time you have to get approval from your parents and Student Life Office and your advisor. If you miss commitments you receive infractions which are penalties. Of course, you must remember to sign back in on your return. Lots of structure!

“With squash being a winter sport the first semester, my focus was on strength and conditioning while doing some light training for squash each day for two hours. A few weeks into the semester my squash coach left to take up an assistant coach job at Yale University. While it was an emotional period for me, I was happy he got the opportunity. The team remained focused and trained hard for the upcoming season under coach Piller,” Stewart told Barbados TODAY.

He added: “We trained every day for two hours and I played number one and came up against some of the best squash players. My season record was 8/4. The team lost in the finals of the New England Squash Championship but I enjoyed the experience and the team spirit and the never-say-die attitude of my teammates. Spring season would quickly follow with tennis where I played number one in doubles and number three in singles.

“Coach Joe Lang and the team have such a close bond and his coaching style always made us feel relaxed and confident. This environment saw our team pull off some great wins with a successful season and a lot of improvement amongst the players. My record for the season was 14/1 for singles and 10/5 for doubles. Our team spirit was great on and off the court and we believed in each other and in our coach’s guidance.

“In my first year, I had to do a lot of balancing as I am also part of the School
Music Ensemble which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, some of my away matches took me away from attending some of the practice sessions, but hopefully, the upcoming year allows me more availability to enjoy one of my loves.”

Coach Lang gave some insights into the two awards Stewart won for tennis at the end of spring. “So, as you are aware, he won two awards for squash for winter. Now he has exceeded that for tennis by being awarded MVP (York Award) and all ISL League. So the ISL All-League Award Alex won is based solely on merit, for example, a point system. He was one of 13 boys in the league of 16 teams that were honoured. We play a six-match singles format (so there are a lot of players playing!) and the awards are based on singles performances.

“He was the only player that played at the number three position only losing one match (and he played number two for his last four matches, which those points actually put him over the top) to receive the award. As far as the York Tennis Award, it is awarded to the MVP of our team; the player that performs best on-court.”

The six-footer who recently returned to the island from Guyana where he represented Barbados in the Caribbean Area Squash Association competition and narrowly missed out on a podium finish said he continues to be grateful for the opportunity given and is looking forward to a renewed focus for the 2022-2023 academic year.

He also had words of encouragement for other young persons that have an interest in playing sports. “For young person’s interested in playing sports there are a lot of opportunities out there which you can benefit from while excelling in academics and sport. One just have to believe in oneself and be willing to put in the hard work to see great results. My mom always reminds me that I am my only competition,” he said.

With respec to what the future holds for Stewart academically and athletically, he explained: “So what lies ahead for the upcoming academic year for the young Dragon? It’s all about balancing my academics and athletics and music schedule along with still having a social life. Time management is key to see continued success. Academically I want to continue to strive for A’s.

“Athletically, I want to reap even more success through continued hard work and the continued support and guidance from my family, coaches, teachers and peers. Also, I want to continue to put my school out there as one to reckon with in sports and one that produces well-rounded students. But most of all I want to be able to be involved in my school community a bit more and to assist other students with addressing mental health and the student- athlete journey.”

morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb