Somerset resident Keith Tucker has come up with an ambitious plan to help promote community spirit using sports and academic work as a primary means.

And with the help of a small group of fellow educators, Tucker — former head football coach at Washington’s Howard University — is optimistic he can achieve this objective through the launching of the Sandy’s Scholar Athlete Academy Camp.

Tucker returned to the Island last January after living in the US for the past 32 years — where he coached at Howard for a quarter of a century — and is now keen to play his part in helping future generations become model citizens.

“We have to motivate our kids to become a part of the system and the only way they can be part is first knowing how to get into it,” Tucker said.

“So this academy is going to be more than a summer camp because this whole thing is all about building the village and bringing everyone in the community together whether white or black.”

Through sport Tucker intends to stimulate both interest and motivation among the kids while also preparing them for future academic endeavours and various roles they can aspire to within the community.

The scholar and athletic academy will be housed at the Somerset Primary School facility in the West End and is aimed at kids aged five to 13

It will run from July 2 to August 1.

During the month-long camp emphasis will be placed on scholarship sports programmes such as sailing, football, volleyball, softball and cricket to name a few — but more importantly on academics.

“The kids are going to be tested when they arrive to see exactly where they are at and then we are going to see how much we can improve on their grade level,” Tucker explained.

“We are going to be working on the kid’s reading and writing skills and arithmetic using creative methods and also do some grade level testing.”

Tucker also has a vision to see the academy progress to an after-school sports programme and academic tutoring service in addition to another plan to reintroduce a community oriented youth football league — such as the former Somerset Community League that once thrived in the area in the 1980s — in the near future.

“Our aim is to have a year round programme put in place to assist the kids and also provide adults with an avenue to give something back to the community,” Tucker said.

“I think there are people out there who would like to give back to the youngsters but just don’t know where to do it. So we have to be able to go out and pull people together and this is what they do overseas — circle their kids.

“All of the parents have the same values and interest for the kids to get them to do the best they can do. And there’s nothing rocket science about all of this.”

Assisting the former Somerset Trojans utility player who coached Howard University to the 1988 NCAA Division One final are fellow educators Dr. Radell Tankard and wife Dr. Melissa Tankard and former Trojans ‘keeper Lewellyn Simmons — who currently teaches in Ohio — and chairman of football at Somerset Cricket Club Josef Gooden.

Anyone wishing to make further inquiries should contact Tucker at 234-1231 or 732-2558.