North Village Community Club Enjoying Success
[Written by Patrick Bean]
What’s in a name?
When it comes to the word ‘community’ in North Village Community Club, therein lies the foundation of the organisation, with its serving up of various organised sporting, recreational, and learning activities for those of – but not limited to – the north Hamilton and northeast areas of Pembroke.
Founded in 1957, North Village has become synonymous with winning success in football and netball from youth to the highest levels of local club sports, while the cricket outfit has been a mainstay among the Commercial League, where they instigated the Commercial League Memorial Cup competition, played in memory of deceased players and officials.
This football season, Village is again exhibiting their superiority over their Premier Division rivals, having seized two trophies – Charity Cup and Dudley Eve Trophy – and gunning for the Friendship Trophy over the festive period.
The senior team also boasts a perfect 7-0-0 [win-draw-loss] league record that has allowed for a six-point cushion at the top of the standings as of December 5, 2023, forcing all others into a game of catch-up heading towards the season’s mid-point.
One among the well regarded Dill quartet, which includes the likes of Garrett [Punchy], Parks and Calvin, club president Shervin Dill has overseen the club’s evolution from a small-time venture with modest offerings to one of the island’s more progressive and fiscally equipped grass-roots operations. Village are today able to provide a combination of improved sporting facilities, along with educational components designed to advance the life skills.
“‘Community’ is the most significant part of our name, North Village Community Club,” said Dill, when caught up with on the occasion of his club’s seizure of the Dudley Eve Trophy. “I have the greatest respect for all of the attachments that we have, like Red Devils, Cougars, and Zebras, but we are one of the few clubs that have ‘community’ in our name.
“Community is what we’re all about, because that is what we were established upon: to represent, uplift, and educate our community and to provide support.”
Dill has adroitly commanded the North Village ship for more than a decade and is a fixture wherever Village can be found performing, whether it be on the sidelines among the lush grass at Bernard Park, the tarmac of the adjacent netball courts, or at opponent’s grounds.
Yet, even as the senior footballers garner much public attention, it is the youth that Dill regards as the most significant factor in ensuring sustainability of his and indeed all local sporting institutions.
“I was at an Under-13 match a few days ago, where we were victorious in the final and that’s just as important to me in terms of what we’re doing for development,” said Dill. “Because without that development, which has been continuous for for 65 years, we would not be able to achieve what we do at the top level.
“What it means to me is that North Village is continuing to build on its legacy.
“We celebrated 65 years last year and I’m glad to see that those that we celebrated; I give thanks to them, because we ride on their shoulders today.
“So, what I would say is that it’s all about development and leadership.”
As many traditional powers have experienced a downturn in terms of profitability and embarked on a roller-coaster ride of success and failure, Village has been able to avoid economic downturns and talent depletion due to migration.
Dill explained this as being a result of good forward planning and administration by the team he has gathered around him and a loyal membership.
“Our success is due to good administration,” said Dill. “It’s about making the best decisions and continuous development of your youth programs. Because that is what gives us our depth.
“If you look around to see which clubs are successful you will see those that are successful and are able to sustain themselves are the ones that have good developmental programs.”
A key aspect of ensuring continued growth and development is an after school programme, which serves to impart sound life skills to those of the club’s youth programmes.
Said Dill: “Our after school program is a big part of what we are, because we are now teaching life skills to our youngsters. We’re teaching them anger management in the context of conflict resolution.
“We are teaching them mannerisms and how to look people in the eye and how to deal with real life situations, which is a big part of our organization now.
“We are certainly more than a football club, with the teams that we have.
“We have three netball teams and are one of the only clubs that have been involved in netball since it’s inception.
“If you are raising a family and want your name to live on, you’ve got to be able to produce the products – the children – that can carry on your name.
“When you look at it, if you do not have depth then your family name will die. At North Village we have a lot of depth in our program, which has allowed us to continue to live on and compete at a high level. We raise the bar high and demand excellence from ourselves.
Dill added that North Village has not guarded the blueprint for success, noting how they have shared the specifics of what they have instituted with others.
“Back in 2000, when we hired Kenny Thompson to come on, our club was financially challenged, and we had to start to do things differently,” said Dill. “Kenny brought a brilliant plan to the club, whereas at one time we were charging $100 registration for children to enter our youth program and we could not sustain ourselves.
“But Kenny brought a brilliant plan, where we had to up the ante on the registration fee, which produced some push-back, but eventually it proved successful.
“We took that model and shared it with all affiliates and you will see that model being replicated today, in terms of the uniformity of youth development and at the top proper, quality administration, that’s how we survive today.
“As chairman of the president’s council, one of the biggest challenges I have is to ensure that all of the clubs are performing at an optimum level, with regard to their administration.”
