The GEMS Sports Academy at GEMS Wellington International School in Dubai has a clear objective: develop the academic and sporting talents of its young athletes.
Across a range of sports, GEMS are hoping to achieve this with a direct link to the USA and its scholarship system as a beaming light at the end of the tunnel for its students.
Led by principal director James Tucker, the GEMS Academy model is based on that of English Premier League football clubs.
Tucker, a one-time Tottenham Hotspur academy player, was director of education at Bolton before taking the job at GEMS; his desire to offer aspiring athletes the support of both education and a pathway into professional sport is the norm in the Western world but a relatively new concept to the Middle East.
For those hoping to go on to college and university in the United States, the combination is a must. Academia is crucial to the development of the brightest sporting prospects in the U.S., who only turn professional once they have completed their education.
One member of the GEMS Academy team who knows this system inside out is Jawann Oldham.
A former NBA star for sides such as the Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers and New York Knicks, Chicago-born Oldham went through university in Seattle before turning pro and is now charged with leading the Sports Academy’s basketball players.
“The focal point is academics because you have to be a student-athlete, you can’t be an athlete-student,” Oldham tells Sport360. “I think an aggressive recruiting programme will be great for GEMS and I’m going to help with that and tell kids what the benefits are academically and what the benefits are athletically.”
Such aggressive recruitment will be crucial for the academy to grow with only two basketball players on its books in this, its first full school year.
One of those students, Aaron Ferns, is the reason why Oldham got involved at GEMS, having coached him previously at his own academy in the UAE.
There is an obvious bond between Oldham, Ferns and Fahad Hassan, the Emirati student who plays and studies at the academy.
“Aaron has been my student for about five years and he started with my basketball academy at Canadian University. His mother guided me over here as she wanted to keep me as his coach so I came over here and met James Tucker and we agreed that I would be the coach of the school’s academy team,” Oldham explains.
“I wanted to stay with Aaron and keep working with him because he’s one of the players I’m trying to get to go to America on a basketball and athletic scholarship. His progress kept going really well and I’m going to stick with him until we get him to college.”
Ferns’ talent has indeed developed rapidly and he has been invited to tryouts with his native India already.
“I’m hoping to play the sport overseas and if not play the sport at least coaching or do something with it,” Ferns told Sport360. “Our coach is excellent, he’s like a father to me and he’s brought me to where I am now.
“I’m so proud to have been asked by India, it is amazing and hopefully I can impress them.”
The burning ambition of player, coach and director are all evident at GEMS with the balance struck well between study and sport.
Athletes are integrated into the Wellington classes and are given dedicated coaching sessions as part of their day to develop both aspects of their curriculum.
All of the youngsters in the academy are studying for BTEC qualifications and pick up at least another two subjects.
“We’ve learnt so much, not just with sport but our academics with BTEC sport and our two IB subjects,” said Hassan. “The subjects I’ve picked are in Arabic and English so that’s really helped me out while I’ve been here at GEMS.”
GEMS’ first success story is Callum Beaver, who is heading off for a football scholarship at the College of Holy Cross in America in May – and more have been offered places following a recent trip to the States at IMG’s renowned Florida sports academy. Ferns was one of those to impress on the trip to the States, with a potential scholarship at the Academy being discussed.
With the backing of coaches boasting the pedigree of Oldham, the foresight of Tucker and willing students such as Ferns and Hassan, expect many more from the UAE to be heading Stateside to continue their sporting education.
