A Deserving Player, Coach, Motivator And A Giant

By John L. Aaron
Augustine “Gus” Lawrence Logie – Atlantis Cricket Club’s 2011 honoree stood tall in acknowledging that every successful player or human being must have climbed the shoulders of others before him or her. Such were the sentiments echoed by the former Trinidad & Tobago Test Cricketer at Atlantis’ recent awards presentation and dinner held in Brooklyn, NY.

Jackie Lloyd, sister of the legendary Clive Lloyd presents Gus Logie with his award.

The New York based club has honored 12 former West Indies Test players and 33 other individuals who have been associated with or played for the club during its forty-five year history. Logie is one of the former Test cricketers and the first from the twin-island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, to be so honored by Atlantis.

Augustine “Gus” Logie
The awards night belonged to the principal honoree Gus Logie, and two club members Keith Cameron and Herbert Newton.

Logie, who played 52 Tests for the West Indies and later served as that team’s coach, is now a motivational speaker focused on building young champions of character throughout the Caribbean and the world. The former middle-order Test batsman has co-authored a book and DVD with Emmanuel Guadeloupe, “Building Champions – A Motivational Presentation,” on empowering young people for success, and that was the hallmark of his address to the dinner guests gathered at the Union Temple of Brooklyn, across from the Brooklyn Museum and all its architectural majesty.

In accepting the 2011 Atlantis award and Lifetime Membership of the club, Mr. Logie remarked that he was “honored to be included among such former Test greats as Clive Lloyd, Lance Gibbs, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Alvin Kallicharan, Joe Solomon, Basil Butcher, Sr., Curtly Ambrose, Lawrence Rowe, Roger Harper and Clayton Lambert,” all previous honorees of Atlantis who are now part of the honorary rank of the club, quipping that he was sure such an esteemed cadre of players at their age, “could give the present West Indies team a run for their money.”

2011 Honorees Newton, Logie and Cameron.

The former Trinidad & Tobago 1975 youth player in directing some of his remarks to the young Atlantis cricketers in attendance, said, “I have had the privilege and honor of working with so many young men over the last few years and seen positive shifts in their attitudes, from grappling with the problems of youth to being Club, National and International cricketers, and role models, and having to satisfy the desires, hopes and aspirations of the their loved ones, clubs, communities, schools, and country.

And I know how difficult it is to emulate those who have gone before you: the challenge for you will be learning how to cope with the massive pressures of both living up to those expectations and handling the adulation of success and criticism of failure while taking your game to another level,” adding, “You will have to love the game, love the challenges, and empower yourself for success.”

He told the mentors of the young players on the Atlantis roster that, “It’s a new beginning, and as coaches we have an awesome task in molding our young charges to succeed. The bible talks of faith and it defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of which is not yet seen.” He urged them to begin with themselves, by having the right attitude, the right values, and a high level of commitment, responsibility, and strong work ethic.” He opined that if the integrity of the coaches and mentors shone through, it would give hope to the young charges, and will influence them to succeed, adding “We must teach them the true meaning of success in order for them to be successful.”

Alex Amsterdam 2011 Most Promising Player.

He concluded that we must have some spiritual guidance in our lives, while acknowledging a greater power than ourselves. He concluded with, “My wish is for you to realize your true potential as cricketers and as human beings who will lead satisfying and fulfilling lives, by having the mind to win, the will to succeed and the confidence to make it happen, both in and out of cricket.”

Keith Cameron and Herbert Newton
Joining the legendary Gus Logie on the 2011 Atlantis Honorary Membership stage were former Guyana first-class players Keith Oliver Cameron and Herbert Newton, two former Atlantis players, both of who expressed their satisfaction at having played for the club and the valued lessons of friendship, family and a sense of camaraderie that the club provided over the years.

All three 2011 honorees have made remarkable contributions to the sport of cricket both in the Caribbean and in North America and deserved to be in the “Cricket Hall of Fame of the South,” as Atlantis is often thought of, having inducted so many former Test players onto its Honorary Membership roster, rivaled only by the Hartford-based Cricket Hall of Fame, located North of New York City in Connecticut.

2011 Hardware Distribution
Atlantis’ 2011 on-field performance recipients included the 2011 Bernice Bouyea MVP Jason Greaves; Alex Amsterdam received the Reggie Aaron Most Promising Player Memorial Award, while Hugh Craig carted off the Most Disciplined Player award, in addition to Most Wickets, Best Bowling Performance in a Single Match, Most Economical Bowler, and Five or More wickets in a Match awards, he was joined in the latter category by Alex Amsterdam, Hugo D’Oliveira and Tristan Massena.

Other awards were presented to Jason Greaves – Highest Batting Aggregate, and Best Batting Average; Henderson Blades, The Centurion Award, and Prashanth Nair, Best Bowling Average.

2011 Atlantis Most Disciplined Player Hugh Craig.

The night, having started out with an exciting array of cocktails and hors‘d ovrs, concluded with a sumptuous dinner and dancing by the guests. It was a fitting end to a season that according to Atlantis’ President Steve Welcome, was one of “moderate success on the field of play,” but enormously successful in keeping with the club’s motto of “Atlantis…more than just cricket!”

Community Service
A member club of the Eastern American Cricket Association, Atlantis was formed in 1966, and has developed a sense of community by becoming actively involved in community affairs, such as house construction through Habitat For Humanity, a not-for-profit organization that helps home owners build their very first homes mainly with sweat equity and the volunteerism of members of organizations like Atlantis. The club also contributes annually to a Coat Collection and Toy Drive benefiting the less fortunate and the children of those struggling back to, or in college.

However, one of the club’s hallmark projects is the awarding of financial scholarship stipends to young men and women entering college for the very first time. The Shevonne Mentis Educational Scholarship Fund is aimed at providing financial assistance to college applicants during their first year. Now in its 10th year following the tragic circumstances of September 11, 2011 and the death of Ms. Shevonne Mentis, the 25-year old daughter of a member of the club who perished at the World Trade Center, the fund has distributed financial stipends to 17 deserving students who have all graduated from educational institutions such as Harvard University, the University at Buffalo, Hunter College (CUNY), Nassau County Community College, and the University of Maryland, among others.

This year’s awardees are Prashanth Nair, Casper Davis, Jr., Clifford Hamilton, Reece Gibbs, and Neigelle Francisco, all freshmen now in college.