The pride once associated with representing one's school appears to have died at Bermuda's largest high school.

Despite possessing the largest pool of talent, CedarBridge Academy have been unable to produce a team to compete in the inter-school soccer tournament.

Indeed, student/athletes are more likely to turn out for a local club than wear their school colours.

Further emphasising the point this week was a two-page section in the Bermuda Sun which displayed profiles of the 20 members on the Bermuda Under-17 national squad, chosen from those involved in Bermuda Football Association's leagues.

In an ironic twist, 17 of those in the squad attend CedarBridge.

One who strongly disagrees with allowing the shirking of school representation in favour of a club is the Education Department's physical education officer Clint Smith.

"School should always come first,'' said Smith. "In fact, there is an agreement that exists between the BFA and the BSSF that if students refuse to play for the schools, that they not be allowed to participate for a club.

"So here we're dealing with `national', and the only way you can play for the national team is to play for a club team, so I would agree that it is ironic.

"It doesn't sit well with me at all, because basically you're rewarding them for turning their backs on the school ... you're saying that school is not important.'' Smith alluded to how such apathy has already led to the demise of the East versus West Secondary Schools All-Star Game, which has been scrapped for this year due to a lack of numbers.

Only three schools have been involved in inter-school play, with Saltus, Mount Saint Agnes and Berkeley Institute turning out.

"We used to place a lot of emphasis on the All-Star Game, but you could not play in that match unless you represented a school,'' continued Smith. "And, not only that, there were 10 training sessions, and missing two meant that you were off the squad, no matter what kind of excuse was made.

"Now we've gone back -- like -- 20 years, because that All-Star Game has been in existence for 21 or 22 years and this will be the first year in over 20 years that the seniors haven't played.'' Meanwhile, Kenny Thompson, the current coach of the Under-17s and also a PE teacher at CedarBridge, said that the problem was not necessarily that of being able to field a team, but that of getting them to stay after school for training.

"The problem is not with getting students to represent the school, but to get them to prepare to represent CedarBridge,'' said Thompson. "If we were to schedule a match for next week against Saltus, and put it over the announcements for all those interested in playing to meet at the field at four o'clock, the problem would be with numbers ... there would be too many.

"Our problem is that they are not enthusiastic about preparing, they're very enthusiastic about playing.'' Thompson noted that various fliers, notices and announcements had been made to have students come out for the team, and there was positive initial response, but when it came down to training sessions only a handful showed up, and the process abandoned.

He added that the challenge now stands as one for the physical education department to find ways of motivating students to want to engage the process of school representation.

CedarBridge Athletic Director Nyon Steede reiterated the points made by Thompson, adding that there were other issues, such as after-hour transportation from CedarBridge, and incorporating a training schedule that was convenient to those interested in playing for the school.

He also said that the movement to the mega-school concept had diminished the traditional rivalries contained in the old secondary schools system, thus the loss of interest.

"Talks are underway to resolve the bus issue, so that one stumbling block is out of the way, as well as finding better ways to get the message across to students as far as when training takes place,'' said Steede, in his first year as Athletic Director.

Youth versus experience: Members of Bermuda's Under-17 squad battle it out against North Village in a training match at the National Sports Centre on Thursday night. Village won 1-0. The game was used to prepare the youngsters for the forthcoming Under-17 World Cup qualifiers to be held in Bermuda.