Austin wants to be beacon to youngsters
THE memories of a poverty-stricken childhood are still fresh in the mind of Jamaican international footballer Rodolph Austin, even though he readily confessed that life these days is much brighter.
The hard-tackling and sometimes sharp-shooting midfielder remembers vividly the days when his family faced great financial difficulties and how strange it felt playing in football boots for the first time at age eight.
Now, having risen above his painful, but much appreciated past, the Norwegian-based professional player is giving thanks and wants to use his life as a fillip to help youngsters, who might have their backs against the wall, achieve their full potential.
Since moving to Norwegian Premier League outfit SK Brann from Portmore United in 2008, Austin has made it his point of duty to assist in the development of young players from his past schools and the Clarendon Youth Programmes, no matter how small the token might be.
“It’s very important to give back,” he said, “It’s a blessing and it gives you a sense of responsibility for which I think young kids will look up to you and try to make something of their lives too.”
Austin’s parents got divorced when he was only four years old and was subsequently raised by his father in Morgan’s Pass, Clarendon. And while life for him as a boy was normal, there were certain things that his family just could not afford.
“Right now I really appreciate going through those rough times because it motivated me to work hard for a better life.
“But my father was always there… and he took good care of me and my other brother,” Austin reminisced. “Things were rough at times because I never had my mom around, so I had to grow up facing the reality of life at a young age…”
For him, there was only one way to move up the social ladder. “I always wanted to be a professional footballer,” he told the Sunday Observer. “That’s all I was ever interested in, although I tried to do my school work.”
And now that he’s been doing well for himself, giving back to the individuals who helped him along the way and those to come is but a small gesture appreciation.
It was while at the Morgan’s Pass All-Age School that the young Austin — then a pint-sized player — started to blossom as a footballer, and later caught the eye of veteran football coach and administrator John Green.
“… I appreciate everything Mr Green has done for me,” he remarked. “He’s the one who saw me for the first time when I was eight years old and took me to play for the parish team, and at that time I didn’t even know how to play in a football boots.
“And that’s why I try to help the young players, so that they can have a better life at the same level now,” added Austin, who could have also made it big as a comedian had he not taken on football.
His football sojourn later took him to Clarendon College (CC), where he excelled in a number of sporting disciplines and academics.
At CC, a central figure in Austin’s life was youth coach Garfield Robinson, with whom he still spends many a day on the training pitch whenever he’s in the island on his off-season.
“When I’m in Jamaica I would go there (CC) and train with ‘Mr Robbie’ (Robinson) and the youngsters. I run jokes with them and have a good time, and by doing that they will have more self confidence and realise they can come back one day and do the same thing,” the former Clarendon College Headly Cup cricket captain said.
CC and the Clarendon Under-13 and Under-15 Youth Programmes, being overseen currently by Green, are so far the main beneficiaries of Austin’s philanthropic efforts.
“I normally bring boots and some other stuff to Mr Robbie to give to the players, so that they can develop themselves,” he said.
But, Austin is not one to hog all of the praise, explaining that his club and teammates play a major role in his charitable pursuits.
“My teammates… give me a lot of football boots and the club normally give me some full set of gear and all I have to do is pay to bring them to Jamaica, so it’s not… all coming from me, but I’m trying to make it a continuous (effort),” Austin explained in an interview with the Observer.
While he’s not yet thinking about starting a foundation, he’s nonetheless aiming to reach more people.
“I haven’t given any contribution in cash as yet and I’m planning to keep it on this level for now, but I want to do something for the Basic… and All-Age schools that I attended, so that kids can benefit,” he explained.
And perhaps the time being spent with the youngsters on the field during his off-season is preparation for prolonged career in the sport.
“I would love to stay in the sport and work whenever I stop playing, but I would also want to have something else in the event that things don’t work out that way,” said Austin, who is the uncle of national Under-20 captain Sergio Campbell.
Prior to his move to Scandinavia, Austin was heavily tipped for a £1.1 million transfer to English Premiership outfit Stoke City (then in the Championship).
It was reported in sections of the media that Stoke, which pursed Austin for more than a year, had even made a down payment on him.
But, after two failed attempts to land a work permit in England, the former Los Perfectos player completed a £1.05 move to SK Brann in 2008.
Two years on, Austin, who, is comfortable playing either as a centre-half or a midfielder, seems to have settled in well at Brann where he also appears to be a fan favourite, but said his ultimate goal is to play in England.
“It’s my dream to play in England one day and I’m going to keep working to fulfill it,” Austin said.