Theo Burnett has a passion for football. It was that passion that saw him representing Clarendon College back in the 80s and being one of the brilliant stars for the team. When he migrated, he resumed his passion by taking part in clubs, and today he is a part of the Reggae Girlz Foundation, which plays a vital role in assisting Jamaica’s best female football players.
The football enthusiast will be the first to tell you that he is one father who doesn’t believe in forcefully influencing his children’s career path or extracurricular activities. With a big smile on his face, he told Freedom Come Rain that he had introduced his daughter Theanna to the sport— “no pressure!” He felt it was a sport that would make her fit and strengthen their father-daughter bond.
Her natural affinity and genuine love for the sport kicked in, and she developed a huge passion for it, so much so that she lost interest in all other sports.
That passion has seen her play all over the United States and internationally. She is currently a member of the Reggae Girlz squad.
Sharing about what it feels like to see his daughter embrace a sport he is passionate about, Theo said there are no words to describe it, stating how super proud he is of her accomplishments.
The similarity doesn’t end there, as the 20-year-old is now on scholarship a
t Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, CT, the same school that he went to on scholarship as well.
Theanna is making her presence felt at the school as she was named NEC Defender of the Week and is a regular woman of the match for SHU games.
As for Theanna, she said her father is her inspiration. She has heard the stories of the days when he captained the 1983/84 team and when they went for the Ben Francis Cup against Cornwall College. He also played semi-pro in the USA.
“I look up to my father, and he didn’t have to do much prodding as I naturally love the sport and wanted to achieve some of his exploits, even going beyond what he accomplished,” she informed.
Theanna said she is impressed by her father’s work ethics and passion, and she enjoys the time they spend together, with him being her number one fan.
“No matter where I have a match, I can count on my father to take a plane to come give his support, and it’s not like I am his only child; he is good like that, to make us feel special in our own individual way,” she gushed in admiration as she spoke about her father.
A chartered accountant by profession as well as a businessman in the food industry, Theo, who has four children, said being a father is something special for him.
As much as he is caught up in his only daughter’s football life, his three sons have no need to feel left out, as he is very much involved in their lives as well.
His sons work with him in the business, both as tax auditors and at his three Golden Krust outlets, which are managed by each of them.
Theo Junior, speaking on behalf of his brothers, said his father is nothing short of “inspirational.”
“As a young child, I always wanted to be like my dad, but I never understood why. Was it the way he walked? The way he spoke? The way he carried himself around family and friends? My father has always been a man of few words, but he displayed love through his actions, showed discipline through his work, practiced patience with his children, and always put his family first,” he stated.
Junior did not hold back on the praises, as he described his father as a creator, an innovator, and a leader of men.
“The way you love your family, the way you hold us up, and always being there when we need you are why you are second to none. I can go on and on, but to keep things nice and short, there aren’t enough words in the world to say thank you. To say I appreciate you. You are inspirational, the person, the father I strive to model on my own journey,” were his emotional words.
As for Theo Senior, the day he became a father, everything changed for him. He said he knew he would be doing everything to ensure that he and his wife raised their children with everything they had.
Despite a demanding career, he long ago made up his mind that he would not allow his
job to interfere with the quality time he needed to spend with his children.
“I am the dad who shows up, I want to ensure that if there is anything affecting them, they have the confidence to approach me. I am their friend, their father, and one who can be stern when the time calls for it,” he shared.
And as the world celebrates Father’s Day, Theo said that if he gets a gift, that’s fine, but for him, the best thing about the day is to see his children happy and to know that they are okay.