In Build Up To The National County Sports Meet
BY Jerome C. Willie, boyzwill26@gmail.com
Former Nimba County kickball coach Darius Ajavon has been appointed Head Coach of Maryland County’s kickball team, ahead of this year’s edition of the National County Sports Meet set to kick off on December 16.
Mr. Ajavon’s appointment was made by the Maryland County Sports Steering Committee, chaired by Josephfor Ketteh Zumo. Reliable sources confirmed that all terms and conditions were finalized on Thursday, October 2, and an official announcement is expected within the next 24 hours.
The experienced tactician previously served as Trainer for Nimba County and Deputy Coach for Lofa and Nimba Counties before assuming full leadership as Head Coach for Nimba County, where he led the team through several successful campaigns.
As Trainer, Ajavon guided Nimba County to a championship victory during the 2009/2010 edition of the National County Sports Meet. Later, as Deputy Coach, he played a pivotal role in helping both Lofa and Nimba Counties capture the kickball title — including Nimba’s back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016, and Lofa County’s triumph in 2021.
By 2022, Ajavon was promoted to Head Coach of Nimba County, where he led the team to multiple grand finale appearances. However, despite reaching the finals on several occasions, his side narrowly missed out on the title — falling short to Lofa and Rivercess Counties in different editions.
Despite his impressive record of consistency and finals qualifications, Ajavon’s inability to secure a championship ultimately cost him his position with Nimba County after last year’s tournament. The Nimba County Sports Steering Committee has since turned to Coach Jerry Kennedy, a highly regarded tactician who previously led Margibi County to multiple triumphs and guided Grand Kru County to its first-ever kickball grand finale in the history of the National County Sports Meet.
Ajavon, who currently serves as Chairman of the Coaches Association of the Liberia Kickball Federation, replaces Coach Castello, commonly known as Coach PA, under whose leadership Maryland County failed to advance beyond the group stage in last year’s competition.
Maryland County is drawn in the group alongside Rivercess, Grand Kru, and River Gee Counties in this year’s group stage. Coach Ajavon’s side will make its National County Sports Meet debut on December 16, 2025, in Harper.