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“[…] Why do we have to partner with the GC Foster College (of Jamaica) when we have the Sport and Physical Education Centre /SPEC at UWI? Under the leadership of Dr Iva Gloudon, dozens of physical education teachers and coaches generally benefited from accredited diploma courses leading to full degrees.
“[…] I dare to say, from direct involvement, that we probably have more coaches trained in the IAAF Coaching Certification and Education System, commonly referred to as Level 1-5 than even Jamaica itself.
Lara would break the record again, 10 years later.
(Copyright ICC)
“[…] Where, then, is the fault line? Who is to blame? […]”
In the following Letter to the Editor, Rae Samuel of Balmain explains why he thinks Minister of Finance Colm Imbert made a false start by looking for answers for Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting problems in Jamaica:
“[…] We will continue to develop our athletes to improve their performances. We are taking steps to strengthen the capacity of our coaches.
“We are providing specialised training in partnership with GC Foster College… in Jamaica. We are on our way to replicating brand Jamaica in our sporting disciplines…”
(Copyright Office of the Parliament 2022)
Thus spoke the Minister of Finance, re policy and allocation for Sport and Youth in the 2023 budget presentation. And thus, once again, did many of us in the sporting community cringe.
He was getting it wrong… again!
Why do we need to “’replicate brand Jamaica in our sporting disciplines”? In so many fields Trinidad and Tobago opened the door for the rest of the Caribbean.
Dwight Yorke has the highest profile as a footballer from the region. Brian Lara is a byword for record setting in Test cricket. Clifford Roach, a Trinidadian, was the first West Indian to score a double Test century.
Hasely Crawford broke the domination of Europe and the United States in the main event of the Olympics, the men’s 100m. It took 36 years for another West Indian to follow suit.
Keshorn Walcott, barely 20, and with virtually no international experience, won the 2012 gold in the javelin. This event was totally a first world domain—since then Kenya, Grenada, India and Pakistan have owned that space.
Our “Golden Girls” shared the netball championship of the World in 1979 with Australia and New Zealand. No other team sport from Trinidad and Tobago has won a world title.
Heck, as far as I know no other Caribbean country has won Olympic medals in weightlifting, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Rodney Wilkes won silver and bronze, and Lennox Kilgour copped bronze.
(Copyright Chidlovski)
We hold a record that will never be broken, the men’s 4×440 yards relay, set in Kingston in the 1966 Commonwealth Games.
Why do we have to partner with the GC Foster College when we have the Sport and Physical Education Centre /SPEC at UWI? Under the leadership of Dr Iva Gloudon, dozens of physical education teachers and coaches generally benefited from accredited diploma courses leading to full degrees.
We have the Valsayn Teachers College, UTT and the Corinth Teachers College which have trained a sufficient number of coaches and trainers.
Photo: UWI
A graduate of the Valsayn Teachers College, Dr Themesa Neckles, is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy at the University of Sheffield for over five years. She works in and out of the Caribbean.
Ms Kariel Debique attached to the Physiotherapy Department at the Tobago Hospital has accompanied many of our teams on international duty.
Coaching programmes? I dare to say, from direct involvement, that we probably have more coaches trained in the IAAF Coaching Certification and Education System, commonly referred to as Level 1-5 than even Jamaica itself.
I cannot speak for other disciplines but I know many federations used to conduct courses in cricket, rugby, football, hockey and netball for teachers when I was in the system. We have school leagues in most sports.
Going back to SPEC I know that they partnered with regional sporting bodies such as NACAC in designing and developing programmes. Where, then, is the fault line? Who is to blame?
All I can ask is who advised the Minister on this topic before he made the speech. If one goes through his presentation the old notion of “throw money behind it” jumps out.
(Copyright Brian Miller/ Wired868)
For example, all success comes out of grassroots, school-based programmes. Such an approach cannot take root in a system where preparation for SEA is the Holy Grail of education.
How many of us are aware that it is only after the exams that Standard 5 students are sent to do music and sports to cool off until results come out? What level of consultation takes place between governing bodies and the Ministry of Sports and Education?
The NGC-sponsored Right on Track programmes remain a clear example of direct collaboration between the Ministry of Education and a sporting body which ran for two decades, training coaches and developing athletes.
Antoine is part-funded by the NGC Right on Track programme.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
Which federations are telling the government that the notion of endless infrastructure equates success? This is false and has failed. In Trinidad and Tobago, we probably have the greatest density of sporting infrastructure in not only the region but Latin America.
We have stadiums, sporting academies, indoor facilities, outdoor courts for every sport. Yet many of them are simply locked down, run down, or are being repaired again.
For the billions invested we have little to show.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
The only sport that flies our flag high internationally is cycling. We get flogged in cricket, football, netball, basketball and athletics routinely at all levels. Our common narrative is that we now fail to qualify, to make it out of regionals
Is it about to get any better soon? I do not see that.
The Minister stated that: “we are creating a Special Sporting Commission to oversee a necessary platform for the necessary funding…”
Photo: Udecott
As is his/their wont, here comes another layer of bureaucracy which in the words of the immortal Black Stalin “is more nonsense to add to the foolishness”.
I hold that far too many leaders in sport do not fully appreciate what is the world of modern sport: that is a global multi-faceted enterprise where finance, economics, international relations and cultural issues are constantly at play. Leadership in sporting federations and governments must understand this.
Unfortunately for us here in Trinidad and Tobago, not many, if any at all, seem to have understood how important a portfolio they hold.
(Copyright Daniel Prentice/ Wired868)
How many have we heard state clearly what they want sport to do in our social development? And I do not mean that clichéd damn nonsense about sport solving crime.
I feel sporting bodies, communities, former national and present players and administrators should develop platforms of communication to address the issue in the same way we would address matters of utilities and services, culture and education.
Sending the Ministers to Jamaica to see Boys’ Champs is not the answer. Did they carry a technical delegation?
(via Ketch Caribbean)
I recall the original Cuban cohort of coaches in 2005, telling us that the Trinidad/Tobago delegation simply landed and asked for coaches. They did not have a program to inform them of choices.
The end result was that a baseball coach was sent to Trinidad to work in schools. I can give eye witness accounts of the trauma that poor comrade did indeed undergo.
No one person has the answers but we have a wealth of experience from which we should find a way forward and very many willing to come forward to help. But the answers are not in Jamaica.
Jamaica’s Donald Quarrie (far left) finished second.
(Copyright AP Photo/ Pool)
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There is more to say on this very important topic and I do believe in the alignment with outside-inside culturally similar and successful programs. Outside-inside implies using those outside of the country but inside the region. My first response however, is that Jamaica’s patriotic mindset by all its citizenry is why they are ahead of us. I also believe that their coaching programs have more alignment between participants’ skills and abilities and needs. There is more harmony. But, again, the difference lies in the patriotic resolve and personal conviction and inner drive to achieve their ever-renewing potentials. T&T is wanting in the areas of personal and national branding and recognition. Visiting Jamaica by the right learning-teaching personnel, can only help to rejuvenate what the spirit and inspiration for excellence. All those who have benefitted from Dr. Gloudon’s teaching and instructions are in a better position to prosper from the Jamaica merger.
Brian Lewis, where are you? I think a report on the “aspirational” 10 golds by 2024 project might shed some light on our sporting situation.
And wasn’t the PM relatively recently complaining about about the dearth of genuine (cricket) clubs in our country?
Yuh really think yuh go win dat argument, Rae?
You refer back to many years ago when our sportsmen and women had accomplished get feats. The country is concerned about the current and future performance. Modern sports seems to have left us behind. We cannot continue using the same approaches and strategies as in the past and expect a different result. You mentioned the various institutions and coaches we have in the country, as a Government and country the questions that would be asked is has that contributed to significant numbers of our sportsmen and women winning medals, in the world of business a return on an investment dictates what type of investment is under written. The other smaller Caribbean countries with limited resources appear to be out performing us in many sporting disciplines. If partnering with JC Foster has some benefits lets try them. I remember Ato Bolden mentoning our unprofessional amateur approach to the preparation of athletes and I have observed it first hand as one involved in sports at the Secondary schools and club level.
Every TT sports personality mentioned in the article is retired except for Kishorn. It show why we need help from Jamaica. Our sporting excellence was good in the past. We need to live in the present to prepare for the future
Our Coaches and Coaching are clearly lacking in quality and knowledge and we should gladly partner with the extremely successful Jamaicans
The coaches are only coaches on paper. Head knowledge but no actual skill in coaching. Coaches in name only. Just about the name but hopeless and useless.