Greater commitment to sports required
This is an unacceptable situation.
If for example there are over 40 IAAF Level # 1 certified coaches in St Vincent and the Grenadines and perhaps similar numbers in football, basketball and some of the other sports why is it that we are not seeing them on the field encouraging the development of athletes in the respective sporting disciplines?
Too many of those who have been trained do not engage in any level of coaching after receipt of their certificates. They do not seem to see themselves as bearing any measure of responsibility even to the national sports association that has taken them down the path of advanced level training.
The selection of teachers to be trained as coaches merely because the persons are available in the school system has proven to be woefully inadequate.
Many of the persons who are in the system as teachers are unfortunately using it as a stop-gap measure with no real intention of staying in the profession. For others attendance at coaching courses may well be little more than another opportunity to be away from the classroom for an extended period.
The NOC has repeatedly called upon national sports associations to do more to get their selection of personnel for training correct to the point where after courses have been delivered we could see the beneficiaries fully engaged in the communication of their craft to the youths of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
There are many youths who can be involved in the process of sports developing from the grassroots through to the elite level but they are in need of adequate coaching guidance all along the way.
This is the intention in having appropriately trained personnel.
We have no shortage of trained personnel in St Vincent and the Grenadines. What we do have is a tremendous amount of trained personnel who are not working in the field.
The future
The NOC and its affiliates and indeed all of the national sports associations in St Vincen
t and the Grenadines need to come together to engage in meaningful discussion with the relevant governmental sports authorities to fashion a national development programme for sports.