Turning the hype into positive outcomes

The sport of Track and Field here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, for the past three weeks, has been buzzing.

This, as the schools’ calendar unfolds bringing with it much excitement and expectations.

Somehow, the hype has gone up a notch, albeit that there was an air of despondency going into the month of February.

The downturn in spirit stemmed from the concerns about the ill- timed and ill-advised closure of the Diamond Track Facility, which forced schools to resort to the Victoria Park venue.

But things have worked out to the benefit of the sport.

Much must be accredited to the happenings of the Girls’ High School Most Spirited House Assembly, which brought about a new vibe this year, thus rippled across St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Thanks again to social media, many tuned in to the happenings on the four consecutive Mondays of assembly at the school’s compound at the decommissioned E.T Joshua Airport.

Then there was the hosting of the All Leeward Championships, which for good measure, was shifted from a weekday to Sunday. Again, greater interest and participation accrued.

Also adding to the fun were the decision of the Bishop’s College Kingstown to follow the trendsetters- Bethel High School and the Barrouallie Secondary to go the way of evening championships.

Likewise, the Thomas Saunders Secondary joined the line by turning to last Saturday, February 24, 2024.

Their event also finished under the lights at the Victoria Park.

Most significantly, the St Vincent Grammar School and the Girls’ High School will jointly convene their Athletics Championships this Sunday March, 2, at the Victoria Park.

Therefore, the sermonizing and echoing have finally fallen on fertile ears, and the outcome has been a shift in the status quo.

As such, the resistance to institutions’ hosting of their Inter-House Athletics Championships on the weekend is coming home to reality, one by one they are seeing the benefits.

So, the framework for betterment ultimately of the Track and Field product is slowly being configured.

It is the task of the stakeholders to ride the present wave, maximise the opportunities to better the athletes and, most importantly, the sport of Track and Field.

Coming out of the Girls’ High School’s Most Spirited House Assembly has been a renewal, a reconnection of identity with Grimble, Headmistress, Staff and Moffett House students of the past.

This augurs well for improving the alumni of the institution’s partnerships and mentorship among others.

Hopefully, other schools may find ways of engaging past students in the active life of their institutions that can foster improved outputs all round.

Not that they have to duplicate what the leading all female education institution has done, they can even surpass.

For certain, all secondary schools in the country have past students strewn across the globe, and with the technological advancements, finding that connection and alliance are like one, two, three.

Similarly, it would also be fitting that the schools in Kingstown as well as on the Windward side put their thoughts and actions into motion, and follow suit by staging a Central Championships and an All Windward.

In so doing, schools will be better positioned to gauge their team and provide additional competition in preparation for the grand finale, the Inter- Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships (ISSAC).

Amidst the glorification of what is unfolding with the respective schools’ internal Athletics championships, what occurred in 2024 relative to the abrupt closure of the synthetic track should not happen again.

For emphasis, the unavailability of the Diamond Track Facility, coupled with the closure of the Arnos Vale

One and Sion Hill Playing Fields, denied some athletes from the primary schools a fair opportunity of excelling.

Hence, with the obvious limitations that exist at the Victoria Park, the Chili Playing Field, and the

Campden Park Playing Field the Long Jump and Triple Jump were cancelled this year.

Some students would have been short changed in exhibiting their jumps talent.

We should not be contented with the notion of taking the good with the bad; this column would concur that the latter could have been spared with proper planning.