Therefore, plan accordingly

With the continuous hue and cry about sporting facilities, their upkeep and other concerns, it may be opportune for the powers that be to review how its slender resources are distributed.

Right on cue, though, there has been some welcoming news that the National Sports Council (NSC), which is the custodian of most of the playing fields and hard courts, here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, is planning to zone its playing facilities.

Whilst the council’s intent has not been clearly aired, it is indeed a move worth given the stamp of approval.

Obviously, the National Sports Council has come to the stark realisation that it is ill equipped in man power and the financial anchor to care for all the facilities under its aegis, with some level of equity.

A closer look at the talent pool in the various sporting disciplines, there are clear lines drawn of geographic areas which may fashion where these resources are to be allocated.
Glaringly, there are certain areas and communities in St Vincent and the Grenadines where certain sporting disciplines are thriving more than others. This is further borne out by the output of the various national teams.

As it is at present, the pool of national volleyballers come from the Colonarie/Dickson, South Rivers area, with the bulk of the national cricketers coming from the that same North Central Windward boundary.

In the case of football, the leeward side of the mainland is the main production line of persons filling the national representative teams at all levels.

Too, basketball’s niche lies mainly on the Grenadine island of Bequia, while for netball, national representation, in terms of geographical distribution, has been fluctuating.

However, in the latter, there is a Central Leeward bias projecting.

It is expected that this will be the case for some time. The feeding off each other will be perpetuated, as some level of success is being achieved by the respective personnel.

What do these happenings mean in national planning, as in every aspect of resource management, decisions have to be made in respect of a needs basis?

The emerging trends should have an impact on the way the NSC should map out its allocations going forward, in terms of the management of its resources. So the planned zoning of playing fields by the NSC should take into account what is unfolding.

It will serve the NSC better, if instead of placing playing fields and hard courts in every community, they are allocated to where they are needed most.

This is also compounded by the fact that there are several of our sporting facilities which are underused, whereas the opposite is the case with others.

It will be better served to have a secondary playing field on the Windward side of the mainland to suffice the cricket talents which exist.

Yes, there is the Park Hill Playing Field, which is under the auspices of the National Lotteries Authority, but can there be a synergy formed to have this venue part and parcel of the overall distribution of resources?

The same should be the case on the leeward side, whereby the football talent can be further improved by granting persons, from that locale, a surface similar to that of the Victoria Park and the Chili Playing Field.

The proposed facility on the leeward side should also cater for the blossoming track and field abilities oozing out.

Likewise, a proper hard court facility in the Dickson community would be deemed right thinking, to fuel that already flaming volleyball prowess which resides there.

And, more attention should be rendered to the Clive Tannis hard court in Bequia, as that locale in the hub for basketball.

Such planning, aided by a wider policy making strategies, should only augur well for the bigger picture in national resource management, amidst the fact that we are not immersed in financial wealth.