Back to basics

Indeed the past shapes the future and it is evident by the way things pan out and sometimes evolve. And, this relates to every sphere of life.

In the Vincentian sports scheme of things, it is applicable that today, in order to get ahead, we have to step back.
It may mean that we have to know what worked best for us, and gave us the best efforts and consequently, the best results in our sporting ventures.

So as time rolled on, we here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, as it pertains to sports, tried to run in the fast lane; trying to keep pace with those whom we trailed.

Try as much as we can, we have not been able to achieve the heights and the returns that they would have been able to attain.

Unfortunately, all we tend to look at are the final product, not acknowledging the amount of hard work, planning, fine-tuning and repetition, that take place behind the sciences.

It is a rule of operation in countries which have looked at sports as a product, that mastering the basic skills in the respective disciplines is paramount.

Then, it is high time that we do the same and go back and ensure that the necessary skill sets are almost perfected by our young sportsmen and women.

Far too often, we look at the raw technical abilities of our sports people and not pay enough attention to the finer points of their sporting development. As it is, to move from the God-given abilities and talent to stardom, the latter is what counts.

Granted the present set-up of sporting lay-out, there is not much emphasis placed on the basics, thus we only produced athletes (used here generally), who can do so little when placed against others outside our geographical area.

This explains why Vincentian sportsmen and women have not lit up the region at least, with more consistency in performances and accomplishments.

Needed now is a reassessment of what we have been doing, and more so what is not working.

Immediately, we have to get back to the basics.

Here, administrators, coaches and those who are competing in the various disciplines, must understand and accept, it is what is best for us.

Everyone has to be onboard, and make it mandatory that especially at the beginners stages, all who are pursuing sports, must get the fundamentals to that point of perfection.

It will also call for a reshaping of our thinking and get the best personnel at the lowest end, to instill those techniques, values and other traits, that are the prerequisites for success.

Too, streamlining of identified talents then follows.

In addition, the best facilities and gear. should be available to those who are in the infant stage of their sport, to condition their minds and give them insights of what sports and training, ought to be.

Going back to basics, also requires that we revisit those social activities that will instinctively inculcate sports skills.

In this case, activities such as ring games, community sports festivals and the likes, should find themselves, again, a way of life.

It should also be a matter of course for youngsters to get engaged in some sort of physical activity.

St Vincent and the Grenadines, in general, is heading into a sporting direction that in some cases, is rudderless.

Therefore, going back to the basic practices, programmes and policies, will begin the reordering process.