Seventeen (17) players from the recent West Indies Women’s Emerging Players High-Performance camp are now accredited cricket coaches after successfully completing both the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Foundation Coaching and CWI Competition Coaching (Level 1) accreditation courses, boosting the number of female Level 1 coaches in the Caribbean.
The players completed the coaching qualifications at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) on the 26 and 27 March while in Antigua for the Emerging Players High-Performance Camp from 13 March to 2 April.
The High-Performance Camp was geared towards players aged 25 and under as part of the ongoing strategy to develop the pool of talent across the region. The coaching courses were part of the camp activities which included holistic support across technical, tactical, physical, mental and personal development areas.
The 17 Women’s players now have the skills and understanding to be able to take on coaching sessions with junior players in their communities and across the region, which in turn increases the chances of developing more junior talent in the region.
CWI Coach Development Manager, Chris Brabazon and CWI Talent Pathway Manager, Steve Liburd guided the players through course and the subsequent assessments as part of the two-week High-Performance camp. Brabazon stated: “We need more female role models in our cricket ecosystems across the region and the courses provide these young players with the confidence to be able to lead cricket sessions at their clubs and within their communities and will help to inspire and encourage future generations of players. It also provides the players with a greater understanding and appreciation of the role of a coach and hopefully we may have planted a seed for them to consider becoming a professional coach one day.”
The continuous High-Performance camp continues CWI’s increased investment into the women’s game and forms part of the overall High-Performance Pathway. CWI’s strategic plan has committed additional resources into developing the women’s cricket at every level. This High-Performance Camp at CCG played a vital role in developing the talent pool and producing the next generation of West Indies Women’s players.
PARTICPATING PLAYERS & NEWLY ACCREDITED LEVEL 1 COACHES
The venues and fixtures for the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have been confirmed with the tournament taking place from 16 August to 24 September in Saint Lucia, St Kitts & Nevis, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.
The tournament gets underway in Saint Lucia with six matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket ground between 16 August and 20 August with home side the Saint Lucia Kings appearing in four of those fixtures.
From there the tournament moves on the St Kitts & Nevis with six matches at Warner Park between 23 August and 27 August with four games for the home team, the Patriots.
The next leg of the tournament will take place in Barbados with the CPL returning to the country for the first time since 2019. With six matches scheduled for the iconic Kensington Oval, and four home games for the Barbados Royals, there will be lots of excitement about the tournament’s return. The matches will take place in Barbados from 30 August to 3 September.
From 5 September to 10 September the tournament will be in Trinidad & Tobago. There will be four home games for the Trinbago Knight Riders and six matches in total.
The final leg of the tournament will take place in Guyana with the matches running from 13 September to 24 September. The knockout stages will be in Guyana again in 2023, with excitement already building after the successful running of the final last season.
“We are very pleased that the tournament will be staged in five countries in 2023,” said Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO. “As ever, the CPL is a chance for fans across the region and around the world to enjoy world class cricket. And for the players from the Caribbean it is an opportunity to showcase their skills and further their careers.”
Men’s Caribbean Premier League 2023 Fixtures
Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium, St Lucia
Weds 16 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 17 August, 7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Barbados Royals
Sat 19 August, 10am -Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sun 20 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Royals
7:00pm - Saint Lucia Kings vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Warner Park, St Kitts and Nevis
Wed 23 August, 7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Thurs 24 August, 7pm- St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 26 August, 10am - Saint Lucia Kings vs Trinbago Knight Riders
7pm -St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Royals
Sun 27 August, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
7pm - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Kensington Oval, Barbados
Wed 30 August, 7pm - Barbados Royals vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Thurs 31 August, 7pm -Barbados Royals vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sat 2 September, 10am - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs
8pm - Barbados Royals vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sun 3 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders
8pm - Barbados Royals vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Trinidad and Tobago – Venues to be decided
Tues 5 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Royals
Wed 6 September, 7pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
Sat 9 September, 10am - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Saint Lucia Kings
8pm - Trinbago Knight Riders vs Jamaica Tallawahs
Sun 10 September, 10am - Barbados Royals vs Guyana Amazon Warriors
8pm- Trinbago Knight Riders vs Saint Lucia Kings
Guyana National Stadium, Providence
Wed 13 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
Thurs 14 September, 7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Saint Lucia Kings
Sat 16 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders
Sun 17 September, 10am - Jamaica Tallawahs vs Saint Lucia Kings
7pm - Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Royals
Tues 19 September, 7pm - Eliminator – 3rd place vs 4th place
Wed 19 September, 7pm - Qualifier 1 – 1st place vs 2nd place
Fri 22 September, 7pm - Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator vs Loser Qualifier 1
Sun 24 September, 7pm - Final – Winner Qualifier 1 vs Winner Qualifier 2
Former Kingston College standout Jhevaughn Matherson is finally healthy and ready to make a return to form in 2023.
The 24-year-old, now training at the Racers Track Club in Kingston, burst onto the scene all the way back in 2013 when he sped to a smooth then-Class 3 100m record 10.85 to win gold at the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium.
His high school career, despite including some bright spots, was plagued by injuries after that 2013.
In 2019, Matherson moved on to Florida State University (FSU) in the USA and had a decent first season where he reduced his 100m personal best to 10.24. The next three years, however, followed the same pattern as his high school career with several nagging injuries as well as an achilles injury that required surgery.
Now back home, Matherson says he is healthy and working on a comeback.
“Right now, I’m healthy and working hard on the return,” Matherson told SportsMax.TV.
“I expect big things so fans should expect big things as well. I’ve been working really hard so I’m just waiting on the right time to show that work,” he added.
As it relates to his history of injuries, Matherson says that is a thing of the past.
“Definitely!” said Matherson.
“The main issue was strength and I’m working on that. I had an achilles injury that required surgery and I’m completely over that as well,” he added.
Expected to compete in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix on June 3rd, Matherson also gave his opinion on the state of the men’s 100m in Jamaica at the moment.
“It should be exciting. There is a lot of quality and I expect great things this season and beyond,” he said.
The sprinter, who will graduate from FSU next month, also expressed gratitude for his time abroad.
“Definitely thankful for the lessons learned along the way. I’ve learned a lot about track and field from being overseas and I’ve been able to implement it while making my return home,” he said.
The trainer of Hill Sixteen says protesters who held up the start of Saturday's Grand National race were responsible for the death of the horse.
The 10-year-old, ridden by Ryan Mania, fell at the first fence and after being tended to on the course, had to be put to sleep.
The incident came after animal rights campaigners had succeeded in delaying the race at Aintree as police arrested 118 people amid scenes of chaos.
The start was held up for 14 minutes after a large number of activists attempted to gain access to the course before the main event.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, trainer Sandy Thomson pointed to the fact his horse had never had a problem on the course in previous rides, and suggested the fall was due to being "buzzed up" from the protesters' actions.
"It was all caused by these so-called animal lovers who are actually ignorant and have absolutely no idea about the welfare of horses," he said.
"There were quite a lot of the horses buzzed up... When they got down to the start, nobody quite knew what was happening.
"The starter wanted to get them off as quickly as possible, then the horses were drawn forward then told to get back.
"One of the other things missing was the parade. I think that gives the horses and the jockeys that couple of minutes to gather their thoughts and that didn't help the situation either."
Activist group Animal Rising, whose supporters disrupted the race, said: "We want to offer our deepest condolences to anyone connected to Hill Sixteen or who has been impacted by their death.
"Horse deaths and injuries are an unavoidable consequence of the way we use animals for sport."
The Grand National is among the world's most famous races but also has its detractors, with concerns over the number of horses that suffer serious injuries or die from falls.
Two horses died at the Liverpool course in earlier races during the week's festival, before Hill Sixteen became the third fatality.
"If we look at the last nine years since the course has been modified there's been an average of under two fallers at the first two fences," Thomson added.
"This year everyone got very uptight about [the protests] – horses, jockeys – and there were eight fallers at those first two fences.
"We as a sport are continually moving forward, we're continually trying to make the sport safer."
Corach Rambler won the 175th running of the famous steeplechase.
Carlos Vela stepped up like he always does in El Trafico with a double and an assist in LAFC's 3-2 victory over a fast-finishing LA Galaxy on Sunday.
The former Mexico international, who scored a brace in LAFC's midweek 3-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions League, was the difference as his side climbed up to second in the Western Conference.
Vela's double meant he has scored 12 times against Galaxy, while it led LAFC to their first-ever road win at Dignity Health Sports Park in nine attempts.
Vela curled in the opener in trademark style in the 22nd minute, but Galaxy responded with Tyler Boyd's long-range 39th-minute strike.
But LAFC fired in two goals in three minutes to open up a 3-1 lead, firstly from some shaky Galaxy defending with Sega Coulibaly bringing down Denis Bouanga inside the box for a penalty.
Vela stepped up and sent Galaxy keeper Jonathan Klinsmann the wrong way, before the ex-Arsenal man's corner found Ryan Hollingshead to nod home in the 70th minute. Kwadwo Opoku missed the chance to make it 4-1 when he poked wide on a swift counter too.
Riqui Puig, who had been quiet in the second half, struck the post in the 81st minute with a long-range effort, before his brilliant pass set up Javier Hernandez, but he was denied by McCarthy.
In the 84th minute Hernandez, making his first start of the season, got a touch on Dejan Joveljic's low cross, allowing a simple tap-in for Marco Delgado. Galaxy almost grabbed a point when Calegari's speculative shot forced McCarthy to tip it over the bar.
Galaxy remain winless this MLS season, with three points from seven games.
Jhanielle Fowler had another near perfect night but her West Coast Fever had to hold off a spirited comeback from the Queensland Firebirds to snatch their fifth-straight victory 73-71 in the Suncorp Super Netball League at the Nissan Arena on Saturday night.
The towering Jamaican goal shooter scored 60 of 61 shots as the defending champions outscored their opponents 25-15 and 18-15 over the first two quarters to take a 13-goal lead into the half-time break. Sasha Glasgow who was a perfect five for five and scored three of six super shots was also key to the victory as the Firebirds provided the champions with a genuine scare.
Whereas the Fever were dominant in the first half, the Firebirds showed that they too could play that game in the second.
Donnell Wallan, who scored 48 goals from 53 attempts and sunk seven of 10 super shots in the game, helped the Firebirds storm back to outscore the Fever 21-15 in the third and 25-20 in the final stanza. She got support from Emily Moore who was perfect inside the circle and who hit one of two super shots and Mia Mayer (2/2) and scored one of two super shots to come within two goals of the champions.
However, that was as close as they would get as the Fever desperately held on for the win.
Fowler has missed only four attempts on goal in five matches this season, scoring 280 goals from 284 attempts.
Meanwhile, Romelda Aiken-George scored 43 goals from 49 attempts to lead the New South Wales Swifts to a close 64-63 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning at the UniSC Arena.
Over at the Ken Rosewall Arena, Shimona Nelson scored 36 goals from 38 attempts but her Collingwood Magies lost 59-55 to GIANTS for whom Jo Harten scored 33 from 35 and Sophie Dwyer 20 from 22.
St Louis City snapped their two-game losing skid with a statement win where they piled on five goals within an hour in a 5-1 hammering over Eastern Conference-leading Cincinnati on Saturday.
The MLS expansion side had suffered back-to-back losses after creating league history by winning their first five games but responded at CityPark.
Jared Stroud fired in a third-minute opener from a set-piece before Eduard Lowen lashed home a volley in the 39th minute.
Kyle Hiebert glanced in Stroud's cross in first-half stoppage-time and St Louis did not relent after the break, with Nicholas Gioacchini adding another from Rasmus Alm's classy touch in the 53rd minute.
It was five in the 57th minute when Alm's rifled strike from outside the box hit the post and deflected in off goalkeeper Roman Celentano.
Sergio Santos grabbed a consolation for Cincy, who were unbeaten coming into this encounter.
Dairon Asprilla netted an early goal of the year contender with an acrobatic bicycle kick to equalise for Portland Timbers before they raced away with a 4-1 win over Seattle Sounders.
Asprilla brilliantly netted in the 71st minute before Portland added a further three goals in the final 20 minutes, meaning Seattle slipped from top spot in the West.
Sean Zawadzki netted a 90th-minute equaliser as Columbus Crew pinched a 1-1 home draw with 10-man New England, who move up to top spot in the Eastern Conference ahead of Cincinnati.
Lorenzo Insigne returned from a groin injury as Toronto drew 2-2 with Atlanta. Toronto have drawn four games in a row.
DC United ended their six-game winless run with a 1-0 victory over last-placed Montreal, while New York Red Bulls' streak without a win extended to four games after a 1-1 draw with Houston Dynamo.
Keaton Parks and Maxime Chanot scored excellent early goals as New York City moved up to fifth in the East with a 2-1 win over Nashville.
Austin drew 0-0 with Vancouver Whitecaps, while Orlando City rallied from behind to get past Minnesota United 2-1.
Bernard Kamungo scored an 88th-minute winner as Dallas moved up to fourth in the West with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake, while San Jose Earthquakes crushed Sporting KC 3-0 with a Jeremy Ebobisse double.
Struggling Charlotte drew 2-2 with Colorado Rapids and Philadelphia Union's winless run extended to five games with a 2-2 draw at Chicago Fire although they fought back from 2-0 down.
Animal rights campaigners succeeded in delaying the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday as police arrested 118 people amid scenes of chaos.
Corach Rambler won the 175th running of the famous steeplechase; however, the start was held up for 14 minutes after a large number of activists attempted to gain access to the course before the main event.
Merseyside Police said arrests had been made for "offences including causing public nuisance and criminal damages", with efforts to breach the perimeter fence and enter the track largely thwarted.
The Aintree spectacle is among the world's most famous races but also has many detractors, with concerns over the number of horses that suffer serious injuries or die from falls.
Two horses died at the Liverpool course in earlier races during this week's Grand National Festival, and a third passed away in the big race itself, with Hill Sixteen dying after falling early on.
Police and security had been on alert for a likely effort to interrupt the race.
Assistant chief constable Paul White said: "The perimeter of Aintree racecourse covers an extensive area of between 4-5km and obviously poses challenges for policing. However, we have been planning the policing of this event for a number of months and we had a robust plan in place to ensure that we had adequate staff to deal with it.
"Just after 5pm a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry onto Aintree racecourse. The majority were prevented from breaching the boundary fencing thanks to our planning and the work of my officers.
"I can confirm a total of 118 people have been arrested today. I would like to thank everyone for their patience whilst this matter was dealt with in a safe and appropriate manner."
After the protest drama, pre-race favourite Corach Rambler lived up to that billing by timing the finish to perfection, coming home ahead of Vanillier, with third place going to Gaillard Du Mesnil.
Reacting to the news of Hill Sixteen's death, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), indicated its concerns about horse safety at the meeting.
The RSPCA said on Twitter: "‘We are very distressed to hear of the deaths of Hill Sixteen, Dark Raven and Envoye Special at the Grand National Festival today. We will be discussing this incident with the British Horseracing Authority."
LA Galaxy coach Greg Vanney acknowledges his side are no longer the powerhouse they once were in MLS, as his out-of-form team prepare for a derby clash with Los Angeles FC this weekend.
The LA rivals will play out the latest edition of El Trafico at Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday, with Galaxy looking to arrest a dismal start to the 2023 season.
Galaxy are winless in their first six MLS matches, with three draws and three defeats leaving them just above the foot of the Western Conference.
It almost a decade since Galaxy were the dominant force in the competition, and with LAFC's own MLS Cup success last term, they have been supplanted as the dominant force in southern California since the latter's arrival in 2018.
Vanney said: "We understand where we're at, and we understand where we're going, and we also understand the context of the situation.
"There are now 29 teams in the league that are also trying to do the same thing. This is no longer a league of 12 teams or 19 teams of which the Galaxy is the spender.
"We're in a league with a lot of very ambitious clubs and teams and, some that have [spent] are ahead of us in terms of making roster decisions who have settled their groups in."
Steve Cherundolo, meanwhile, is paying no attention to the difference in ladder position between the two sides ahead of their encounter.
Instead, the LAFC boss is expecting the usual feisty derby and hard-fought battle for points.
"It's always competitive," he said. "We will always see the best of the Galaxy. We expect much of the same on Sunday."
The pair split the win share equally in four games last term, though it was LAFC who claimed El Trafico's most crucial game in the play-offs last year.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy – Riqui Puig
Former Barcelona midfielder Puig has been busy in attack, even if he has lacked the reward, having made 37 attempts to take on defenders this season.
Puig has been successful on 24 occasions. No player with 25 or more attempts this season has a higher success rate than Puig, with 64.8 per cent.
LAFC – Carlos Vela
Vela has scored 10 goals in 11 career MLS appearances against the Galaxy, the joint-best for any player against a single opponent since LAFC joined the league in 2018.
That said, he has not found the back of the net in any of his last four meetings in El Trafico, marking something of a barren run for him.
MATCH PREDICTION – LAFC WIN
Galaxy and LAFC each claimed victory in their two home matches against the other in 2022, including the latter's 3-2 win during the play-offs. Eight of the 16 MLS meetings between the sides have featured at least five goals, including each of the last two.
Galaxy have earned just three points in their first six matches this season (W0 D3 L3), matching their worst-ever record for fewest points at this stage of a season, set during the 1997 campaign.
LAFC have won their first four home matches this MLS season but have played out scoreless draws in both of their away games. Prior to those last two encounters, none of their first 77 away trips in MLS had finished without at least one goal.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LA Galaxy - 34.5 per cent
LAFC - 38.1 per cent
Draw - 27.4 per cent
Corach Rambler won the 175th Grand National on Saturday after the race was delayed by a protest from animal welfare campaigners that resulted in 23 people being arrested.
The Aintree steeplechase is among the world's most famous races but also has many detractors, with concerns over the number of horses that suffer serious injuries or die from falls.
Two horses died at the Liverpool course in earlier races during this week's Grand National Festival. Two horses also died during the 2022 showpiece race.
Protests were expected this year, and they manifested in an attempt by a large number of activists to gain access to the course before the main event.
Police and security swiftly move to halt the progress of the protesters, and race was held up for less than 15 minutes.
Merseyside Police revealed that 23 arrests had been made, with more set to follow as the operation continues.
In a statement, the force said: "We are continuing to work with The Jockey Club and other partners to keep people safe during the Grand National Festival.
"We are aware of people who planned to protest at today's event. This has been factored into our plans. We respect the right to peaceful protest and expression of views, but criminal behaviour and disorder will not be tolerated and will be dealt with robustly."
After the protest drama, pre-race favourite Corach Rambler lived up to that billing by timing the finish to perfection as the earlier leader Mister Coffey faltered.
Corach Rambler finished ahead of Vanillier, with third place going to Gaillard Du Mesnil, after a number of horses fell during the race.
Winning jockey Derek Fox, celebrating his second Grand National triumph after a 2017 victory on One For Arthur, told ITV after the race the credit had to go to Corach Rambler.
"He is just a phenomenal horse. I can't believe it," Fox said.
"He normally gets his head up a wee bit, but today he travelled everywhere. He is the cleverest horse. He is so intelligent."
Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will have to contend with defending champions The United States in Group A of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup set for June 24-July 16 in Canada and the USA.
The pair, who met in the final in 2017 where the USA got a 2-1 win, were drawn alongside Nicaragua and the winner of a play-in scenario involving Curacao, St. Kitts & Nevis, French Guiana and Sint Maarten at Friday’s draw held in Miami.
Group B, arguably the toughest of the tournament, will include Mexico, Haiti, Honduras and Qatar.
Group C will involve Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and the winner of Matchup 8 while Canada, Guatemala, Cuba and the winner of Matchup 7 will contest Group D.
Prior to the Group Stage, however, there will be a preliminary stage.
This stage will see three teams advance into the group stage. Seeded teams are listed first for Round 1 matchups while the non-seeded teams are second.
Matchup 1: Trinidad and Tobago vs. Guadeloupe
Matchup 2: Martinique vs. St. Lucia
Matchup 3: Curaçao vs. St. Kitts & Nevis
Matchup 4: French Guiana vs. Sint Maarten
Matchup 5: Suriname vs. Puerto Rico
Matchup 6: Guyana vs. Grenada
The pairings for Round 2 have been pre-determined, and will be as follows:
Matchup 7: Winner Matchup 1 vs Winner Matchup 6
Matchup 8: Winner Matchup 2 vs Winner Matchup 5
Matchup 9: Winner Matchup 3 vs Winner Matchup 4
New York Red Bulls forward Dante Vanzeir has been banned for six MLS games after using racist language during last Saturday's clash with the San Jose Earthquakes.
The encounter was stopped for 15 minutes at Red Bull Arena after Belgium international Vanzeir was involved in a confrontation.
He has since apologised, saying he "made a mistake and will take all the necessary steps to grow", but that did not spare him from firm punishment from league chiefs.
Announcing the suspension in a statement, MLS said it had also imposed a fine of an unspecified sum on Vanzeir, adding he must take part in "league-mandated training and education sessions, as well as a restorative practices programme".
The league added: "MLS is working with both clubs and the MLS Players Association to provide impacted players and staff with support and resources, and is committed to continuing to review and improve its in-game protocol."
Vanzeir will be eligible to return to action against CF Montreal on May 20.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Vanzeir said he would "accept full responsibility for my actions".
"While I did not intend to cause any harm or offense with my language, I know that I did and for that I am deeply sorry," he said.
Anticipating his punishment, Vanzeir added: "I will use this opportunity to better myself, reflect and dedicate my time and efforts to work with organisations that tackle racial injustice."
With some at least two of his star athletes matriculating to college this fall, Hydel High School Head Coach Corey Bennett will be hard-pressed to fill those massive shoes when the new high school track season rolls around.
However, he is optimistic he can find his next set of starlets from within remaining members of team that won their first girls title at the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships in Jamaica earlier this month.
Over the past few seasons, Hydel High School has seen a number of their top athletes matriculate to colleges in the United States or have gone pro. Athletes like Oneka Wilson, Shardia and Shadae Lawrence, Charokee Young and others have gone on to further their studies, testament to the school’s emphasis on finding balance between academics and athletics.
Meanwhile, others like Commonwealth Games silver medallist and NACAC Champion Shiann Salmon and Ashanti Moore have gone pro. Young subsequently chose to forego her college eligibility to sign a professional contract last summer.
In 2022, Hydel lost 2022 World U20 200m champion Brianna Lyston to Louisiana State University (LSU) on a scholarship and World U20 sprint hurdles champion and world record holder Kerrica Hill chose to go the professional route.
This coming fall, Alana Reid and Onieka McAnnuff will be the next to leave. Reid, who set a new championship and national junior record of 10.92 at Champs, will begin classes at the University of Oregon while McAnnuff, the talented 400m hurdler and team captain, will take up a scholarship to the University of Kentucky.
Losing them will undoubtedly have significant impact on Hydel’s ability to defend their historic Champs title but Bennett remains optimistic.
“When you have a world-record holder last year leaving prematurely and a record holder at Champs – Brianna and Kerrica leaving – it does set you back and that’s why we take the pressure of winning off the team,” he said.
“It’s just a matter of who else can we put out there that can excel. I thought we had some good performances (at Champs). I want to highlight Jody-Ann Daley, who won the 400m and the hurdles even when at one point she didn’t want to do the hurdles and I said ‘no, come on, you can do it’,” Bennett said.
“And Shemonique Hazle in the 200 when nobody gave her a chance, we believed. We are a small team about 34-members strong and we believe that no matter what, each one can go out there and give of their best and we delivered.
“Let’s hope that next year the girls will come inspired to give of themselves, train hard to be the best versions of themselves and with trust in God with the process.”
Bennett’s comments are in line with his over-arching philosophy of how to build strong teams with limited resources and personnel at Hydel. He revealed that with a four-member team in 2010, Hydel’s first year at Champs, they finished 11th.
For him, the focus has always been on quality than quantity.
“I am still going to build individuals. If I can make the individuals better, then ultimately the team will be better. I am not going to just go and throw persons into events just to win a championship. It is about being very individualistic and getting the best out of persons,” he said.
“Alliah Baker is our top high jumper. She high-jumped in Class IV and got a medal but she is a runner. We want to focus on where we think she will be better so we are not going to seek points, points will seek us. We want to maintain excellence in our girls.”
With the vast improvement in the performances of Jamaican juniors in track & field over the last few years, there has been a steady increase in the number of athletes who forgo a tertiary education to pursue a professional career immediately after high school.
While Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association President Garth Gayle admits there is nothing the administration can do to prevent this, he is urging athletes to think about life after track & field when making these decisions.
“I’ve always said education is the means by which any individual will be able to make good in years to come,” Gayle told SportsMax.TV.
“So, these are young athletes that are doing exceptionally well in their chosen disciplines within track and field. We believe that it is best for them to reach a particular age or at least a level of experience because getting into the senior elite program is not easy. There is some level of protection within the schools or within the education system and I believe they should relish and seek to benefit from that rather than to be making the rush too early,” Gayle added.
He did point out, however, that there are some clubs out there that prioritize athletes’ education while giving them an opportunity to compete professionally.
“There are programs and clubs that allow for these junior athletes to be properly prepared and taken care of, including their education. Usain Bolt when he made the move from William Knibb into the High-Performance Centre and continued his education as well because there was that support base and he was able to earn very well,” he said.
Gayle, who is also principal of the Charlemont High School, then had a message for young athletes in all sports, not just track and field.
“Those that are making this transition, remember your education because there is life after your chosen sport. It happens in all the various sports. As an educator myself, I believe the more you can be protected and get the necessary guidance, it will allow an athlete to stay with the sport a lot longer,” he said.
“There will come hiccups and when they come, and you don’t have that support base, Jamaicans are hard task masters. We demand a lot from our sportsmen and women, more so in track and field. It is on that basis that I would want to be cautious but we can’t stop it. We would want to provide as much encouragement and guidance towards one’s development through education,” Gayle said.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
