SOCCER! Still de game of the people

Fuss ley me ‘big-up’ Vincy Heat, Team SVG Soccer Team foh holding dey own against de Jah-mek-ah Reggae Boys. We failed to win, but de signs are dear “hope at de end ah de tunnel.”

Soccer did not start in SVG last week-end yuh know. Presently we are #173 in FIFA’s world rankings; de cellar position is #206; our highest ranking ever was 73 in 2007. Should NDP win de nex’ Elect-shun, Major Seen-clear Lay-cock, former SVG Football Association President has ah lot ah wuk to do!

Once upon ah time, 1979 was de year when Vincy Heat climbed to de mountain top, we were very much alive, 2nd to Hate-he in de CFU tournament. My question is what has successive Go-venom-mint done in SVG as ah policy, foh de development of Sport in general and Soccer in particular. Our players are bubbling in spirit and energy but our style is still in 1979. “ Foot and Mouth Football”: “run up and down shouting at each other! pass de ball when it gets to you.” Soccer was and is still played wid quick use of de Head, de eyes, ears and de brain of course. So how do we correct dat? Just like we do wid de young plants and animals in de nurseries, ley we try it in Sports and Culture. Catch our kids early. Get dem started correctly at de beginning in de Pre-schools, on to Primary, den Secondary, College.

Teach de kids de basic skills early, encourage discipline, love and commitment to training. Provide proper facilities, no matter how small de Playing Field. And most importantly, feed our kids on good locally grown fruits and vegetables, ensure dey get ah balanced nutritious Diet and not Die-at. Has anybody noticed de large number of deaths occurring among all age groups, in particular, de period over de last two or three years? And de silence is deafening, all is not well, correction- ah lot ah people seem to have under-lie-in hell’t illness!

But Lie-Za is hope-full dat things are going to change soon. She walking round wid ah list of Young! Energetic and Talented Can-de-dates wid lots to offer. She named Senator Shove-on John, whom she referred to as First Lady of Sports Administration in North Windward, organizer of tournaments in Netball, Male and Female Cricket, and Soccer in her Constituency, dat Gomry has abandoned and now grace-fully surrendered. Dey’s Hon Fits Bramble, experienced Administrator and Economist, former Nah-shun-all Goal-keeper! Conroy Huggins a Sports Administrator/Educator/Social Activist in Central Leeward, and finally dey’s Doctor Key-sure Shallow, bringing on board his successful record as President of Cricket West Indies.

Lie-Za come-plains she fed-up! She is now 42 years ole, under one administration foh de last 24 years, De country’s export figures is just over 200 million EC dollars. Import figures sky- rockets at over one billion EC dollars. She pays 16 percent Vat, she is de lowest paid worker in de family! De party in power boasts of being voted five terms in ah row, but she has nothing to show. Only she would know. And wid dat is gone ah gone again.

One Love Bassy

• Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.