Rekindling that national sporting pride

Things seem to be going further and further downhill and doing so with breakneck speed, causing us to lose sight of that bigger and more significant picture – St Vincent and the Grenadines.{{more}}

And, this trending situation is impacting on almost all aspects of the national landscape, with sports not being exempted.

It is all about self, I and me, and what is there for the individual, whilst the nation remains stagnated, or in some cases things just simply back-pedal.

No longer are persons putting a premium on representing St Vincent and the Grenadines, as such glamour and pride have been eroded by petit, selfish concerns.

Maybe the joy of travelling is a thing of the past, as there is no novelty in that. Likewise the wearing of the national uniform is no big thing.

Of little significance too, is the awareness of the fact that when a person is selected on a national representative team or as an individual, you carry the weight of St Vincent and the Grenadines, thus taking on the status of sporting ambassadors.

In fact, we have gone full circle, as there have been cases where persons had to be begged or beseeched to take up their roles as national players.

Some even had to be offered perks and other means of extrinsic motivation in order to get them to say yes to the national call.

Some years ago, there was this perceived notion that only certain sectors of the Vincentian community could make a national team.

There was also the downtown/uptown vagary that affected our national football team.

This became a bugbear and often infringed on the performance on the field of play.

Today, we have gone full circle, as when one looks at the current national senior football team, most of the players are drawn from the leeward side of the island.

In the case of cricket, the opposite is the case, as most of the selectees in the age group teams and senior units, both male and female, they reside on the windward side of the mainland.

But what is most worrying is that we are nearing the point where management personnel and coaches are discouraging their charges from going forward when summoned by national selectors.

We have lost all rationale for national selection; hence, if a player of a particular team/club is not selected, then every sense of reasoning is thrown through the window.

Whilst everyone cannot be pleased, we continue to lay blame, point fingers, reap up past hurts and look for innuendoes to justify the selection or non-selection of persons.

Many reasons can attributed to this, as many of our sportsmen and women are not emerging from a club setting, whereby rules, codes of ethics and other forms of accepted levels of conduct are encouraged.

Also, it is believed that sports does not hold that pride of place as before and the competitive nature of general living has seeped its way into the various disciplines and the rank and file of the respective organizational structures.

Forwarded too, is the scant respect given to national representatives, except for those who excel.

This acceptance is temporary, as it fades, when the performance levels fall or when the person or persons have passed their optimum.

So, all around, the national agenda is the fall guy for the acquired deficiency in patriotism and an outlook which breeds nationalism.

No one solution can be instituted for us to make a dent in the ever growing issue.

However, vital in the link of changes, is the influence of leaders of organisations, inclusive of coaches.

They have to stop making monsters and Cinderellas out of their charges, acknowledging that part of their responsibility is to mould the athletes into first and foremost, decent citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

It is widely known that baby monsters grow into adults, and often turn on their masters when things go awry.

But let us be positive and hopeful, and bless the day when that pride and joy are returned, when some wear the colours – yellow, green and blue, and do so with gusto.

And, that we all rally around those who go out and represent St Vincent and the Grenadines, irrespective of whether we agree with their selection.