Back your mouth

Criticisms of the state of sports here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, are deafening. Spanning a relatively wide cross section of the Vincentian society, many persons are engaging in discussions about sports.

Interestingly, there are many vocal arm chair coaches, selectors, administrators, athletics trainers, technical officials, and others, who whether on casual discussions about sports, talk shows and more so, on the various social media platforms often highlight and identify vagaries of our sporting landscape.

However, instructively, they too in some instances provide the panacea for the issues confronting sports development.

As such, the critics seemingly have the know-how and most importantly, are exhibiting that desire to see things go in a different direction.

Such positivity augurs well, as there is a dire need to have St Vincent and the Grenadines’ sportsmen and women up their rankings and status amongst others in the region, at least in the first instance.

But how many of the analysts are willing to put their hands up and be counted as those who can effect change?

Similarly, are they so moved to back their mouths and translate their disgust into positive actions?

Therefore, this column is calling out all those who have the voice and the platforms to rescue sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines from further regression.

It must be reiterated at this juncture that the nature of sports is changing and its dynamism has left St Vincent and the Grenadines somewhat trailing.

Thus, it is pointless the wrongs, the ills, the short comings, failures, pitfalls, call them what you may- to be forever bolded, yet remain festering sores.

Mapping out that recovery pathway must involve multiple stakeholders as all must get their acts together, roll up their sleeves and get the job done.

Hence, those former players who have blazed the trail but are now standing on the sidelines making disparaging comparisons from their era and the present, come forward and help.

Instead of gloating in criticisms, assist your former clubs or the teams closest to your locale.

Or take a player in hand, mentor him/her, share your expertise with them.

Should these former players have the financial wares, assistance in the form of gear would be definitely appreciated.

Likewise, officials who have been the beneficiaries of training, but resort to let their knowledge rot into eternal ethers, you too are wanted in this humanitarian effort of herculean proportion.

Not withstanding the fact, that administrators who have gained loads of experience by serving on respective sporting associations, be it at the community or national level, work personnel like you, are in great demand.

Relatedly, there are others outside the sporting fraternity who are aware of the struggles of sports; they possess the administrative tools, but prefer to stay out of the firing line. However, they are also guilty of contributing to those grey areas that beset sports from gathering that momentum to excavate St Vincent and the Grenadines from its current standings .

But whilst those looking on at the degradation of sports here are standing idly by in preference to being part of the solutions, equally culpable are those who are in offices and are best at furnishing mouth.

It is undeniable that some current sports administrators are well versed in policies and know how, yet they are failing miserably when it comes to implementation.

Unfortunately, the mouth champions are simply enemies of progress.

So, there cannot be any denial that sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines needs a renaissance, a refocus, a reset and we can go on and on.

Regrettably, in the Vincentian context, the harvest can be plentiful, but the labourers are few.