No piece of cake Roxell

Roxell John has been given the task of Coordinator of Sports and Physical Activities within the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and the Creative Industries.

One who, in many circles, was touted as the best person to do the job.

Hence, their requests have been met, and John is off the mark to create that indelible mark on sports and physical activities here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Leading up to this substantive post, John has racked up a stack of achievements and contributions to the country of his birth and elsewhere.

Among his varied experiences are vocations as a sports educator, coach, sports administrator, and sports media professional.

Having gone through the gears in his academic spectrum locally, John went on to attain a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and Sports with first class honours from the University of Havana in Cuba, from 1999 and 2003.

At that Cuban tertiary institution, John majored his research studies on the individualized psychological preparation of athletes in team sports to enhance performance.

As a teacher he has tutored here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Panama and Bermuda, instructing in areas of physical education, health, and Spanish.

A demonstration of his vast expertise, John has seen John serving as Assistant Coach in Cricket at the Under-19 level and is an International Cricket Council (ICC) Coaches Assessor.

However, his adulation has come from his exploits at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College, where his transformative skills have stood out.

At the college, John was the Sports Coordinator and Lecturer in Applied Sports Sciences. Five years ago, he single-handedly crafted the Applied Associate Degree in Sports Sciences, making it one platform for those for students, who would have otherwise been pigeonholed into studies they lacked interest and passion.

Not forgetting his introduction of an annual sports awards at the college, which began in 2022, and coincidentally ended with John’s departure from the institution this year.

Yes, the superlatives are many, but John’s new task is far different from his most recent appointment when he operated with some autonomy.

John’s tenure as Coordinator of Sports and Physical Activities can only be successful if he is surrounded by personnel who are like minded and can match his tenacity and workaholic disposition.

These do not only include his immediate staff within the division but the many headteachers and principals with whom he will have to interface.

They too must see sports and physical activities in the educational institutions as important to the students’ cognitive and social development.

Mentally prep yourself Mr John to endure the chronic headache caused by the inherent bureaucracy that at times gives instant migraine.

With all that is envisaged, and based on history therefore, John has to force the hands of his employers to create with a matter of priority and expediency, policy frameworks to aid and ease his vision.

Included in those prospective policies should be the institution of physical education at primary schools, and the framing of a Physical Education curriculum for pre-schools.

There will need to be canvassing, persuasions and buy-ins from all stakeholders, otherwise becoming old and grey will be a fast forward process.

That aside, John is embarking on a task which will require weight and authority be granted to the position which was seen as one that was downgraded from Director of Sports and Physical Education to that of Sports Co-ordinator.

But, let us look ahead with optimism that the current authorities will recognise the breadth of the responsibilities of the position and put the systems in place for a successful sojourn by John.

Expectations are high; hence John will be under the microscope more than anyone who came before him.

Like John, his predecessors possessed the same intentions, but they were hamstrung by a myriad of issues that were outside their remit and control.