Pooling our resources is a must

IT IS NO gainsaying that St Vincent and the Grenadines is in a serious deficit when comes to the amount of resources needed to propel and better sports in the country.

That under-supply covers the whole spectrum- from facilities and finances and notably to human capital.

These deficiencies are borne out in the slow pace of development that takes place within the various sporting entities mainly at the community level.

As a consequence, potential among players, technical and administrative staff is not maximized.

Lumped together, it boils down to everyone doing the same thing utilizing the slender resources, with only the best of the lot rising to the top.

Hence, we have to endure quantity at the expense of quality amongst our sporting assets. We are faced with the untenable matrix of several units of a particular sporting discipline operating from the same locale, sharing the same facilities, endeavouring to outdo one another, however, invariably getting similar results.

Furthermore, these entities are one of the same, with little variances, but placing individualism over collective indulgence.

It cannot be slighted that much of our current state is a direct result of the state of the Vincentian economy, as little or no wiggle room is afforded to sports, as priorities are directed to other sectors.

Therefore, the onus is on individual sporting organisations to take a long hard look at their status and embrace the thought or merging.

When one delves into many of these units and clubs, there are glaring disparities. Some are filled with personnel but short on other assets and vice versa, making a bad situation even worse.

Then, there is the longstanding matter of insufficient persons availing themselves to lead, causing a recycling of personnel, or the incumbents being in place for ever so long.

That quandary has to take a turn for the better if the sporting landscape is to change and tangible improvements become common place.

Urgency must be the watchword as the untethered slippage have to be arrested, since the engrained fragmentation and individualism is getting us nowhere good fast.

Coordinated investment coupled with the God-given talents of our sportsmen and women, marinated with the commitment of coaches, administrators and die-hard supporters, can change the direction.

With government resources, private-sector resources and input from those with a social conscience, mountains can be moved and Vincentian sports can be ignited and illuminated.

That willingness to pool resources, strategically chartering a pathway for success, is the most plausible and feasible route.

Our sporting community has to follow suit what is taking place worldwide, as other institutions, and even countries, are collaborating in light of the global economic climate.

The matter is clear. If St Vincent and the Grenadines wants to be better at what it does in sports, it is imperative that forces collapse, mergers are established and resources pooled.

Sporting life in St Vincent and the Grenadines has to be enhanced with cooperation and shared visions