TASVG’s look at unification of coaches — again

The simmering tensions among some of the local track and field coaches has prompted President of Team Athletics SVG Keith Joseph to address the matter forcefully.{{more}}

Joseph used Team Athletics’ annual awards and presentation ceremony at Frenches House on Saturday to request civility and professionalism from those concerned.

Joseph, the featured speaker at the event, said “There is absolutely no reason why coaches working in the same field, ostensibly for the same objective, cannot find reason to work together to develop the sport in the best interest of the nation,” Joseph said.

He warned that coaches, in their efforts to get their jobs done and their athletes succeed, often wrap their successes in the success of the athletes which results in selfishness and exclusion.

“It is not you, it is not me; it is not about me nor about the individual coach. Ultimately, it is about the well-being of the athlete and the well-being of the country. Therefore, there has to be a better sharing of ideas,” Joseph said.

In giving guidance and advice to the coaches, Joseph proffered: “It is nothing absolutely wrong in a coach seeing another coach doing something that is not consistent with modern training techniques and say, you should be doing this or I think you should be doing that … That is in the interest of the athlete and the interest of the society; that is what you expect of your teachers — that is what we refer to as professionalism.”

In addition, Joseph called on coaches to keep the athletes out of their personal fray.

“Sometimes, deliberately or inadvertently, they (the coaches) can say things about other coaches that are taken back by other athletes to their peers, who then get it back to their coaches and it develops negatively on the coaching fraternity,” Joseph said.

“Athletes must never become the victims; athletes must know that as athletes, they must be friends of other athletes … Sports build camaraderie, it builds friendship, it should not bring division among athletes and certainly not in a small country like ours,” the TASVG head emphasised.

Joseph, speaking under the theme “Facing up the challenges of sport”, said failure by the coaches to be civil “will pull us down”.

But Joseph’s plea fell directly to the ground, as following the announcement of the coach of the year, one coach in contention for the award and his entourage went into a verbal tirade on the selection committee’s decision.

Saturday’s event was staged to recognize the top track and field performances by St Vincent and the Grenadines’ athletes and others in 2012. (RT)