More sporting success comes ashore at Buccament Bay Primary

The Buccament Bay Primary School, in recent times, is carving out its name when it comes to success in primary schools’ sporting events.{{more}}

The latest to come ashore at the institution, located in the Du Bois Valley on the Leeward side of the island, is the first place in the primary schools’ netball festival which concluded last Friday at the Arnos Vale One Playing Field.

And the successes are not coincidental, but a craving with all stakeholders of the school on board. In outlining the school’s policy on sport and physical education, teacher at the Buccament Bay Primary Santa Cruickshank told SEARCHLIGHT: “We take physical education seriously… We try to take part in everything.”

“The principal (Susan Abraham) is with us all the way…. The parents are giving us 100 per cent support as well … The children love it, so they put their all into it and we work hard … The other teachers are very supportive as well,” Cruickshank advanced.

Apart from Cruickshank, the Buccament Bay Primary has on staff others who have sound sporting backgrounds.

Among them are former national footballer and current technical director of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation Keith Ollivierre, as well as former St Vincent and the Grenadines and Windwards middle order batsman Bertram Stapleton and Stanley Isaacs.

Revealing another of the push factors, Cruickshank said: “We used sport as a means of raising funds to develop our athletes and our programme at the school… Round the town we get money; inter primary, we get money; so, we try to target these events and prepare accordingly.”

Cruickshank, however, also believes that much of the students’ fitness comes naturally because of some logistical factors.

“….The location of the school is actually on a hill, and from the school to the homes of the children is a significant contributor as they come to us as fit students,” Cruickshank stated.

Cruickshank, who was transferred to that institution during the third term of the 2011- 2012 academic year, was immediately given the task of fashioning the school’s sports programme.

Her first achievement was guiding the school to the Kids In Athletics title, which was followed by the second places in both the male and female divisions of the primary schools’ segment of the NACAC OECS Invitational four-leg road relay classic.

Earlier this year, the Buccament Bay Primary placed second in the Inter Primary Track and Field Championships, but went on to take the top spots in the male and female segments of the NACAC OECS Invitational four-leg road relay classic, last September.

Last Friday’s glory was secured by the Buccament Bay Primary outlasting the Langley Park Primary 17-15 in an entertaining final.

In the third place play- off, Richland Park outscored Kingstown Government 17-2 and in the consolation match, Owia Primary outlasted Layou Primary 14-12.

The other schools reaching the finals were Belair Primary and Cane End Government.

The Primary Schools Netball Festival saw the participation of only schools on the mainland.

With the use of playing fields instead of hard courts, the participating schools were placed in four zones, with the winners and runners-up advancing to the final.(RT)