IT – DAT Academy hosts 13th Summer Camp
THE Integrated Team Developing Athletic Talent ( IT- DAT) Academy is staging the 13th edition of their Summer Camp at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field.
The 2024 edition started on July 15, and runs for six weeks, and according to Head Coach, Michael Ollivierre, “so far, so good”.
“ We have 89 persons registered so far, and it has been going good… Even the days when the weather is not that favourable, we still get over 50 persons showing up, which augurs well for the sport,” Ollivierre said.
PARTICIPANTS at the IT- DAT Academy’s 13th edition Summer Camp at the Arnos Vale Two Playing Field.
He emphasised the support from parents and guardians, as well as the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee, and Team Athletics SVG.
“ This year, the camp has been getting much better cooperation from the parents, and this is going to bear fruit in the future…. Critical towards the success and assurance of this year’s camp is the increase in support from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee through Team Athletics; they have increased that support from $4,000 to $6,000 and for that we are very, very grateful,” Ollivierre said.
He explained that like in previous years, this year’s camp has a morning session as well as one on afternoons where the focus will be on the middle distances and Hurdles training.
“ As head coach, I will be putting a lot of focus on the middle distances and the Hurdles, because from my analysis and observations, we are short on middle distance athletes and the Hurdles are relatively new to St Vincent and the Grenadines, so it is a good time to put some focus on these events,” Ollivierre added.
A well -rounded Track and Field Coach, Ollivierre said the camp will have the services of Kanhai Senior, a lecturer from the GC Foster College in Jamaica, who will lend his expertise in the area of the Hurdles.
“ Senior is no stranger to our camp having done some work with us before, and he will be coming in once again to assist with the Hurdles component, and we are also hoping to get a sprint coach from Trinidad and Tobago to come, but that is still in the works.”
Expounding on the reasoning behind the middle distances and Hurdles being the emphasis, Ollivierre said, “ We have a good crop of youngsters coming through, especially at the Under-17 level, and we expect from an IT- DAT Academy, that we can produce at least four athletes to fill national spots come 2025”.
He said as well that apart from the regular Track and Field aspects of the six week camp, there are fun activities, pep talks from prominent individuals as well as participants engaged in social events, and some psycho-social support for attendees.
“ We are also assisting some students who are struggling with their reading, and through support from others, we are seeing how best we can help those students get over that hurdle,” Ollivierre noted.
He told SEARCHLIGHT that at the end of the camp, there will be the usual awards ceremony to celebrate stand out partic-
Comments
