Former Community College Student lauds Sports Programme at Awards Ceremony

The featured speaker at the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College’s fourth Annual Sports Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, Devron Poyer has lauded the evolution of the Sports Programme when he spoke at the College’s Hospitality and Maritime Training Institute, Diamond on June, 19, 2025.

Addressing the topic: “Perspective from the Past, Possibilities for the Future” Poyer traced the various stages of the college’s Sports Programme.

“Before 2004, there was no Physical Education examination at SVGCC. But through the Cambridge Programme, he (Ortis Jack) helped lay the foundation,” Poyer recalled.

The late Ortis Jack was the pioneer in the establishment of the programme.

Noting that the early beginnings were not smooth but paved the way for what occurs today, Poyer noted that, “The early efforts weren’t perfect by those within the department or with the influence… were purposeful”.

Poyer mentioned the trials encountered in organizing a football, netball, and the occasional cricket match. He positively highlighted the emergence of a track and field championship; volleyball and table tennis tournaments; an Associate Degree in Sports Science; Grenadines and Grenada Tours; Annual Sports Awards; a meaningful partnership with the SVG Football Federation; its Referees Association, and other major stakeholders, as some of the incremental developments that have taken place over the past 10 years. These achievements Poyer attributed to the work of the current Sports Coordinator, the indefatigable Roxell John.

Having listed the early challenges, Poyer referring to John’s arrival remarked, “Then in 2015, came a man with the vision to not just maintain the momentum but to fine tune and propel us forward. Cometh the hour, cometh the man”.

Extolling some of the spin-offs from the hosting of sporting competitions at the tertiary institution, Poyer pointed out that, “College sports have never been just about winning games or breaking records. They have always been about building character, teaching resilience, fostering teamwork, and igniting school spirit”.

Looking ahead Poyer added that, “The future belongs to those who are ready to adapt, to lead, and to inspire, and I… know that this college, these athletes, and this community are ready. But let this not be only a moment of celebration. Let it also be a moment of recommitment. Let us commit or recommit to nurturing talent with integrity. To value effort as much as achievement. To use sport not just as competition, but as a platform for learning, for leadership, and for life”.

Poyer is a former student of the SVGCC, as well as General Secretary of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation.