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Jamaica: Political Economy

~ Views on what's happening in and around the Yard

Jamaica: Political Economy

Tag Archives: Sports development

Happy Friday

21 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by The Grasshopper in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Children, Education, Jamaica, Social issues, Sports development, The Bahamas

Without a doubt, Jamaica is a country of dramatic contrasts. If I look back at my own writing this week, I can easily trace the things that have frustrated me, but even in that I can find much to like. Many days leave me with nothing but a head that is shaking in wonderment. But, many days also leave me with a warm feeling that comes from feeling so much pride for the people around me. How can that be?, I sometimes ask myself.

Today, my daughter’s school was hosting the latest leg of an inter-school sports festival. About six schools were involved, including one from The Bahamas.
image

The children were focused on playing tennis and football today. Some elementary children were in tennis, but most children who were playing football were middle and high schoolers. The event was due to kick off at 9, and as usual, was running late. Two schools were absent at the opening presentations. Ironically, one was just adjacent to our location; the other was really just 10 minutes away.
image

However, I was not getting into the logistics of how and why they were late. We sang the national anthems of the two countries–each being a very melodious and moving version. I really got a think feeling in my through as I sang the Jamaican anthem. Then the games were ready to start.

All of the school had been present for the opening, and children were encouraged to come back to watch matches where the host school was playing.
image

It was a mixed up day, but scholastic things were still in place. My role, though a football coach, was to help sell tickets for refreshments and food; otherwise, I could sit and watch the play.

Flags and sponsors’ hoardings were all over the school grounds and it looked like a big event was underway. As always, the hands behind the scenes had worked magic to get everything looking right: tents for vendors; tents for teams; tents for spectators.

Parents started to dribble in to watch their children; never a horde, but a decent number. Not everyone can or wants to take the time off during the day. Later, as afternoon came, more parents appeared–work was ending or near to that, so a natural opening had been created. The atmosphere was not wild but had animation. Nothing untoward seemed to be going on between the schools, some of whom could harbour serious rivalries.

It was hard to see what could possibly be wrong with the country they were in, or the people with whom they shared the island. Admittedly, these were people who had been well-educated and their children, who were also getting good educations and seeming to thrive at school. Not here a cohort of potential school drop-outs, coming from homes with parents who had been school drop-outs. These are fortunate Jamaicans; privileged in a sense, but the sources of their privilege were varied.

The foreign visitors were being hosted by families from the school. The overwhelming feeling was “It is great to be in Jamaica for four days”.
image

They know the crime statistics, but did not seem to have any issue with being here. Some wanted to see a cricket match, if possible–20 over Test matches are going on at Sabina Park. Jamaica was for these few hours a very happy place where everyone wanted to stay.

That is what I will hold for today, sometimes labelled ‘Happy Friday’. I will not twist my mind to search for the dark and nasty and violent. It will be there for me to rediscover tomorrow.

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Sports in need: things to ponder

19 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by The Grasshopper in Uncategorized

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Tags

Economic issues, Jamaica, Social issues, Sports development

I know I do not know the whole story, but I was struck by a few comments over the past few days, all of which go to the little that is done for sporting people by their parent institutions. I’m just going to repeat what was said, assuming that it’s true. I’ve no reason to disbelieve because the persons making the comments have ‘skin in the game’ in the form of children or relatives participating. How can sports be developed if so much of what needs to be funded can only come from the pockets of the participants? The latest comment related to swimming and what a parent felt was the lamentable support from the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica. Is it really the case that to represent the country swimmers “have to go begging” for money from sponsors?

What I discovered over the past few days that taxes on gambling fund a large amount of sports (and other forms of development, e.g. through the CHASE (Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education) Fund). Money is clearly lacking in a broad sense, and the need for sponsors is constant.

I know that ‘begging’ is not limited to any particular sports. I heard about the struggles to get a prestigious golf tournament underway until “the sponsors came through”.

I imagine that in a climate of stringent conditions in public finance, government support is likely to be slim. Also, the overall economic weakness should mean that private donors are likely to be very particular about where they place their dollars.

We may be lulled into thinking that the flash and glamour of our top track stars means that sports are lucrative businesses. It’s not so. We’re not a rich country and our athletes cannot be raking it in, in general.

Just two weeks ago, the government signed an agreement to pump J$250 million into developing high school and community based sporting facilities. The programme will be funded by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) which will provide $100 million, and the European Union Sugar Transformation Programme, that will provide another $150 million.

Infrastructure is wanting in many areas. I was lucky enough to get to one of the new facilities outside Kingston, Catherine Hall Sports ComplexScreen Shot 2013-11-18 at 8.07.44 PM, in Montego Bay. A nice stadium, that looked to hold about 10,000 people, designed to host football and athletics events. The country needs several more facilities like this.

Swimming is one of those sports that lies lower than it should given our size and potential. The ASAJ seems a bit sleepy–judged by what it appears to project about the sport, which seems to be very low profile–though credit should be given for the SwimJamaica programme aimed at providing all Jamaicans with opportunities to swim.

Many sides of the story need to be considered. I’ve just been playing in a golf tournament and was struck by the impact and presence of sponsoring enterprises–the private sector dollars made the event happen. The Jamaican Golf Association (JGA) was present but largely invisible to the public.justbetsprings That may well reflect their importance in getting the event up and running, but they are there to build and support the sport and its players. Why is the JGA so much in the shadows?

I need to read about the various sporting structures and talk more to those involved. Plenty to do in Jamaica, as usual.

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