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Drumeco Archer.

July 15, 2020

Sheldon Longley

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Hundreds of Bahamian student-athletes won’t have to worry about being sent home to The Bahamas following a reversal of policy consideration that was surfacing in the United States (U.S.).

Facing immense pressure from the universities themselves and school boards across the nation, the U.S. Government rescinded a rule on Tuesday that would have required international students, including Bahamians, to either transfer or leave the country altogether if their respective schools held classes entirely online because of the presence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The U.S. is the most impacted nation in the world for the coronavirus with over 3.5 million total cases and about 140,000 total deaths. The closest state to The Bahamas, Florida, is a hotbed for the virus right now, recording tens of thousands of new cases daily.

A number of Bahamian student-athletes, in Florida and throughout the U.S., chose to remain on their respective school campuses this summer. According to reports, hundreds of universities opposed the stance to send international students home, with some threatening federal lawsuits.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said federal immigration authorities agreed to pull the July 6 directive and “return to the status quo”, according to NBC News.

“I believe it’s a good idea because, ultimately, it affects the commercial environment allowing our student-athletes to realize their full potential and fulfill their collegiate dreams,” said Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) President Drumeco Archer. “This is an opportunity to reshape the mindset of a new educational regime where viruses such as COVID-19 will become the new norm. I commend the U.S. Government for showing the resolve that allows them to adapt to change.”

The announcement is said to bring relief to thousands of foreign students who had been at risk of being deported from the U.S., along with hundreds of universities that were scrambling to reassess their plans for the fall. Understandably, a number of schools were concerned with the risks of losing out financially as well. Many schools rely on tuition from international students, and some stood to lose millions of dollars in revenue. Not to mention, returning to the United States for a number of student-athletes would have been increasingly difficult because of the related costs of doing so and the red tape in place.

Under the policy, it is understood that international students in the U.S. would have been forbidden from taking all their courses online this fall, and new visas would not have been issued to students at schools planning to provide all classes online, although federal officials stated otherwise.

A number of university leaders believed the rule was part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to pressure schools to reopen this fall, of which a number of them have still not stated their intentions.

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July 16, 2020

Simba French

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The Bahamas Basketball Federation (BBF) has opted to participate in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Under-17 (U17) Skills Challenge competition that gets underway the week of August 10 to 16, virtually.

Marvin Henfield has been selected by the BBF as the head coach for both The Bahamas’ boys and girls teams. The announcement was made at a BBF press conference held yesterday at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium.

The U17 skills challenge is a new competition that FIBA has brought about during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose is to have national federations like the BBF bring their teams together for a training camp and allow players to enjoy a competitive activity without traveling internationally.

Players must be born after January 1, 2003 to participate.

The number of participating teams in the competition is set to increase from 16 to 20, with four additional spots qualifying from each FIBA region.

The Bahamas will be participating in the Americas region where one spot is up for grabs. The competition is a qualifier for the FIBA World Cup Skills Challenge, and it is similar to the NBA Skills

Challenge competition except there is a points system. The World Cup finals will be held the week of August 17 to 23.

Henfield said he is very competitive and very hopeful that The Bahamas teams will be in the finals.

There are 24 spots available on the team, but Henfield said they are looking at selecting 20 athletes.

All the competitions are recorded and the videos are submitted to FIBA one hour after the end of each competition. FIBA will evaluate the scores, then determine a winner.

Registration for athletes opens today and closes on Thursday, July 23. Athletes and parents will have to visit www.bbfbasketball.com to register. Once registration is closed, they will notify the athletes on Friday, July 24, for the order of the trials.

The first phase of the trials gets underway on Saturday, July 25 through Monday, July 27 at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium. The second phase of the trials will be on Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 30. The trial blocks will be determined by an athlete’s last name.

The final selection will be made on Friday, July 31. The roster will be ratified and submitted to the BBF, who will make the final submission to FIBA on Monday, August 3.

The trials are also opened to Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.

“We have also comprised a format that we will submit on Friday, July 17, that we will submit to the federation. It will comprise the format for virtual tryouts for the Family Islands. I will be the first to admit that this process, in order for us to be entirely inclusive, requires us to be far more exhaustive than we are, given with the timeframe that we have. We intend to access all of the best athletes that we could in the timeframe that we have allotted to us,” said Henfield. “The format will entail a three to four skills point aspect that we would submit to the federation and then they have the responsibility in connecting with the local coaches on the island.”

The federation is asking all the islands, with the exception of Grand Bahama, to submit their top three male and female athletes. Grand Bahama will submit their top six male and female athletes. Grand Bahama and Family Island participants will have their trials recorded. Henfield and his team will make a decision by July 27.

If the athletes from those islands are selected, they will travel to New Providence for the official practices that are scheduled to begin August 3.

The challenge will see an athlete advance the ball up the court 15 feet through a passing hole in three attempts, and if successful they will receive a point. They will then go and make a layup on the same side of the basket, then take the basketball dribble around five cones and go to the opposite end of the court. They will then attempt a two-point jump shot behind the free throw line and if successful on their first attempt, they will be awarded two points. If they miss, they will have to get their rebound, make a layup and then dribble the full length of the court to the three-point line. If they make the three-point shot on their first attempt, they will be awarded three points. If they miss, they will have to get their rebound and pass the ball to their next team member and the other four members will continue with the process.

The highest score that can be obtained by an individual is six points. A team of five could achieve a total maximum of 30 points. The total score will be subtracted from the team’s total time in seconds, and at the end of it, the team with the lowest time wins.

Henfield is no stranger to the local basketball scene, having started his coaching career back in 1996. He has served as the director of mini basketball for the federation, is a FIBA instructor and is a skills instructor for The Bahamas’ national teams, to name a few of his responsibilities. He runs the Caribbean Sports Academy (CSA) on New Providence.

Filling out the coaching staff for the boys team is assistant coach Sanchez Moss. Francis Delva and Garvin Clarke are the team managers.

Moss will also assist Henfield on the girls team. The managers for that team will be Jabari Wilmott and Maleah Henfield.

Henfield said he and his team will abide by COVID-19 guidelines.

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July 16, 2020

The Nassau Guardian

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The University of The Bahamas (UB) Mingoes men’s basketball team has started its conditioning in preparation for the upcoming season – whenever it happens.

Following COVID-19 protocols, the team has been working out on Goodman’s Bay during the mornings. Under the leadership of Head Coach Bacchus Rolle, Assistant Coach Lavar Johnson and Head Athletic Trainer Sasha Johnson, the team has been focusing on its condition and endurance.

The team hit the beach Wednesday morning, going through foot drills, core building and aerobic endurance by running on the beach.

Coach Rolle said the team is very excited to be back to basketball-related activities.

“It feels really good to be back to our normal, in that we [are] out conditioning and knocking it out early in the morning and getting it out of the way. Some of the guys haven’t worked out that much during the quarantine and lockdown, so they are feeling the burn. With the guys being young and resilient, we anticipate them

bouncing back very quickly,” said Rolle.

He said the team is going to change a bit for the better.

“We are looking good this year with some good recruits,” he said. “This isn’t even the entire team and we are having a good time getting back in shape.”

As the country shifts to the new normal, adjusting in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, UB Athletics has instituted strict rules in relation to the deadly coronavirus.

“We are in UB Athletics’ phase three that allows the athletes to participate in outdoor workouts,” Sasha Johnson said. “We are making sure they observe social distancing – no hand shaking and every athlete brings their own water bottle and towel. We want to protect them from COVID-19.”

Phase three of UB’s return to play protocol policy, which follows worldwide best practices, allows for small group training with minimal contact. This phase also requires student-athletes, coaches and trainers to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms along with performing constant temperature monitoring. There is also no contact between athletes in phase three.

The final phase – phase four – allows for full team training with no restrictions on contact. Temperature monitoring will continue. Student-athletes can share equipment but will continue to use personal water bottles and towels. During this final phase, equipment will be disinfected on a rigorous and continual basis.

Head Trainer Johnson said that they are very strict with the application of these protocols.

“The well-being of the athlete is paramount,” she said. “We don’t want anyone to get sick, so we are complying as strict as possible with the guys. Of course, this is a new normal for them, so it’s taking some adjustment and constant reminding but they are being very compliant.”

The Mingoes compete in 11 sporting disciplines including men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s cross country running, men’s and women’s golf, women’s volleyball, women’s softball, men’s basketball, men’s soccer, and men’s and women’s judo.

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COORDINATOR Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney shows Raven Jones, Marcia Hall and Jasmin Roker how to dribble the ball.

Tuesday, July 14, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#MARCIA Hall and Reyanah Green were the first two participants to attend the Diamond League Basketball Camp that got underway yesterday at the Hope Center Church.

#Held in memory of the late Jonique ‘Mini’ Webb and coach Sherman Smith, the camp didn’t have the numbers that coach Terrance ‘Red Eye’ McSweeney had anticipated, but as the daily sessions run through August 15, he anticipates the participation to increase. Webb, a former versatile athlete whom McSweeney coached at basketball, is being honoured during the segment for girls from 9am to noon, while Smith, who McSweeney assisted with his programme at Carlton E Francis, is being honoured during the boys’ segment from 1-4pm.

#McSweeney said in all things, the bible has taught him to “give God thanks and so I’m thankful for the two participants so far in the Diamond League Development Camp.

#“I’m expecting the camp to be rather slow this week as all camps that I’ve had in the past were all slow on the first day and then on the second day, things start to pick up.”

#He encouraged parents to take advantage of the safe environment to enrol their children in the camp that will run from Monday to Friday for the next five weeks.

#“We anticipate that the numbers will definitely increase as the weeks go on,” he insisted.

#Here on her summer break from Eleuthera where she attended the Harbour Island All-Aged School, Hall, the daughter of sportscaster Marcellus Hall, said she decided to attend the camp because she enjoys playing basketball.

#“It’s actually fun for me and I got to learn a lot of new stuff,” said Hall, who admitted that she was interested in basketball through her mother, but her father has pushed her.

#In attending the camp, the 10-year-old said she “hopes to get better at it” because he feels that the instructors will be able to “help me along if I do something wrong and if I am doing something wrong, they will help me to get it right.”

#Green, a 12-year-old entering grade nine at St John’s College, said she decided to join the camp to improve her skills as a member of the Giants’ basketball team when they participated in the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ season when school reopens.

#“I want to better my skills,” said Green, who hopes to one day become a professional basketball player. “So far, it (the camp) has been good. I am enjoying it.”

#Jasmin Roker, one of the two instructors helping out McSweeney, said the camp is all about learning the game of basketball and having a fun time in the process. “This is just the first day, so it’s a bit slow,” said Roker, who will be entering the 12th grade at St John’s and will also be playing a pivotal role on the Giants’ basketball team.

#“We want to encourage the others to come out. We are thankful that we only have two people today, but I’m hoping that they leave having learnt a lot.”

#Raven Jones, the other instructor who is also a member of the Giants’ basketball team, who will be entering the 11th grade at St John’s, said the camp will be good for the participants.

#“I’ve already seen some improvement in the two that came out so far,” she stated. “We just want to help them to get better and improve on their skills.”

#During the first week, McSweeney said the campers will get the opportunity to work on their ball-handling skills on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and today and Thursday on shooting.

#“The whole premise of the first four weeks of this five-week camp is to develop the child,” McSweeney pointed out. “If it is a first time or they want to work on their skills for GSSSA or BAISS and they want to do some summer training, we will provide that.

#“Diamond Basketball Development is a very slow process. We take our time and we work with you. I encourage your daughter, in the morning sessions, to make as many mistakes that you want to make, but come the second and third weeks, I want you to limit those mistakes as much as possible.”

#By the fifth and final week of the camp, McSweeney said they will concentrate on playing a lot of games with the participants before they end with an awards presentation session.

#The camp, for girls between the ages of 8-16 years and 8-11 for boys, is designed to help keep the memories of Webb and Smith alive.

#Webb passed away at the age of 30 on January 19 after a battle with lupus and 53-year-old Smith died on April 22, having been diagnosed earlier with sickle cell that led to complications with COVID-19.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2020

CAMPERS get ready for a basketball drill.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#FOR the next four weeks, Neville ‘Manny’ Adderley will be holding court as he conducts his Power One Summer Basketball Camp at the St Gregory’s Anglican Church on Carmichael Road.

#With the country coming out of the lockdown during the spread of the coronavirus, Adderley said they decided to begin the camp on Monday with daily sessions held from 9am to 1pm.

#“We’re just teaching them the fundamentals of the game,” said Adderley, who also runs Manny’s Point Guard School for the younger players and a developmental club for the older players on Saturdays.

#“We have an opportunity to put them in some small group training and strength training. It’s more personal for their ages. We have kids who are 16. We have 14-year-olds and we even have seven and eight-year-olds.”

#With about two other instructors assisting him, Adderley said they get to provide the players with a more personal, hands-on approach.

#As this is the summer, Adderley said he wants to provide some wholesome activities for the young ball players to participate in and, at the same time, allow them to develop their skills. “We have strength training for most of our 16-year-old campers,” he said. “We watch them as they play. If they are deficient in shooting the ball, we provide him with the additional strength training.

#As one of the premier point guards coming out of the LW Young Golden Eagles era, Adderley, who is also a personal fitness trainer, said he decided to give back to the community through his basketball club and summer programme.

#“We’ve always had a challenge with legitimate shooters in the country, so that’s our main focus,” said Adderley, who was known for his shooting skills in high school, college, night league and with the national basketball teams.

#“We want to get our kids to shoot the ball the way they should be shooting it. So after our strength training, we have a lot of shooting drills, which forces them to concentrate a lot more because they won’t have the energy that they had before they started.”

#Randy McFall, one of the instructors and a 2013 graduate of Jordan Prince Williams High School, who went on to play division II football as a linebacker at Bowie State University, said he got to know Adderley through his son, Daejour. “Manny was like my father. He grew me up from I was a young boy, so it’s no problem coming back here and helping him out,” said McFall, who will graduate in December with a degree in digital cinematography. “Me and his son, Daejour, played sports all of our lives, trying to make sure that we got out here to further our education. It worked for us, so I am happy to come out here and help out.”

#McFall said he wants to encourage the campers to make the best of their opportunity through these sorts of camps, which are designed to help them improve their skills.

#“We know everybody wants to play pro sports, but it’s not going to happen for everyone,” he said.

#“So I want to encourage them to improve their skills and their grades so whenever the opportunity does come for them to go to college, they will be ready.”

#Once they can get into college, McFall said the possibilities are endless.

#“You can ask yourself. Do you want to go pro or do you want to pursue a craft or something,” McFall pointed out.

#“Do I want to play basketball or football, am I studying media or politics? Do I want to come back and help my country out and still be able to make money?

#“If you believe in your dream, I want to encourage them to stick with it. Your parents will always be there to support you in whatever you do, but they don’t always have to believe in your dreams. You have to make them believe in it. But if you tell them about it, they will be right there behind you.”

#As for the camp, McFall said Adderley is trying to use sports as a vehicle to get other young players off to school and that is why he decided to come back and assist him.

#Nasir Hanna, a seven-year-old student of Queen’s College, said he came to the camp to learn how to shoot. “It’s been good,” he said. “I like basketball. I like scoring.”

#His younger brother, Sadiq Hanna, is only five but the Queen’s College student also likes the camp.

#“The camp is good,” he said.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#GREG Burrows Sr, founder of Freedom Farm Baseball, has ascended to one of the top positions of the prestigious Babe Ruth organisation as the Commissioner with responsibility for the Caribbean.

#With immediate effect, Burrows Sr will have jurisdiction over the Bahamas, Curacao, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, St Kitts, Mexico and Bermuda.

#Burrows Sr, a former senator in the Progressive Liberal Party, has revealed that he has already identified a commissioner to serve in Curacao, who will assist him in the development of Babe Ruth Baseball in the region.

#Additionally, Burrows Sr will be looking at possible candidates to fill the role as commissioner in the rest of the member countries, including the Bahamas, with the view of forming a body for the further development of Babe Ruth in the region and ultimately to serve a Caribbean Championships.

#“It gives me the opportunity to not only develop baseball and players in wholesome activities in the Bahamas, but to also interact with foreign leaders in baseball and bring together as plans to formulate and execute the way forward for baseball in the Caribbean,” Burrows said.

#By virtue of sending teams off from Freedom Farm, the Junior Baseball League of Nassau and Grand Bahama to the Babe Ruth Tournament, Burrows Sr said the Bahamas is in a better position to help spread the brand throughout the other countries in the region.

#And with the Bahamas government on the verge of completing the new national baseball stadium at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Burrows Sr said he intends to take advantage of the sports tourism and turn it into a baseball mecca in the country.

#“We have little leverage to host these types of tournaments so that we can showcase our kids right here at home,” Burrows Sr said. “So there is a lot of potential for the sport moving forward.”

#With no term of tenure in office, Burrows Sr said his mandate is to get the Babe Ruth Baseball as a household brand just as it is in the United States, honouring one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

#Babe Ruth, whose real name was George Herman, died on August 16, 1968 at the age of 53. He was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons from 1914 through 1935.

#Nicknamed “The Bambino” and “The Sultan of Swat”, Babe Ruth began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees.

#Among his list of achievements were two-time All-Star, seven-time World Series champion, American League most valuable player and batting champion. He produced a ,342 batting average with 2,873 hits, 714 home runs, 2,213 runs batted in (RBI) with a 94-46 win-loss record and an earned run average (ERA) of 2.28.

#Burrows Sr, who has helped to mentor and groom countless numbers of Bahamian players who went on to continue high school or secure athletic scholarships to colleges and universities in the United States and even become professional baseball players, said he’s honoured to be serving as the commissioner for the region of such a legendary player.

#Freedom Farm was founded by Burrows Sr in 1989 to help develop the skills of young baseball players. They now cater to players from the coach pitch to senior league.

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Wednesday, July 15, 2020

BENSON YOUNG, Jason Edgecombe and Kirkwood Neely.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#WITH so much time on their hands to spare, former basketball player Jason Edgecombe said he decided to stage the ‘Get Better Basketball Camp’ to help improve the skills of the young boys in the Carmichael Road community.

#The camp, designed for young boys between the ages of five and 18, got started in May at the basketball court on Mermaid Boulevard and will continue throughout the summer. “I decided to come back home and give back to the game that has helped me to go off and get an education,” said Edgecombe, who graduated from SC McPherson in 1996 and went on to Walsh University and Langston University.

#Edgecombe recalled how he met Judson Stubbs in the airport and after they discussed what they were going through, they became good friends and eventually played with the Real Deal Shockers in the New Providence Basketball Association.

#Edgecombe said having had the opportunity to play college basketball, he wanted to make sure that he tried and helped some of the other youngsters in his community to do the same.

#He’s grateful for some of his friends like Mario Pickstock, Vernon Stubbs and Benson Young, who all have their children involved in the camp that is free of charge.

#The camp runs from 5 to 7:30pm each evening and Edgecombe said he’s gotten support from veteran women’s basketball player Latoya Rolle, who hails from the community, to serve as the chief instructor.

#During the day, Edgecombe said he finds the time to take the campers to the beach to have fun, feed them at local fast food restaurants and on tours to some of the historic sites around town.

#While there are no girls involved in the camp, Rolle said she can still impart her knowledge to the young boys. “We have a lot of young players with talent and as a product of this community, I don’t mind sharing the talent and the knowledge that I have in basketball with them,” she said. “I want to see them better themselves.”

#Since she started working with the camp, Rolle said she noticed that a lot of the participants lacked the basic fundamentals of the game. But as she continues to work with them, she has seen some improvements.

#Edgecombe’s former team-mate at SC McPherson, Kirkwood Neely, said as an inspiration to the younger and older guys in the community, he couldn’t help but come out and lend his support.

#“What he is doing has put a fire under the young kids, especially in this pandemic that we are in,” Neely said. “I noticed that the passion of a lot of the participants for basketball has grown tremendously.

#“Their basketball IQs are continuing to grow and the sky’s the limit for them. This is something that I feel a lot of guys in other communities have been doing and are continuing to do.”

#Neely, who attended St Gregory College in school in Oklahoma and North Carolina State, said since he’s been back home, he played in the New Providence Basketball Association, but he wants to join Edgecombe in helping out the younger generation.

#Benson Young, a former rival from AF Adderley, who played against Edgecombe and Neely, said they all became good friends off the court and when he found out about the camp, he decided to bring his son Benson Jr out to participate.

#“I like what he’s doing with the kids so I decided to bring my son out to let him see that I was serious about him developing his skills in basketball,” Young said.

#“He is nine years old and he has the fundamentals down, but he needs more help. With him coming here, I know that he will get better in his development of playing basketball.”

#Edgecombe’s son, Kingsley, is also a part of the camp, which has attracted more than 30 participants who will all be ensured of engaging in some wholesome activities this summer.

Bahamian professional baseball player Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm.

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#HE would prefer to be on the field in Miami, Florida, preparing to crack the line-up for the Miami Marlins for the upcoming 2020 Major League Baseball season on July 23.

#Instead, Bahamian professional baseball player Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm found himself confined to his hotel room in Jupiter, Florida, waiting on the clearance to work out again after he had a series of positive-negative testing for the coronavirus.

#“Lately, I’ve been getting too many back and forth positive and negative tests, so I’ve only been on the field for one day,” said Chisholm, the talented shortstop who is ranked at No.3 in the MLB prospects of the Marlins.

#“I need two negative tests in a row to get on the field, but I’ve been getting a positive one day and a negative the next day. The test is just not accurate. I’m trying to get out there, but it’s not happening for me right now.”

#The 22-year-old Chisholm, who was traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Marlins on July 31, 2019, said it’s frustrating for him to have to be confined to his hotel room, rather than going out on the baseball field every day.

#“It’s like they keep telling you that you can go out there and play and then they take away that opportunity when the results come back,” said Chisholm, who admitted that he’s not the only player going through the ordeal with the coronavirus.

#“It’s really frustrating for me as a player, who wants to be out there every day playing,” he said. “I am the only player on our team here in Jupiter who is experiencing this problem.

#“I should be in Miami, but with all of these tests going on for the last three weeks, they sent me to Jupiter to get everything worked out so that I can be ready for the season whenever they need me.

#“With all these tests going on, it’s not happening. They test me every other day and after they test you, if you get a positive result, you have to stay inside and quarantine. The most I can do with the positive result is go out and jog to stay in some shape.”

#With all that’s going on, Chisholm said if he didn’t have a positive mindset, he would really be depressed by now because he doesn’t have any symptoms. He just can’t get two negative tests to get on the field at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter.

#“Every day, if I don’t have a test, I stay in my room or go on a run or a walk,” he said.

#“I try to stay in some type of shape. I can’t really do anything to catch the virus, although I don’t know why I can’t get the two negative tests.

#“I’m watching everybody and I’m really excited that we’re going to have a baseball season.

#“So as soon as they let me out of the gate, I know that I will be ready. I’m coming out with some hatred in my heart because I’m in this room and I know I am healthy.”

#Chisholm, who was invited to his second consecutive spring training albeit with a new team, said he expects that the Marlins will be a force to reckon with in the league this year.

#“With the team and how they have been working out, I believe the Marlins have a chance to win the World Series,” Chisholm said. “I am watching the videos every day from practice and it’s been exciting.”

#As a member of the Marlins’ 40-man roster, Chisholm said it’s one step closer to him getting a call to become the next Bahamian to play in the Major League, joining Antoan Richardson, Ed Armbrister, Tony Curry, Wenty Ford, Wilfred Culmer and Andre Rodgers, the pacesetters.

#“It’s nice to know that they have you under their radar and that this team wants you to be here and they want you to be a part of their future,” Chisholm said.

#It’s been five years since Chisholm began its pro career in baseball, but he felt he should have cracked the Major League at least a year ago.

#“It was my fault that I’m not already there, so it’s my fault,” said Chisholm, who finished last year in Double-A baseball with 21 home runs, a bit down from the 25 he belted two years ago. He also drove in 54 runs last year. “I was more disappointed in myself because I felt I had a chance to get there and I didn’t take it.

#“It was just me not having the right mind set and just going through the motion. I knew I was good last year, but I just had the wrong mindset going onto the field until I got traded. When I got traded, I had a different mindset. When I got traded, I said ‘I was ready. Let me change my mindset.’ I went back to my old mindset.”

#After leaving Faith Temple in grade seven, Chisholm went to Word of Life, now Life Preparatory School Wichita, Kansas to continue high school where he played against Grand Bahamian Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield at Sunrise Academy in basketball.

#As a typical Bahamian, Chisholm not only played basketball, but he also held his own in baseball and football. But he admitted that baseball was his first love and that was why he stuck with it.

#“The coaches saw me playing in physical education and they asked me to come out to practice for the varsity and the junior varsity basketball team and I also played football in the ninth and tenth grades.

#“I was in the ninth grade and Buddy was a senior when I played against him. His team won. I think Buddy had about 20-something points and I had about nine points. I was really small back then, about 5-feet, 6-inches, but I could shoot the ball and dunk.”

#In basketball, Chisholm played point guard and was a safety and wide receiver in football. But he admitted that after he returned home and concentrated more on baseball, he got signed as an international recruit and his career took off.

#The son of Jazz Chisholm Sr and Martinique Coakley was setting the pace for his four sisters and two brothers, including Domonique Collie, his adopted brother, who is now in the pipeline in the minor league.

#With minor league suspended for the rest of the year, Chisholm said he’s already reached out to the more than 20 Bahamian players to encourage them to stick with it and not give up hope of fulfilling their dreams.

#“I sent all of the young guys a video of me talking to them and I was telling them to think about it as a longer off season,” Chisholm stressed. “If you think about it as a longer off season, you will only get better.

#“So if they give you more than to get better during the off season, you should be better by the time the league comes back. By the time you go back to play, you should be able to play next year. You should be better because you had over a year to get ready.”

#Having his grandmother, Patricia Deveaux as his role model when she played softball, Chisholm said he grew up around the sport and that extended to baseball when he got a chance to play.

#“I have a few cousins playing college baseball, but I’m the one who really excelled so far,” said Chisholm of his family members Myron and Shannon Johnson and Wayde Beckford, who are following in his footsteps.

#And with the new national baseball stadium expected to be completed by the end of the year, Chisholm said it won’t mean anything to him and the other pro players if they are not allowed to use it.

#“Are they going to use it for baseball and the professional players to participate in, or are they going to use it for other events,” he asked. “If professionals don’t get to use it, then they can’t say anything about it.

#“I personally would not speak on the stadium if I am not allowed to use it as a professional baseball player. That’s just me. I don’t know what they are going to use it for. If they say professional baseball players can’t use it to practice, then why should I come home to practice if I won’t be able to use the best field in the Bahamas to practice?”

#Chisholm said it would be more convenient for him to stay in Miami where he can utilize the best facility available and to take advantage of the Marlins’ staff that is at his disposal.

#In the meantime, Chisholm said he’s trying to avoid being a victim of the coronavirus where the state has seen an increase of cases on a daily basis.

#“Normally, I just stay to myself. I don’t go anywhere,” he stressed. “So for me, I don’t have a problem with what’s going on and I’m not worried about it. I don’t make contact with people unless me and you are really close.

#“I know the people who I hang out with only hang out with me, so I’m not worried about it.”

#While he’s going through his ordeal, trying to get his negative testing so he can get back on the field, Chisholm thanked the Bahamian people for their tremendous support and their prayers that they will all be great in their future endeavors.

#“We will be great, trust me,” he summed up. “I know I can’t wait to get back on the field and prove that I deserve to be in the Major League.”

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SENIOR TENNIS – The YMCA will soon introduce a tennis program geared to keep seniors active. The free six-week forum will begin this coming Tuesday, July 21, and continue every Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. (PHOT: SHAYNE STUBBS)

Sports  July 17, 2020  

FN Sports Reporter Shayne Stubbs

Seniors 55 and older should be excited about a new YMCA initiative. The YMCA will soon introduce a tennis program geared to keep seniors active.

The free six-week forum will begin this coming Tuesday, July 21, and continue every Tuesday and Thursday beginning at 8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. Other that physical activity, the aim is also to help seniors to remain healthy. 

While the junior developmental tennis program continues to grow stronger, the tennis instructor at the YMCA, McArthur Rigby, shared that it’s his desire to get more older persons involved with playing tennis from a health and social perspective. 

“The junior program is going really good now. A lot of people have given a lot to the Y and we think it’s time now to give the seniors, especially Bahamian retirees, who are just sitting down, something exciting to do.  

“So, we’re going to give them a free six-week tennis program. We can make it very easy and enjoyable for them. It will be more than just about tennis for them. From the beginning they’re going to enjoy it,” said Rigby.

The tennis instructor added that he is hopeful the program will do for other older persons what it did for him. He noted that at 65 years old the sport has provided more of a social life for him.

According to Rigby, training will be very easy for the seniors as the proper equipment would be in place.

“What we’ve learned about older persons is that they would go back and stay in their houses and become more secluded. So what I found is, the major benefit is really the social life and exercise together. 

“It’s something to do, rather than just stay in the house all day doing nothing. So, those retirees who have nothing to do, we’re trying to get them on the court. We want them to become excited because every day will bring something new. 

“We got a huge donation of red balls (training balls). The modern day of teaching tennis is very easy. People who have played before feel as though they can’t play because they were playing with a heavy bouncing ball. If you see the kids, they are having fun because they have the right kind of ball they can use. It’s really easy when the sport is introduced the right way. I can guarantee that after six weeks everyone would want to come back.”

The YMCA has an ongoing senior program on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays where older persons can register and join. Shirley Butler, a member of the program and someone who has played the sport for over 40 years, plays at the YMCA three times out of the week and encourages other seniors that the sport is much more than just exercise.

“It’s very social and very enjoyable exercise. McArthur is a really good coach and great teacher, and, this program is a worthwhile one for anyone of any age.”

Marlene Henry, another member, didn’t start playing the sport until she was 55 years old. At 72 years old she voiced that it is something people can play, up into their later years. Adding some more positivity, Henry shared she has competed in a senior tournament that is played annually within the Caribbean region, three years in a row. 

Overall, she believes getting involved in tennis, no matter the age, is incredibly rewarding. 

“You get to exercise at your pace. You just play as much as you want to play. If you play two games and want to stop it’s fine. Out here, even though it gets competitive, there’s no “king of the hill,” and everyone encourages each other. 

“It’s good fun and you get to meet lots of people. I would love for more seniors to play and it keeps your blood flowing.”

Executive Director of the YMCA, Karon Pinder-Johnson, said she is excited to launch this free six-week program. She also indicated it is also a great way to give back to some of the seniors who helped with cleaning up the courts after Hurricane Dorian. 

“The courts were donated back in 2015 by Sir Jack Hayward, Craig Symonette and Cris Limcole. The vision for the courts here is to have as many people moving as possible. The upcoming program is just a testimony to that vision. 

“Hurricane Dorian was tough for everyone here. The courts were submerged under water and as a result the courts were extremely dirty along with mildew. We tried all we could but with limited resources we were unable to get the court cleaned. 

“The seniors, however, came together and they paid for the courts to be cleaned. We just want to say thank you. Thinking so much about it, they were able to go out and get it done,” she concluded. 

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#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Basketball Federation’s senior men’s national basketball team programme continues its development despite uncertainty of the FIBA AmeriCup qualification due to COVID-19.

#The BBF has partnered with Spectrum Pain Management and Sports Medicine Clinic to treat team members moving forward.

#Spectrum will offer its services to national team members free of charge.

#“We had been looking to partner with an organisation for about two years and in our discussions, we decided to provide care free of charge for the athletes,” said Dr Sy Pierre, anesthesia and pain medicine specialist. “If one of the players had a torn ACL or meniscus tear that wasn’t serious enough to require surgery, but may need some interventional procedure where we can assist healing and enhance healing over a short period of time, we can help to get them back on the court as soon as possible and that is what interventional pain management and sports medicine is about at this point.”

#Players will also benefit from Spectrum’s services as the national team travels throughout the world to various tournaments.

#“We have a group of board certified specialists and we have agreed to travel with the team so that if the team’s needs specialist care for their injuries abroad, we can provide that. If you’re in a place where English isn’t your first language and you have a player that’s injured it may be very difficult to explain to the physician what is going on so I think this might be a good thing for them,” Pierre said, “It’s a great thing for us, a great thing for the federation, great thing for the Bahamas and we are so happy to be a part of this organisation to help.”

#BBF President, Mario Bowleg said the latest partnership falls in line with the federation’s mandate to increase profile of the national team programme.

#“As we move the fed to the next level we also believe that how we treat our athletes on and off the court is also important for us to have them play at the highest level possible,” he said.

#The MNT is set to continue their 2021 FIBA AmeriCup qualification this fall, however those plans are uncertain amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

#In their last appearance, The Bahamas won 76 – 59 win over Mexico in February at the Atlantis Resort to even the series between the two teams at 1-1. The Bahamas is currently second in Group D at 1-1 with the advantage over Mexico on point differential. The USA leads the Group at 2-0 while Puerto Rico is 0-2. The Bahamas will continue play in Group D on November 27 against the United States in game one of the second window.

#Bowleg said the federation will be notified at the end of the month on the path moving forward for the qualifiers.

#“Our senior men are scheduled to play in November in Washington against the United States and also against Puerto Rico on the road in Puerto Rico. We will get an update on July 31st whether those games will still be played in November or will be pushed back to February. Also scheduled in February are the home games against the United States and Puerto Rico,” Bowleg said, “If the away games are pushed back due to the pandemic, then I guess our home games will be pushed back to June, which is more beneficial for us. We will then have our NBA players home and I think that will be something of great interest to the public, to have Buddy [Hield] and [Deandre] Ayton at home playing against the likes of the US and Puerto Rico.”

#With basketball across the globe in flux, Bowleg said the FIBA schedule will be ratified as the organisation communicates with the various leagues.

#“Everything is wait and see. Most of the guys are home now, working out everyday looking at the possibility of going back to their professional leagues and programmes and understanding that in itself is going to have an effect on us. Those dates for when those seasons will start will be hindered by them not completing their seasons this year,” he said, “Just like we are trying to get our local leagues back, the NBA might have the same problem where they are trying to finish their season, but might have to start later in the next season which will affect the decision by FIBA also. FIBA will communicate with all of the leagues that they govern throughout the world and ensure that those dates come somewhere down the line.”

#At the local level, the BBF has continued its activity through several initiatives despite the restrictions of the pandemic.

#“One of the five pillars the federation had when they came into office is that we wanted to ensure that we continue re-certifying our coaches and our officials. During the pandemic, although we didn’t have physical meetings among the peers, we had several virtual clinics held in the CBC that were conducted by our national instructor, Freddie Brown. Also in the FIBA Americas, where the Bahamas would have had various table officials certified. Physical clinics will hopefully commence in September to ensure that those islands, coaches , officials ndn coaches improve their skills to improve the product of basketball in the country,” Bowleg said, “We are excited to officially implement 3×3 basketball in the country. A committee was made up to represent the implementation of this version of the game in the country. So we are continuing to do the work to develop the game of basketball in the country.”