Sailing recognized as a vital sporting discipline for kids

The sporting discipline of sailing is recognized as one of the top sports in the country for the overall development of the youth. FILE

June 10, 2020

The Nassau Guardian0

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The Bahamas Sailing Association (BSA) is of the belief that sailing is one of the top sports in the country for the overall development of the youth. There is something about sailing that makes it unlike other sports, according to the BSA.

More than just skills and strategy, it teaches certain life skills and values that shape sailors into productive, well-disciplined and responsible individuals, as stated in a BSA press release.

Over the next few weeks leading up to the BSA Summer Sailing Camp at the Bahamas National Sailing School, there is expected to be articles about the incredible benefits of sailing, along with stories from some of the top sailors about how sailing has had such a great impact on their lives.

Paloma Cartwright is a 20-year-old from Long Island currently attending McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She started sailing at the age of five and has now embarked on a 2024 Olympic campaign with fellow Bahamian Paul de Souza.

There is so much to be gained, not just physically and boating-wise, but socially and emotionally as well, according to the press release.

The top five socio-emotional benefits of sailing, as reported by the Singapore Sailing Federation in 2018, include grit, confidence, teamwork, friendship and sportsmanship.

It can be argued that just about any sport offers a lesson on resilience, but sailing is a sport that demands an inner strength far greater than most, according to the press release.

“In this sport, it is us sailors against the elements. Whether it is a novice experiencing strong winds for the first time or a national sailor met with 10-feet high waves in foreign waters, they learn to keep fighting – no matter how uncomfortable it is. If the boat capsizes, sailors get the boat upright and keep sailing,” stated the press release. “Most sailors’ foray into the sport begins with the optimist. It’s a single-handed boat, which means it’s controlled by the sailor. Alone on the boat, sailors as young as six or seven are constantly required to make their own decisions. They don’t always make the right ones, but the opportunity to think for themselves helps them grow in self confidence.

“Though they sail individually, sailors are forced to work together from day one. After all, no one sailor can flip his or her optimist boat alone. Over time, sailors gradually realize that working together not only helps speed things up, but also allows them to learn more from one another. Perhaps one of the most valuable takeaways from sailing is the friendships forged. It is inevitable that sailors bond with one another during windless days and scary storms.”

Sailors also get to make new friends with international sailors, especially during international regattas.

“We realize how sailing is not just a sport that keeps you fit, but also one that develops you into a well-rounded individual – something far more important than winning medals,” the press release stated.

Sailing is a self-governing sport, which means it’s completely up to sailors to abide by the rules and uphold the fairness of racing. It’s a matter of integrity and sailors learn the importance of playing fair and respecting the rules of the game.

Sports minister justifies financial cuts

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle addresses the House of Assembly yesterday. BIS Photo/Eric Rose

June 12, 2020

Sheldon Longley

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Rather than beckoning for a review of the overall national budget allocation for sports, particularly as it relates to subvention for elite athletes, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Lanisha Rolle offered her full support of the budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal period on Thursday.

The sports ministry was one of the hardest hit in the budget allocation for the upcoming term, suffering more than a $5 million reduction. Whereas a major reduction was expected given the nature of Hurricane Dorian last September and the ensuing global disaster of COVID-19, sports personnel and enthusiasts still felt like the cuts were unevenly dispersed throughout various government ministries and departments. In comparison to other commodities, they feel that sports was adversely affected.

In her budget presentation in the House of Assembly on Thursday, Rolle said that this is a budget for the people and an unprecedented one for an unprecedented time. Subvention for elite athletes alone was reduced by about $300,000. Justifying the cuts, the minister said that extraordinary times require extraordinary measures, and that while the budget is unprecedented, it is a budget for the people. She highlighted that sports still consumes 15 percent of the ministry’s budget, which is the greatest share of the three departments under her purview.

“I wish we had more funds for sports development; and I wish COVID and Dorian didn’t happen because one life lost was one life too many, but it did,” she said. “Given the changing circumstances and limited financial resources, a portion of the ministry’s funds had to be reallocated. This cut ensures that in the given circumstances, there are adequate provisions to help with public health expenses, social safety net programs, job creation and sustenance, food security initiatives and tourism rejuvenation. We are all in this together, and all food comes from one pot, and every man, woman, boy and girl, rich and poor, has to eat.”

The minister said one of their primary goals, through these national disasters, was to ensure that all persons in her ministry who had jobs and benefits prior to COVID-19, maintained that status, thereby keeping their jobs and benefits. As it relates to subvention, she said that in accordance with the existing sports policy, no active athlete approved for subvention would be affected by the adjustments. However, she stated, where an athlete is not performing in accordance with standard policy, the usual adjustments will be applied as recommended by the Department of Sports and through consultation with the respective federations.

“Although the ministry has suffered necessary deductions, the differences are not below actual expenditure. In other words, expenses are in accordance with or below the approved budget allocations for last budget cycle. For example, athlete subvention was approved at $1,346,150 in the last budget period. The actual expenditure under that item for the budget period was $1,007,588 as per the date of the 2020-2021 budget publication. A difference of $338,562 was not spent based on the date of this record. This position would infer any reasonable adjustment or rationale for new budgetary spending,” said the minister.

In that vein, the minister said that Kimberley Rolle will oversee a committee charged with recommending accountability of the subvention system, and she said collectively, they do not intend to ignore or neglect their commitment to deserving Bahamian athletes.

“In the last period, the Department of Sports provided direct and indirect financial assistance to 93 elite athletes in 11 sporting disciplines at an approximate cost of $1 million,” said the minister. “Sports remains a priority of this Minnis-led administration. We will continue to provide assistance to our athletes through the federations for them to successfully compete in international meets. This budget continues to prioritize athletes and sporting organizations. This is a budget for the people.”

Referencing athletes such as collegiate basketball standout Nathan Bain, whose GoFund Me account skyrocketed in the face of Hurricane Dorian from his heroics in college basketball this past season; Chavano “Buddy” Hield, who won the National Basketball Association (NBA) Three-Point Competition this season; and athletic superstars Steven Gardiner and Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Rolle said their success and generosity in giving back to Bahamian communities takes a tremendous burden off the public purse, and are leading examples of why a national sports academy must come on stream.

“We must identify more Buddys, more Shaunaes and more Stevens, and the national sports academy will do just that,” she said. “When you look at our athletes in baseball who have obtained scholarships and don’t have to apply for government assistance, and the 20-plus who are in the minor leagues, sports adds to the financial pot in a tangible way. We must measure the value of sports to our overall fiscal performance. The money will come if we invest in the people, and this budget and this government will continue to do just that. I thank this government for a substantial investment in sports.”

Expanding on the national sports academy idea that surfaced under the last central administration, Rolle said that would go a long way in helping to produce more Bahamians who would add value to the tourism product and international reputation of the country.

“Bahamians possess raw talent in the area of sports,” she said. “What we allocate to sports programs in comparison to academic programs, investing strategically in sports development through sports education is a thought worthy of conscious consideration. Sports is a focused skill that has the ability to produce strategic results. It keeps the youth positively engaged in clean fun and it helps them to remain healthy and to stay active. This sector requires more investment and room to grow.

“It is challenging to build successful national teams without the structure of a national sports academy where the focus is on sports more so than just academics. In that vein, we need to make the sports academy a reality, and given the proper priority, it will happen. Not every professional needs to sit behind a desk with a business suit and tie. A national sports academy will harness the development of multiple sporting disciplines. It would not merely be facilitating, but regenerating.”

The minister gave tremendous credit to the team she has working with her in sports, stating that they continue to carry the weight of sports on their shoulders and that they do a phenomenal job of overseeing the sports component in the country.

“The Department of Sports is deficient in its pool of resources, but nevertheless, the sports team ensures that we execute our mandate to facilitate the direction of sports in the country and directly coordinate annual reward programs designed to give national recognition to the hard work and outstanding accomplishments of our athletes, former athletes and organizations through the national sports awards and the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. We are appreciative of their efforts,” said the minister.

Speaking on the success of Bahamian athletes at the Doha World Championships a year ago, with Gardiner winning gold in the men’s 400 meters (m), Miller-Uibo winning a silver in the women’s 400m and Tynia Gaither making the final of the women’s 200m, Rolle said that they are indeed proud of those three athletes and the entire team, and that the aforementioned trio all received compensation via the government’s remuneration program.

Gardiner received $40,000 for his gold medal win, Miller-Uibo was awarded $30,000 for her silver medal win and Gaither received $5,000 for making a final.

As it relates to a return of sporting activities in the country, in the face of COVID-19, Rolle said in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the sports ministry has prepared a list of safety and social distancing guidelines for the benefit of sporting federations, associations and various clubs and leagues.

“For the record, we emphasize that until we are clear of this state of emergency, particular contact sports and related facilities should not be conducted or opened in the absence of health guidance,” said the minister.

She said the official document will be available on Monday, June 15, and can be viewed via the ministry’s port on the government of The Bahamas’ website or on the ministry’s Facebook page.

Major sporting events worldwide, and local sporting events and seasons here in The Bahamas, have been postponed, canceled or discontinued because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas there is some promise of a gradual return of sports, there is no telling when leagues will be up and running fully, with some degree of normalcy.

Education sports unit looks forward to next year

Rupert Gardiner.

June 11, 2020

Simba French

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It was supposed to be a busy March and April for the Ministry of Education Sports Unit, but COVID-19 had other plans. It’s almost the end of the school year and the unit is now making plans for the next school year.

This is the first year in recent history that there were no high school sporting championships.

On the first day of the National High School Track and Field Championships, organizers decided to shut down that highly anticipated event because of the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the new coronavirus that reached these shores in mid-March.

At the beginning of the school year, there was Hurricane Dorian that put the country in a major setback, financially and otherwise.

Senior Sports Officer in the unit Rupert Gardiner said that they are looking forward to working more with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture next year. The unit oversees sports at the public high school level in the country and is charged with staging local high school national championships in the various sporting disciplines.

“Right now, we need to hold meetings – both ministries. We need to have meetings so we can iron out our kinks on moving forward and how it can work. We need to determine what we can do in terms of getting sports up and running at the high school level,” Gardiner said. “If both ministries can work together, then things will be fine and it would not be going on in just one ministry. Both ministries can come together and fit the bill for all the national programs, then you can see a better quality nationals.”

Gardiner said they are looking at getting those meetings underway next week. He said they are looking forward to working with the sporting federations in staging improved national high school sporting championships next year.

Hosting and organizing those championships come with a hefty price tag. A key way to offset those price tags and to have more community involvement is to bring sponsors on board, said Gardiner.

“I don’t think it will be hard to get sponsors on board,” Gardiner said. “Once we have a sustainable plan and we sit down with the sponsors and tell them that this is our plan moving forward for the youth and betterment of the country, they will come on board. The government cannot do everything. We will have to go into the communities and look for sponsors.”

The Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA) was about to get its soccer season started and thereafter, the softball and baseball season, when the pandemic hit. Those seasons, along with the national high school basketball and soccer championships, were canceled. Gardiner said that there wasn’t anything that they could have done as the pandemic is something no one could control.

“It was very disappointing that we did not get to finish off the year and have those championships. This is where a lot of athletes get their scholarships – when we have the best-of-the-best at these championships. We have coaches who come down to look at them and that means that a lot of kids were disenfranchised in getting off to school on athletic scholarships.”

Hopefully, the pandemic has reached its peak in The Bahamas as the country enters stage four of the reopening of the economy plan, and hopefully student-athletes can have an uninterrupted 2020-2021 season as they look to have bragging rights for their respective schools at the various national high school sporting championships.

Jump Line – Hosting and organizing high school nationals come with a hefty price tag

FIBA lays out guidelines on basketball restart

The world’s governing body for basketball, FIBA, has laid out some guidelines for a systematic return to basketball worldwide. Leagues are expected to resume activities in short order.

June 11, 2020

Simba French

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With countries around the world gradually returning to a state of normalcy after being in lockdown for months, FIBA (International Basketball Federation) has laid out some guidelines to help national Federations resume basketball activities.

FIBA published a 13-page document late last month, FIBA Restart Guidelines, detailing how the restart should be done.

The Bahamas is currently in phase three, moving into phase four, in the reopening of the country’s economy plan. Sooner or later, sports is expected to resume, but with a “new norm”. For basketball locally, the New Providence Basketball Association (NPBA) and the New Providence Women’s Basketball Association (NPWBA) will be looking to finish off their postseasons that came to an abrupt halt on March 14 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

FIBA stressed that a phased approach to getting basketball underway again is very important. Since early May, local professional and national team players have taken the opportunity that was granted via the Emergency Powers Orders to return to basketball gyms and get their bodies back in basketball shape. In short order, it is expected that team training will commence, but under certain guidelines. FIBA has instructed that their guidelines are not to replace the guidelines set out by respective governments and public health officials.

“When public authorities have granted permission for sport activities to begin, more conventional approaches to training and competition may commence,” the document stated.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) are looking to restart in the United States and the spectator element looks like it will be non-existent. Local leagues here in The Bahamas feed off spectators, and at the end of the day, FIBA said the respective leagues will be governed by their local public authorities.

“It must be recognized that public authorities will most likely restrict gatherings of large numbers of individuals and therefore spectator attendance may be prohibited as competitions commence. Federations should also anticipate that there may be an unwillingness on the part of many to participate in events in settings where crowds are anticipated,” the document laid out. “In any event, as spectator access is allowed by public authorities, it is reasonable to anticipate that there will be specific expectations regarding social distancing in spectator areas as well as very specific approaches to regulating entry and exit, monitoring and regulation of crowd activity, and a limitation on the use of other-than-essential venue facilities.”

FIBA stated that if spectators are allowed, venue staff training is needed.

Furthermore, FIBA advises national federations to form a restart committee that includes a chief executive officer (CEO), head of competitions official, an infectious diseases physician, a sports medicine physician, a project manager, a government liaison and a person or persons from the media. They also recommended that a full risk and mitigation assessment be done; develop a restart plan with wide sport consultation; liaise with local government and public health authorities; and implement the plan but have an exit strategy.

As for the preparation of players, FIBA advises three to six weeks of training prior to the restart of play and advises biosafety preparation of facilities prior to use.

Biosafety actions include the reinforcement of personal hygiene such as using hand sanitizers, hand washing, pre and post participation showers and utilizing personal protective gear. Another action FIBA recommended to be taken is to clean the entire venue with special attention to high traffic areas, entry points, the officials’ bench, the players’ benches and the court.

These are just a few of the recommendations and guidelines that FIBA has put forth as basketball resumes under a “new norm” in the midst of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Burrows: ‘I Viewed With Dismay Slashes In The Current Budget’

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE local sporting community continues to react to reports of massive budget cuts to the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#Freedom Farm Baseball League Director and former PLP Senator, Greg Burrows, expressed concern at how the recent cuts will affect youth sports development.

#A significant reduction in expenditure from last year’s budget of $24,081,380 to around $18,938,187 (a $5,143,194 decrease) has meant that one of the areas that will receive less funding is youth sports development.

#“As a member of the sporting community with a focus on youth development, I viewed with dismay slashes in the current budget totalling $5,143194.00 within the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. This is not the first time the government has made significant budget cuts in this Ministry, adversely affecting our youth and athletes. Specifically, contributions to sports, civic and youth organisations were reduced by $60,000.00 from $300,000 to $240,000.00.”

#During his tenure in the Senate, Burrows also served as chairman of the Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority. As a founding member of the FFBL, Burrows has seen it grow into one of the most populated youth sporting organisations in the country which features hundreds of students athletes on an annual basis and its alumni includes several minor league baseball prospects. He questioned what he called the “human cost” of the budget cuts.

#“There is an urgent need to do more, not less, for our youth if we are to properly prepare them to confidently and competently receive the baton of leader of this country to continue its sustained growth and development. Essentially, this necessary preparation was one of the principal reasons for the establishment of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. The Progressive Liberal Party maintains that sports and culture have the potential to become significant pillars and engines of our economy as major components of our tourism product offerings,” Burrows said. “Our youth and sports development thrust during our last term in office – branded sports in paradise – laid a solid foundation and blueprint for the way forward in building this important industry. The PLP pledges upon assuming office to continue the programme ‘Sports in Paradise.’ Additionally, we pledge to substantially support sporting organisations, our athletes and to prioritise youth and sports development as central, critical and strategic to our future growth and development.”

#The Tribune previously reported highlights of portions of the budget that will affect local sports. Subventions to elite athletes will be dropped from $1,346,150 to $1,076,920, but it’s not known how many athletes will be affected going into the preparation for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, which has been postponed until 2021.

#In addition, aid to student athletes will be reduced from $142,500 last year to about $110,000, although there is no indication as to who and how many athletes fall into this category.

#Further to the list, there is a National Endowment for Sports, pegged at $795,000, reduced from $1,632,000 last year, among others.

Miller-Uibo Gets Set For Inspiration Games

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Shaunae Miller-Uibo

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#As World Athletics seeks to return to a state of normalcy, an innovative new approach will feature some of the biggest names in the sport competing remotely, including Shaunae Miller-Uibo.

#The reigning Olympic 400m champion and Diamond League 200m champion will compete against her chief rivals from their respective locations in an exhibition series as a part of the ‘Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games on July 9.

#In just under a month, Miller-Uibo, Allyson Felix of the United States and Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland will race against the clock simultaneously in the 150m from their respective locations.

#Miller-Uibo will race out of Miramar, Florida, while Felix – the six-time Olympic champion – will race from Walnut, California, and Kambundji competes in Zurich, Switzerland.

#In addition to her signature events, Miller-Uibo has been a world leader in the 150m in recent years at the Adidas Boston Games. She won the event in 2018 in a time of 16.23 seconds, a record time performance on a straight track. Miller-Uibo repeated as the 150 metre champion at the 2019 event in 16.37.

#The Inspiration Games are a part of the Wanda Diamond League. The games, a live team event, will feature dozens of athletes competing simultaneously in different venues across the globe. The format is a partnership between World Athletics, the Wanda Diamond League, Swiss Timing and broadcaster SRG SSR.

#“Thirty track and field superstars compete across eight disciplines in an innovative team event spanning seven stadiums and three continents. The aim is not only to provide live sport for athletics fans across the world, but also to inspire the next generation,” World Athletics said.

#Karin Nussbaumer, SRG SSR’s national coordinator added: “To simultaneously broadcast three different venues in each discipline will certainly be a technical challenge. Time delays will have to be corrected so that everything is synchronised for the viewer. It is highly demanding to organise such a broadcast.”

#World Athletics reopened its headquarters this month after the COVID-19 pandemic forced its closure for 11 weeks. The new competition format featured in the Inspiration Games emerged as just one of its strategic measures moving forward.

#“Our head office may have been closed for 11 weeks but we have not been idle,” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said following a meeting with its 14-member federations. “We have used that time to continue to develop our strategy to grow athletics. A huge amount of work has been put into developing our four-year strategic plan, led by our CEO Jon Ridgeon and with input and involvement from all at HQ, our Executive Board, our Area Presidents, Commission Chairs and Commissions. This is an exceptional body of work that brings together all the great things we do as a global sport body with a laser sharp focus on doing it better, and includes some innovative and creative ideas to drive growth in our sport. It is exactly the type of roadmap our sport needs to bring together all our stakeholders with a single vision, mission and clear priorities.”

Bahamas Resident To Compete In First Virtual Boat Race

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

#THIS Saturday, June 13, local Bahamas rower and current Cambridge University women’s boat squad member Sophie Paine will join Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship and club rowers, representing teams from Oxford and Cambridge to compete in the very first MCH.Londonvirtual boat race.

#The event will raise funds for Power2Inspire, the charity committed to sport inclusivity through events, coaching and education.

#Participant rowers of all abilities will be filmed while racing on ergometers in their homes across the world, and Sophie will join the crew with the promise of providing fun while raising funds for a great cause.

#The race will be available to watch online at Power2Inspire’s Give as You Live page at 3pm BST – with an option for viewers to donate to the charity – and experience the thrill of watching these fantastic oarspeople compete in a virtual sporting event.

#Rowers, including World champion Oliver Cook, Rio Paralympic Champion Grace Clough, Olympic Triple Gold Medallist Pete Reed, Australian para rower Renae Domaschenz and Gold Medallist Tom Ransley, will all race from their homes across the world. Garry Herbert and Martin Cross – of the BBC – will be providing commentary of the event, in what promises to be a high action, inclusive sporting occasion online.

#The two teams, named Oxford and Cambridge, will be made up of eight rowers each, with able-bodied, disabled, lightweight and openweight participants. The rowers will be racing on ergometers in their homes across the world, with Jan Ole Ernst in Germany, Renae Domaschenz in Australia, Sophie Paine in the Bahamas, and the remaining team members in the UK.

#Sophie Paine, representing Cambridge in the MCH.London virtual boat race said: “Being involved in this virtual boat race is something completely different and really enjoyable to be part of. Especially at a time when we can’t currently train or race with each other in real life. The power of inclusivity that the virtual event will bring is something we hope to experience in person soon, and encourage people of all abilities and backgrounds to get involved in sports.”

#World Champion rower, Oliver Cook, representing Oxford in the MCH.London virtual boat race said: “The opportunity to compete with, and against, such skilled oarspeople, while also raising awareness of the need for more inclusivity in sports was something I couldn’t turn down. This virtual boat race is what we all need in times like these, and I hope the viewers at home enjoy it as much as we will, and if they can, donate to the great cause behind it.”

#MCH London, the responsible advertising agency with positive human impact at the heart of its services, is sponsoring the first virtual boat race to provide support to help raise funds for the development of Power2Inspire’s University PowerHouseGames. These games bring together university sports clubs with students from a state, independent and special needs schools to unite individuals of all abilities through sport.

#Mark C Howarth, Founder & Managing Director, MCH London said: “When we heard about the plan to arrange an inclusive virtual boat race we had to get involved and provide our support to the event. Not only will it let everyone watching at home enjoy a new format of sport, it will hopefully help break down barriers, and above all, support the number one Power2Inspire rule – to have fun!”

#The rowers will compete on ergometers, rowing a collective distance of 6,838km. The first two boats will start, crossing a finish line at 500 metres, then the second boats will start, and this will continue until all eight sets of boats have taken part. A final time will be recorded to determine which team has won the race.

#The full team line-ups are:

#Oxford: Amelia Standing, Pete Reed, Grace Clough, Oliver Cook, Jan Ole Ernst, Martha Birtles, Alex Bebb and Amy Hosking

#Cambridge: Jan Helmich, Freddie Markanday, Sophie Paine, Pippa Whittaker, Renae Domaschenz, Tom Ransley, Miranda Clements and Ollie Parish

Lashann Signs With Sig To Make Next Move In Europe

Lashann Higgs

Lashann Higgs

As of Wednesday, June 10, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#Although she didn’t get to fulfill her dream of being the next Bahamian to become a member of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) fraternity, Lashann Higgs is not letting the disappointment get the best of her professional basketball career.

#Higgs, a 5-foot, 9-inch guard from Harbour Island, Eleuthera, graduated from the University of Texas last year, but returned for her senior season with the Longhorns women’s basketball team after coming back from a torn ACL in her left knee in November, 2018.

#She has signed a contract with Sports International Group, Inc. (SIG) to market her next move in Europe. No deal has been completed yet, but she is working vigorously between Austin and Houston, Texas with coach John Lucas and Mark Martinis in a group of professional and collegiate players.

#“I guess everyone’s path is different, but I am still trying to achieve every part of my goals and aspirations,” said Higgs, who is leaning more towards playing for a team in Spain. “I just have to take another path to get to the WNBA and see where it leads me.

#“If it’s the WNBA then great, but if it’s not, I still have to move on with my career. I just have to be appreciative of what I have. It could have been worse, but I’m still playing basketball.”

#The education major said as a youngster growing up in Harbour Island, she only envisioned getting the opportunity to pursue a basketball career. She achieved her goal by playing in 137 games with 52 as a starter. She left the University of Texas ranked as the seventh all-time in the Longhorns’ history for games played and 28th in career points scored with a total of 1,288.

#Higgs, who averaged 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, said since the NCAA was forced to shut down their season prior to the start of COVID-19 in March, she followed the guidelines for the state with curfews and social distancing.

#“They just opened up the state about two and-a-half weeks ago with limitations and so I’ve been going to more gyms to train,” said Higgs, who also took advantage of training at home during the lockdowns.

#Now, the state is joining the rest of the country in mourning the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, which has skyrocketed a nation-wide protest because of racism against blacks. Floyd was buried in Houston on Tuesday.

#The 24-year-old Higgs, who has seen some of the social unrest but has decided not to participate, said it’s time for the nation to heal. “Blacks will continue to fight for what is right and try to educate people about what they are going through,” she said. “I think we just need to show people that we are no different from any other people just by looking at the colour of our skin.

#“Being a black person, it does something to your soul, but we have to end this type of treatment of black people, regardless to where you are, in the Bahamas or in the United States. We just need to be more compassionate towards each other because it’s only causing hatred and discord amongst each other.”

#Coming off her red shirt senior year because of the injury, Higgs was in Kansas City, Missouri in the Big 12 Tournament when the Longhorns’ season was halted. When they returned to Austin, they were preparing for the NCAA Tournament, but that was also called off due to COVID-19, ending her collegiate career.

#“It was disappointing, but you just have to move on and work with what you have,” she said. I’m really grateful to be able to attend college and to live out my dream to play basketball,” said Higgs.

#“I had a pretty successful career, but with everything in life, you have your ups and downs, but it’s just what you do with it.”

#As she went through her final season, Higgs started in 10 of their 30 games, averaging 20.8 minutes per game. She led the Longhorns in field-goal percentage with a 45.1 per cent (110-of-224) clip and she scored in double figures on 14 occasions during the season.

#Higgs, who attended Cedar Ridge High School after leaving the Bahamas, lost her mother Romilly Higgs in 2013 due to cervical cancer. She has been adopted by George Henderson, an assistant coach with the Longhorns and his wife, Jackie Washington, who played at Abilene Christian and was inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

#As she moves forward, Higgs said she just wants to play as long as she can and along the way try to be a mentor or trainer to the younger basketball players in the Bahamas and in the US.

#To the Bahamian people, including her father Michael Higgs and family members who are still on Harbour Island and Grand Bahama, as we go through the COVID-19 experience, Higgs offered these few words of encouragement.

#“Continue to trust in God, continue to stay safe and continue to fight. It will all get better in a matter of time,” Higgs said.

Ub Mingoes Athletics In First Of 4-Phase Plan To Normalcy

As of Thursday, June 11, 2020

photo

Kimberley Rolle

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#MINGOES Athletic Director Kimberley Rolle is confident that with an additional $1.5 million allocated in the Bahamas government’s 2020/21 budget to the University of the Bahamas, they could continue to become a viable tertiary institution for Bahamian student athletes to attend.

#In putting in place the necessary protocols for the return of sporting activities on their campus on University Drive, Rolle said they are in the first of their four-phase plan to get back to normalcy.

#“Our athletic trainers have team training going on at home right now,” said Rolle, referring to certified trainers Sasha Ferguson-Johnson and Shakeitha Henfield. “We commenced that on June 1 with all of the teams. Each team has a trainer assigned to them to get them ready.

#“We will stay in that stage until we can receive students back on our campus. When we get back to school, we will move into phase three. I can’t say when that date is because the university is getting its cue from the government.”

#With the use of virtual training, Rolle said they are focusing on getting their student athletes in tip-top shape after being locked down for the past three months since the country was shut down in March as a result of COVID-19.

#“We want to avoid the risk of injuries to our athletes, so we’re using the next couple of weeks in this phase to get our athletes developing their strength and conditioning right now,” she said.

#“As we move into other phases, their muscles will be developed so that they can be ready for the upcoming season whenever we get to that phase of normalcy with school reopening.”

#And with the United States of America going through a state of social unrest with protests and racism surfacing after the death of George Floyd, Rolle said they expect that there will be an influx of student athletes deciding to use UB as a viable option for their tertiary education.

#“The reality is that a lot of the US schools have indicated that their international numbers are down as a result of the uncertainty of COVID-19,” Rolle said. “So I don’t think it’s just the Bahamas that would be affected.

#“I think a lot of countries will see their numbers shrink as it relates to student athletes travelling abroad. I know the numbers in reference to the persons who are applying to our admissions office speaks for itself.”

#In the aftermath of COVID-19, Rolle said there is expected to be a decline in the number of student athletes who are expected to travel to the US for the upcoming school year. So if the numbers increase, she said they are hoping that there will be some student athletes in the mix. “As we expect an influx into the university, we expect that there will be an increase in the interest of our student athletes for our programme,” she said.

#“Over the last few years, I think UB’s athletic programme spoke for itself. We have turned out some good athletes and our teams have performed very well. In sports, you can do a lot of talking, but you have to deliver. We want to deliver a programme that persons can say ‘I could see myself being a part of that’”.

#At present, the Mingoes have about 90 student athletes involved in about nine disciplines in men’s basketball, men’s soccer, men and women’s track and field, cross country, judo, golf, women’s volleyball and women’s softball. Through these disciplines, Rolle said they are trying to recruit the best athletes available in the Bahamas.

#“We want to ensure that our coaches, athletes and parents see that the university is making progress each year and it’s producing student athletes who are excelling,” Rolle said.

#“At the end of the day, there are only a handful of student athletes who will become pro athletes, but there are much more who will become better professionals in the field of their studies. So high on our agenda is that our student athletes graduate and they move into the professional areas they have studied.”

#This is Rolle’s 12th year since accepting the job on December 1, 2008 as athletic director. She returned home from Miami University of Ohio where she got her MSc in 2007 after graduating from Henderson State as one of their top Lady Reddie women’s basketball players in 1995.

#So far, the married mother of two boys, Deuce and Derrius, admitted that it has been a rewarding experience. “You’re never satisfied. You can ask Duke University if they are satisfied and they will say, ‘there’s always a great deal of work ahead of you’”, reflected Rolle, whose husband Bacchus, a former versatile basketball/baseball player, serves as the head coach for the men’s basketball team.

#“But we’re so much further along than where we were 10 years ago. We couldn’t get student athletes to seriously look at our programme 10 years ago. But we’re now seriously competing for our top-tier athletes to stay here at home and compete for UB.”

#Last year, Rolle said they employed their first full-time coach in Ednal Rolle, who has attracted some talented student athletes to the programme.

#“When I look at how our athletic programme has transpired over the years with two full-time athletic trainers, who are among the best that we have to offer in the country with masters degrees, I feel like we’re in good hands,” Rolle said.

#Ferguson-Johnson, a former versatile basketball player, is now in her fifth year and Henfield is an Olympic 400 metre runner who is in her second year. They are being charged with formulating a programme to get their protocol in place for the return of their student athletes to their campus.

#“We’ve had a physical fitness trainer in place for the past five years. I believe that Sasha has done a yeoman’s job before she was joined by Shakeitha,” Rolle said. “They are busy taking the athletes through their home-based training with their strength and conditioning.

#“They are also writing out the protocols that we will put in place for our student athletes when they return to the campus. They have been very instrumental in getting our programme up and running again. I like to tease them that they are more than just ice and bags, but the job that they do is tremendous and they do it without complaining.”

#With all these things in place, Rolle said UB is well on its way to becoming an affiliate of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), an organisation that caters to the small schools in the United States.

#“COVID-19 has put a monkey wrench in our plans. A lot of what we are doing now is watching the US in particular, how they deal with their sports and how they manage social distancing and protocol as it relates to the participation of sports,” Rolle said.

#“There are still one or two things that the university has to do before we can make the application to the NAIA. We know there will be some new challenges as it relates to COVID-19, but we want to still make that application once we get back to normalcy and let the chips fall where they may.”

#Rolle, however, said with the programme that they have made over the years, especially competing against NAI teams, they have been able to hold their own, so she’s confident that they will be received with open arms.

Track And Field Nationals In Limbo

As of Wednesday, June 10, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#EVEN with the economy starting to get back to normalcy in the wake of COVID-19, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ President Drumeco Archer is still not sure whether or not their National Track and Field Championships will take place.

#The BAAA nationals are scheduled for the weekend of July 31 to August 1 at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium, but Archer said they are still in limbo because of the uncertainty of how many athletes will be prepared to compete once the Bahamas government allows large gatherings at sporting activities.

#“We know we have a large number of athletes who are training and we have a large number of athletes who are not training,” Archer said.

#“But we also know that many of the athletes have not had access to training facilities since the country was locked down.”

#At their next executive meeting, Archer said they will have a practical decision on the feasibility of putting on the nationals, which would include the junior and senior athletes, or they decide on putting on an All-Comers Meet where athletes can come out and compete in a less marketed meet.

#“We may not get the desired effect that we would get from a highly publicised nationals, but at least we can still provide an avenue for the athletes to come out and participate in a less pressured meet,” Archer pointed out.

#Apart from the World Athletics’ limited Diamond meets designed for the elite athletes around the world to compete in later this year, there are plans for the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) to host a regional meet here in the Bahamas, but no date has been confirmed.

#“Our nationals were set to accommodate our athletes before they return to school and we wanted to give them an opportunity to compete if it is possible for them,” Archer said.

#“All of these assumptions have us in limbo because of the uncertainty of the coronavirus that we still can’t get a handle of. So we’re still not sure what will happen until the economy is fully opened and things are back to some sense of normalcy in what will be a new norm with the social distancing and wearing of masks in large gatherings.”

#While there are a number of Bahamian athletes, who either attend high school, college and university or are training there in some of the professional clubs, Archer said the social unrest with the protests that are currently underway, may as well as it may not have any effect on the movement of Bahamian athletes to and from the United States.

#“I look at it as two separate incidents. The US has its share of protests going on with its racial challenges, but we had a number of athletes who were performing well before the closure of our borders,” Archer said.

#“The problem is when you try to market them into the schools, you can’t tell that they were running 10.1 and now because of what we have been experiencing with the curfews and shutdowns that they are now running 10.7.

#“So I think that has limited the marketing ability of our athletes, more than the social unrest because in my view, the schools’ structure is designed so that they can accommodate the student athletes based on crises such as this,” Archer added.

#The other issue, which could hinder their progress, is the US Immigration policy where the athletes could be denied student visas if the US is concerned about limiting the amount of persons they would allow into the country as a result of the spread of the coronavirus.

#“If you say COVID-19 is having an impact on the students’ resources because of financial displacements, then it’s totally different from the social unrest,” Archer pointed out. “So I think there are some more pointed issues over the social unrest that we are now consumed about.”

#In the meantime, Archer said the BAAA will be willing to assist in any way that they can to help facilitate the process of getting more student-athletes into schools in the United States to further their education and at the same time develop their athletic prowess, which in turn will be more beneficial to the growth and development of the Bahamas’ national track and field programme.