Jamaican federation lack of a qualified public relations person with power
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Dr Warren Blake is an accomplished and obviously intelligent man but he is surely not a politician. This can be deduced from the way he framed his answer from a leading question posed by a journalist at the Gleaner Editors' Forum. To give an answer that convey a dictatorial position is not what I would hope Dr. Blake intended. Of course the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) is responsible to set rules and regulations under which the athletes should abide since the Olympics and world championship is about representing one country. Having a training camp is very important for some athletes who need the help because of the lack of professional system to help them, this also is especially important for relay practice and as with the 2000 Sydney Olympics Peta-Gaye Dowdie and Merlene Ottey saga, injured athletes can put themselves before the interest of the team. An athlete can be on his or her last chance and decide to hide an injury just to make the team even though qualified healthy replacement is there. Think about Jamaica situation where the sprint talent is so deep. Moreover think about what can happen with a potential gold relay team having an athlete with an injury running and unable to finish the race because of a known and hidden injury. With all that being said I am wondering if there is any exception to the mandatory camp rule. Everything cannot be set in stone and there should be some amount of flexibility.
Communication between athletes, coaches and JAAA should be open yet discrete. Issues should be able to be resolve without a public spectacle that took place for the rest of the world to see; after all we are talking about adults here. All groups should be working together for an optimum athletic performance and egos set aside. Coaches know their athletes and should be expected to do what is best for their athletes. Thus coaches, athletes and JAAA should sit and decide on where to keep camp, what is required for the camp and when to have camp. There will be disagreements of course but at least more will be on board without a bad history repeating itself.
These things might already be in place. If so, the response by Dr. Warren shows the dire need for the JAAA to have a capability public relations (pr) team. Thus Dr. Warren's response would have been less confrontational with an answer that conveys strength but reasonableness. The answer could have been, "Jamaica is blessed with a lot of talent and though two clubs control most of the athletes, they like us understand that it is about the country. Keeping mandatory camp is an understanding we have and unless unusual circumstances, we expect everyone to be there. We are not about dictating to professional coaches and athletes but as the body responsible to set policies and procedures for the Jamaican contingent at the Olympic Games we hold our duty and responsibility dearly. What happened in the past is of the past, we have sat with the various coaches and come to an understanding of the coaches needs for the athletes they are in charge of. Thus the facilities and equipment will be there that meet the coaches standard. With a strong belief, I think what took place is of the past, something I hope we all learn from."
Sometimes having a pr person around to limit questions and the type of question asked is just as important if not more important than answering a seemingly important question. In this day and age, how people perceive you is very important and sometimes perception dominates reality. Moreover, the JAAA need a pr person to impart their message and contribution to the Jamaican public. Too many times I am reading comments on track and field forums that give the impression they have nothing to do with athletes development. This I do not believe but they need to impart their part of the story to the public.
Let me make it clear, I am in no way condemning Dr. Blake; I am highlighting the need for the JAAA to get a qualified pr person or pr department. This person or pr department head should have the power to ensure people perception of the JAAA is a positive one. For example, most track fans that follow Jamaican track teams is of the opinion that Glen Mills of Racers Track Club is mature, reasonable, clear and concise with his responses or press releases. Mr.. Mills like every human is prone to errors of judgement sometimes, regardless of experience. Yet few can point out Mr.. Mills publicly known errors. This to me shows how important a pr department can be. It helps to convey the message the organization wants to convey in a form where people look at the organization with a positive outlook.
Hoping the JAAA take a look and seriously develop a pr department or employ a pr professional to help in their communication to the people they are representing.
*The views expressed in this article are those of the author (Robert Taylor) and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, trackalerts.com
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The support of mothers for track and field athletes
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The Support of Mothers for Track and Field Athletes
Through time mothers have been quite influential and supportive of their children who participate in sports, and in particular track and field.
Worldwide
Worldwide we can think of the mothers of Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Sanya Richards-Ross, Lashinda Demus, and Shara Proctor.
If you are ever at a World Championships or Olympic Games you can see just how Mrs. Jennifer Bolt supports her superstar son. His father Wellesley was in Daegu but he is much more laid back.
Mrs Evelyn Lewis was always supportive of her children Carl and Carol from New Jersey. She had participated in the hurdles at the 1951 Pan Am Games. When her husband died she became centre stage. You would often see her with the mother of Leroy Burell, a friend and competitor of King Carl.
Sanya Richards-Ross' mother Sharon Richards is very supportive of her daughter the quarter miler who lived in South Florida and got USA citizenship in 2002. Every now and then you see Sanya's father but the mother is a staple. She is also her agent.
Lashinda Demus, the 400m hurdles World champion from the USA relies on her mom. Yolanda Demus is her coach. Yolanda participated in the 400m in the late nineteen seventies at Cal State.
Lashinda delivered twin boys by cesarean section in 2007.
Her mom assisted her greatly in making a comeback physically and mentally.
Demus won the Daegu World Championships 400m hurdles.
Long Jumper Shara Proctor from Anguilla's mother is usually with her at competitions. Shara has switched citizenship to Britain since Anguilla does not have an Olympic Committee which restricted her from competing in in the Olympic Games. She has immediately broken Britain's Indoor Long Jump record and won a Bronze medal at the World Indoors in Istanbul, Turkey.
Her mother is usually by her side.
The Bahamas
On the local Bahamian scene we have numerous mothers who have supported and mentored our outstanding track and field athletes.
Let's not talk about the transportation from school or home to track practice or the constant attendance at track and field meets.
One such mother was Monica Woodside who passed over a year ago. Mrs. Woodside has a host of outstanding athletes in track and field and several in softball.
Her track and field charges included Linda Woodside-Major, a star hurdler and long jumper from the mid seventies, Carol Woodside, Dawn and Dianne Woodside, and Joe Woodside. Carol and Dawn participated in the throws and Dianne held the 100m hurdles National record.
Dianne is now the president of the Bahamas Coaches Association and was the first woman to coach at the IAAF World Championships.
Mother Monica was quite instrumental with the Pioneers Sporting Club and the BAAA.
Yvonne Moncur has forever been supportive of her son Frank Rutherford who was the first Bahamian to win a medal in an IAAF Senior competition, the 1987 World Indoor Championships, and a medal in track and field at the the Olympic Games, a bronze in the triple jump at the Barcelona Games.
Moncur was a sprinter in her high school days at Government High.
Barbara Brooks is the mother of Lynden Sands, the first Bahamian medalist in the Pan American Jr. Track and Field Championships. Lynden won a bronze medal in the Triple Jump in the inaugural championships in Sudbury, Canada in 1980.
Mrs. Brooks was a heroine of the Baintown Flyers, doing whatever she could for the club.
Mrs. Eloise Edwards played a significant role in the development of former NCAA Champion and National record holder Jackie Edwards. We can remember Mrs. Edwards bringing the eleven year old QC student to the track in 1982.
Edwards finished sixth in the long Jump in the Sidney Olympic Games.
Chandra Sturrup's mother Debbie Dean followed her around the world. Her last opportunity to see her speedster daughter compete was at the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Helsinki where Chandra finished in fourth place.
She died of cancer the year after.
Debbie Ferguson's mom is Elms Ferguson. She is always at the stadium in Nassau whenever Debbie is competing and has followed her around the world, the last time being in Berlin at the 2009 World Championships.
Chris Brown's mother, Nola Brown from Eleuthera is one of his greatest supporters. She comes to Nassau for national events whenever Chris is competing.
Triple Jumper Leevan Sands's mom is Elaine Sands. She, along with her husband has had the opportunity to see him in competition at the World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile, the Olympic Games in Athens, and the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Bianca Stuart's mother, Althea is always at the stadium in Nassau when she competes. Stuart is the new national record holder in the Long jump. She has a brother Nyles who competes in both long and Triple Jump.
Vanessa Ifill, the mother of Grafton ifill III watched him at every competition possible from high school to the World Juniors. Ifill is a sprinter who holds the national Junior 100m record at 10.39sec.
She also followed him to the IAAF World Youth Championships in Debrecen, Hungary; the World Junior Championships in Kingston in 2002; and the Carifta Games in Bermuda in 2004.
Rosalie Maria Arnett was the mother of Philippa and Nathan Arnett. Philippa ran the 100m and 200m and was a member of both the 2004 Athens 4x100m relay and The 2005 Helsinki World Championships 4x100m relay team.
Nathan Arnett is one of the fastest 400m hurdlers in Bahamian history.
Rosalie was a volunteer with the Star Trackers Club for which coach David Charlton was Head Coach. She died suddenly last August, leaving a huge void for the family and Star Trackers Club.
Ramon Miller holds the national Junior record in the 800m but has switched to the 400m. He was a member of the 4x400m Silver medal relay team in Beijing and participated in the Daegu World Championships 400m.
Miller's mother Clarice Taylor-Knowles is his greatest supporter. Clarice followed Ramon to Beijing.
Laura Pratt-Charlton won the Carifta Games 100m Under-17 in Montego Bay in 2011. Her mother Laura Pratt-Charlton is one of those parents who supports her daughter 110%. She makes it a point to participate in everything the daughter does at school, St. Augustines' College and in the club, Club Monica.
Mabelene Miller is the mother of World Champion and World Youth champion Shaunae Miller. Mae is an official with the Bahamas Association of Certified Officials, is a Level I IAAF coach. Husband Shaun coaches Shaunae. Mae is at the stadium everyday supporting her daughter, Shaunae in any way she can.
On this Mother's Day we celebrate these and other mothers who have given unselfishly to the success of their children in track and field.
St Benedict’s takes over lead at Primary Champs
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Kingston, Jamaica - St Benedict's Primary are the new leaders at the end of day three of the 32nd INSPORTS/Swizzzle Primary Schools Athletics Championship at the National Stadium.
The east Kingston school leads a tight title-chasing pack with 19.5 points, seven more than defending champions Naggo Head, who are in fifth on 12.5 points.
St Patrick's and Harbour View are joint second with 17 points, followed by New Providence on 13 and Naggo Head, who managed to score a solitary point on the penultimate day after the completion of the girls long jump Open and the boys high jump Open.
Jhennel Harriott's record of 4.98 metres in the girls long jump Open was untroubled, as Shanique Rose of Gregory Park won the event with a measurement of 4.62 metres. Shannalia Brown gave Holy Family its first point of the competition by claiming second with 4.52 metres, while Harbour View's Stancia Ward finished third with a distance of 4.50 metres.
The boys high jump open was competitive throughout with Andrew Betton of New Providence prevailing with a clearance of 1.45 metres over Portsmouth Tadjae Gordon, who cleared the bar at the same height. Third to sixth was all successful at 1.40 metres, but Zachery Antoye of St Benedict's held on for the bronze medal.
Meanwhile in a colourful opening ceremony held during the afternoon session, Carl Domville, chief operating officer for title sponsor, Seprod reiterated his organisation's commitment to the annual event.
Chairman of the government-run Institute of Sports, Don Anderson lauded the sponsors for the continued support to the programme for the past decade, as well as the work of the INSPORTS management and staff.
A total of 34 finals will be contested on tomorrow's final day which will be televised live on CVM TV between 1:20 pm and 6:00 pm – the first in the history of the competition.
Entry fee: $300 (adults) and $100 (children).
Strachan, Lucas victorious in Atlanta
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ATLANTA, USA - Bahamian rising star Antonique Strachan and Trinidad & Tobago Josanne Lucas were winners at the Georgia Tech Invitational here on Saturday.
Strachan, still a junior, won both 100m and 200m sprints in 11.35 (+1.5) and 22.75 (+1.4) respectively.
World medalist from 2009 Lucas achieved 56.84 at the 400m hurdles.
Meanwhile, American Jeremy Wariner, in another fast race of the year at the 400m, recorded 45.04secs.
Dexter Faulk 13.23 (0.0m/s wind) won the men's 110m hurdles over Terrence Trammell 13.39.
Maurice Mitchell clocked in 100m 10.19 (+0.7) in heats and 10.21 in the final.
Joanna Atkins posted 51.12 in the 400m over Nigerian junior Bukola Abogunloko 51.57 PB and Briton Shana Cox 51.66. World indoor bronze winner from Istanbul Erica Moore opened her season with good 2:01.09 in the 800m.
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Justin Gatlin sends message to Usain Bolt
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DOHA - American Justin Gatlin had sent a message to world sprint double champion Usain Bolt.
"I just showed I have a lot of grit and a lot of competition in these old legs," Gatlin said. "I want to come back and show the world I can run to the line with the best of them. If Usain Bolt has been watching, you know it has been great racing against him, but I want everyone to know Justin Gatlin is back, and I want the Olympic title," said the American.
Gatlin 9.86 to pip Asafa Powell on Friday in Doha, the first leg of the 2012 Samsung Diamond League Series.
"This is fastest I ever opened up my career,'' said Gatlin, who dedicated the win to son Jace on his second birthday.
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