Tennis Boss Wants Schools Sports Scrapped

0
19
Cordell Williams Snr
- Advertisement -

By Neto Baptiste

One association head has suggested that sports and or physical education activities during school hours be scrapped, and that coaches employed by the government be attached to national associations.

The proposition was put forward by head of the Antigua and Barbuda Tennis Association (ABTTA), Cordell Williams Sr., who explained that coaches attached to schools are not afforded the amount of time needed to adequately develop and prepare young talents.

“You don’t have enough contact time, and contact time is very important, so I believe that schools should over [end] at 3:30 pm and between 1:30 and 3:30 it should be mandatory that all students take part is some sports, and I am not selfish to say all should take part in tennis, but you would have a coach to work with football, basketball, netball, volleyball and all the different sports would now be an afterschool programme because we have to start to develop athletes to represent,” he said.

The move, according to Williams, would forge a closer working relationship between the sports ministry and the national associations and eventually lead to more productivity.

“These coaches that we have within the ministry that are supposed to be teaching sports in schools, I believe the ministry and the associations should be working closer, and those coaches should be assigned to work with the associations, and the association and the ministry, or the Director of Sports Heather Samuel Daley], would work closely so I as the president and the tennis development coordinator would work closely with the ministry to make sure that these coaches are out there developing

[talent]

,” he said.

The tennis coach suggested that the coaches would still fall under the employ of the government, but that the associations would be responsible for presenting a national plan for the respective sports.

- Advertisement -