TCI did not even get one medal
Introduction
Our Turks and Caicos Carifta team recently participated in the 52nd Carifta Athletics Game which was held in Trinidad and Tobago. Congratulations to all participants, especially those who improved their personal best. Unfortunately, we did not get one medal despite having a large delegation of athletes. This situation requires immediate actions to improve our achievements.
Of course, we have won medals in the past but we really need to work on preparing our athletes better so they can achieve greater success at the Carifta Games and beyond.
This article therefore is by no means to attack any individual or an organization but to provide suggestions that can be implemented. It is necessary to increase our focus on sports. Sports unite people.
Carifta Trials other than the Inter-High
It is my understanding that athletes are chosen to participate in Carifta based on the results from the Inter high school competition which took place between March 20th to March 22nd approximately four weeks before the commencement of Carifta. While the inter-high school must be encouraged and continued, we should also have special Carifta Trials early in the year to identify and choose our athletes. In this way they will have adequate time to train and prepare for Carifta and these same athletes should also participate in Inter-high. The more practice they have, the better they will become and ultimately become victorious.
Have multiple meets leading up to Carifta
While training will be taking place for our athletes, we must also have multiple meets leading up to Carifta. In this way, it gives athletes measurable checkpoints to see how they are improving over time. It also helps athletes to manage their nerves, strategize in real time and stay mentally tough. Meets will also help to build chemistry and support among team members.
Recruitment officers to scout talent
From time to time, we have scouters coming to the TCI to recruit talent. We should do the same time internally by hiring recruitment officers and let them attend school games to observe athletes in action. There are probably a lot of athletes that have yet to be discovered but if we have recruitment officers, they can scout and identify the top talent very early even before the Carifta Trials as proposed above.
Recruitment of specialist coaches
Many coaches are volunteers, and some are full-time teachers, While we appreciate the teachers serving as coaches, these teachers have a commitment to the classroom and have to focus on ensuring that they are preparing and teaching their students and so it is unfair to them to use them as coaches too because they will not have the time and furthermore they are not getting gpaid for this. Recruiting specialist coaches is crucial for improving our athletes’ performance. These coaches will bring a focused expertise and a results driven mindset.
Athlete Performance and Support Services Needed.
Our athletes need support. Although a substantial number of individuals attend Carifta each year to show their support, this alone does not meet the needs of the participants.
It is essential to have a technical team responsible for verifying and securing the athletes’ qualifications, health records, eligibility for Carifta, and travel eligibility. It has come to our attention that athletes often lack the necessary travel documents at the last minute before departure.
We also need to ensure that a nutrition program is in place for our athletes. A nutrition program is essential for athletes because their bodies have higher demands than the average person, and the right fuel can significantly impact performance, recovery, and overall health.
Our athletes require performance training support because such training helps distinguish between good and elite levels. For instance, our athletes need to enhance their strength and endurance, which in turn will help our athletes to maintain high performance. A well-structured performance plan includes recovery strategies—like mobility, sleep optimization, and nutrition guidance—which help athletes recover faster and extend their careers.
Believe it or not, our athletes need psychological support. The pressure to perform, fear of failure, injuries, and public scrutiny can take a significant toll on an athlete’s mental well-being. Providing psychological support is not a luxury but a necessity for their well-being and performance.
Another major support services needed is sports medicine professionals. These professionals can develop personalized training, warm-up and recovery routines to reduce the risk of injuries.
Conclusion
We need to do more than talk and show up to events such as Carfita. If we really want to bring our people together and to provide hope for our young people, then we need to invest more in sports. I know the budget for the Sports Commission has increased significantly over the years, but we need to invest more. For example, for the last three years, we have been hearing about the provision of an Olympic size pool but to date, the land is not cleared yet for the construction of a pool.
The Turks and Caicos has so much potential. Quite frankly, I find it embarrassing that we have so many people attending Carifta and we come back with nothing. It is important to provide exposure for our athletes, but initially, we should focus on increasing their visibility domestically with the aforementioned recommendations.
I challenge the Ministry of Sports, the Sports Commission and the various Sports Bodies to have an urgent meeting and develop a strategy so by next year, we should see significant improvement in the performance of our athletes.