Coaching is an integral part of athlete development. So Tobago is focusing on coaching development in a bid to fast track the development of promising athletes.
Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs Jomo Pitt said he travelled to Jamaica last year on a “fact-finding mission”, which proved “enlightening”.
Pitt said: “We discovered that one of the reasons for Jamaica’s dominance in sports in track and field had to do with the capacity of their coaches. Along that line, we have engaged the various associations on the island to initiate and get our coaches up to a level that will allow our athletes to fulfill their true potential.”
The Sport Secretary said athletes “could only go as far as our coaches can take them. Natural ability and talent can only take you so far.” He believes a big part of their development has to be left to the desire of the athlete and the capacity of the island coaches.
In that spirit, Pitt commended the Tobago Football Association (TFA) for its planned CONCACAF ‘C’ Licence coaching course that will be held later this month.
Meanwhile, a few of Tobago’s athletes shined over the weekend at the 2018 NAAA National Awards Ceremony at the Radisson Hotel, Trinidad (January 5, 2019).
They included Zenith Athletics Club’s Veayon Joseph (Youth Boys Athlete of the Year, alongside Avindale Smith); Talena Murray (Junior Sportswoman of the Year) and Tyriq Horsford (Junior Sportsman of the Year).