Freddie Evans now heads BNAA
Dr Freddie Evans is the new president of the Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association on 30 September 2021.
Evans, a longstanding technical official of the BNAA and NACAC, was the lone candidate for the position of President. His accession to the top post came in the wake of the decision by outgoing president, Donna Raynor, to step down following her completion of 12 years as head of the organization.
Dr Evans’ Board includes Mia Bean, Jarrita Vickers, Terry Lynn Paynter, Allison Outerbridge and Vanessa Turner.
Members at the AGM approved an amendment to the organisation’s Bye-Laws to ensure a practice that prevents all of the Board of Directors from being up for election at the same time. The Bye-Laws now allow for the principal officers, President, General Secretary and Treasurer, to serve four-year terms while the Directors will serve two-year terms.
The membership also approved a Bye-Law that insists that the Board of Directors must include at least two (2) members that are female.
NACAC extends its most sincere gratitude to Dona Raynor, who has long served the sport of athletics in her country as well as the broader NACAC Area during her tenure.
We also congratulate Dr Freddie Evans and his new Board of Directors, wishing them the very best going forward.
NACAC – Miramar alliance for New Life Invitational
During the past week, NACAC met with City of Miramar officials to advance discussions in respect of making the Ansin Sports Complex the home of the annual NACAC New Life Invitational. This will allow for athletes of the Americas to plan to come to Miramar in June of each year for what promises to be among the very best prize-money competition in the NACAC area.
The discussions focused on the range of matters emanating from this year’s event and the slew of recommendations that came from the monitoring and evaluation exercise.
The meeting received a draft organizational structure and proposed accommodation strategy. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday 14 October at 11.00 am Miami time.
NACAC Development Commission advances
The chair of the NACAC Development Commission, John-Paul Clarke, had a busy week, with meetings aimed at advancing the work of the organization and NACAC, more generally.
The first meeting was that of the Commission on the evening of 27 October 2021, where members updated where they were in respect of the different educational pathways being planned.
The Commission expects to have the first set of webinars ready for roll-out by November 2021. Two days later, 29 September, the Chair joined NACAC General Secretary and the Director of Coaches and Camps, in a meeting with World Athletics Development Department and Member Federation Relations, to advance discussions on the New Development Model of the international body.
NACAC Coaches Working Group established
The following constitute the membership of the NACAC Coaches Working Group:
John LoFranco (CAN) – Chair, Peter John Thompson (UK/USA), Ishmael Mastrapas Lopez (CUB/TTO), Kelsey Toussaint-Reid (TTO), Carlos Guzman (PUR), Francisco Javier Blanco Alonzo (MEX), and, Kathleen Raske – USA. Chester Morgan – NACAC Dir. of Coaches and Camps, is ex officio.
The role of the Commissions and established Working Groups is to provide expertise and advise Council, but if requested, they may also advise the President, Secretary-General/Chief Executive Officer, other Commissions and established Working Groups. They have no authority to make decisions on behalf of the Council or NACAC. The Working Group is ultimately accountable to the NACAC Council.
The role of the NACAC Coaches’ Working Group is to advise the NACAC Council (and where necessary, NACAC Commissions and other established Working Groups) on matters related to all aspects of coaches’ development to better serve the mandate of NACAC to consistently produce leading athletes in global athletics by providing the coaches’ perspective and voice to the decision-making processes within NACAC; promoting and advocating for the rights and interests of coaches within the sport of athletics globally; promoting and advancing an even playing field for athletes; one which is clean, inclusive, safe for all and upholds the highest ethical standards; advising and educating athletes on matters related to Athletics; acting as the link between the coaches and NACAC on research, new initiatives, and new events; and, promoting and supporting the establishment of a Coaches’ Commissions/Working Group in each of our Member Federations to assist in their respective policies, development strategies and programmes.
The Working Group held its first meeting on Tuesday 28 September and will convene again on Thursday 14 October 2021.
NACAC Competitions Commission
The NACAC Competitions Commission convened on Tuesday 28 September.
Critical to the organisation’s programming going forward is its crucial analysis of ways in which NACAC’s competitions can become marketable and generate revenue for the Area Association. Additionally, the Commission is evaluating the pros and cons of the scheduling of the NACAC competitions, including the annual Carifta Games, within the context of careful cost/benefit analyses.
Around NACAC
Aruba
NACAC welcomes news from Aruba.
The latest development has to do with the fact that the Aruba Athletic Federation has accepted five (5) new member clubs into its federation. This now extends the membership of the AAF to 13. This latest achievement is part fulfilment of the AAF’s goal of growing athletics across all its disciplines.
El Salvador
U13 and U15 National Championship, U9, U11, Major and Master Tournament.
Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 October, respectively, saw the Athletics Federation of El Salvador conduct its final track and field competition for the year, 2021.
The weekend’s event featured competition in the Infant, Senior and Master categories with more than 300 athletes from 19 teams from across the country. Participating athletes ranged from four (4) to 65 years old.
The competition served as the selection for participants to the U13 and U15 Central American Championships as well as the NACAC Age Group U13 and U15 Championships, both to be held in Managua, Nicaragua, in November and December 2021, respectively.
Now that the track and field season has concluded, the Jorge ‘Magico’ Gonzalez stadium is closed. This is to allow for the commencement of extensive renovation works over the next 16 months in preparation for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, San Salvador, El Salvador, 2023.
St Lucia
Athletics Official contests for NOC Presidency
Alfred Emmanuel, a former Treasurer of NACAC, President of the St Lucia Athletics Association and the latter’s current Treasurer, has announced his candidacy for the presidency of the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee. Emmanuel is the current General Secretary of the NOC.
Elections are set for Tuesday 16 November 2021at the Olympic Headquarters in La Clery.
20 National Federations are eligible to vote. Emmanuel is set against, Eddie Hazell president of the St Lucia Aquatics Federation.
Kamillah Monroque of Coppin State competing at the DSU XC Invite finished 3rd in the 5.3k run in 22:58.8 on September 11th, 2021. Competing again on September 25th, 2021 Monroque ran a season’s best of 20:46.8 in the 5k at the Shore XC Invite to finish 6th overall.
Zadie St Louis, currently competing for University of Arkansas- Pine Bluff finished 16th in the 4k run in a time of 16:38.2 at the Louisiana Tech Mook 4 on September 18th, 2021. She then went on to run a personal best of 20:31.9 in the 5k run for 6th place at the Southern Arkansas University Lois Davis Invitational which took place on September 24th, 2021.
St Vincent and the Grenadines
NACAC Age Group Trials
Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines conducted its Trials for selection for the NACAC Age Group Championships scheduled for Nicaragua in December 2021.
At the end of the two days of intense competition, Friday 1 and Saturday 2 October 2021, the following emerged as the leading candidates:
For the 11 – 12 Age Group – Royal Solomon (HP) and Nyra De Shong (Mustangs) – females; Shemron Gaymes (HP) and Michal Stapleton (Mustangs) – males.
13 – 14 Age Group – Zekisha Kelley (Mustangs) and Kacey Robinson (It Dat) – females; Jahene Williams (HP) and Israel Cumberbatch (X-Cel) – males.
TASVG Summer Camps 2021
The Annual TASVG Camps were held during the months of July and August 2021 as follows
Chester Morgan/HP: Central Leeward – 73
Michael Ollivierre/IT DAT: Arnos Vale – 72
Godfrey Harry/X-Ceed: Kingstown – 52
Rawlson Morgan/X-Cel: Windward and Bequia – 50
Wildanrick Samuel/Mustangs: 40
The Camps ran from four to six weeks in some instances. Each Camp had multiple coaches working along with the athletes.
Parents were invited to see what the programmes entailed so that they would understand the nature of the training their children must undergo to make it in the sport.
Meetings this Week
Tuesday 5 October
7.00am – World Athletics Area Presidents Meeting
Wednesday 6 October
10.00am Miami Time – Weekly Meeting – Mike Sands, Michael Serralta, Chester Morgan, Garth Gayle and Keith Joseph
Thursday 7 October
8.00pm Miami Time – Meeting of the NACAC Coaches Working Group
Keith Joseph
P.O. Box 680, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines
Tel: (784) 457 9062 (H); (784) 457 2970 (O)