SVGOC-Sponsored Vacation Sport Camps 2026 Abound
On Saturday last the curtains came down on community sport leadership course hosted by the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee (SVGOC). The four-day programme is a product of The Association For International Sport for All (TAFISA) an organisation committed to sport and physical activity as critical to healthy lifestyles for all members of society, regardless of age, physical ability, class and geographical location.
A total of 42 participants from seven areas of St Vincent and including staff members of the Ministry of Social Welfare, Community Empowerment & National Heritage completed the TAFISA course and are now expected to follow through on the community projects they introduced as a component of the first part of the course. The second part takes place in August 2026, at which they must present their projects in full and establish timelines for implementation.
The underlying philosophy is that ‘physical activity is a right, not a privilege, of every member of the community
‘Physical activity must be accessible to all members of the community for its own sake as well as for the wider health, social and cultural benefits inherent in the practice.’
The SVGOC’s mandate is to facilitate the enhanced participation of Vincentian athletes at the quadrennial Olympics. However, sport for all is a critical starting point in the fulfilment of the mandate since it allows parents to adopt healthy attitudes and practices with their children from birth, encouraging them to make it a life-long commitment.
Over the past two years, the SVGOC has encouraged its member federations to organise vacation camps, July – August, each year, complete with financial assistance. The intention is to facilitate the establishment of sustainable development pathways for the Olympic sports practise din St Vincent and the Grenadines. The earlier children are introduced into the pathways the more likely are they to stay with the sport and an acceptable physically active lifestyle.
Vacation Camps 2026
The scheduled Summer Camp is scheduled to conclude on 10 August.
30 June will witness the start of the month-long Tennis Camp. The intention this year is to generate a passion for the sport amongst Vincentians. New players are being sought while older players are encouraged to get back into it, supporting the children in the work ethic that leads to continued success.
The Tennis Camp will see the programme utilise several venues with the aim of getting communities more appreciative of the sport and caring for available facilities that can serve multiple disciplines. It concludes on 11 July.
The Sailing Camp begins on 20 July and runs through to 2 August 2026. The programme will be conduct at the Canash Beach.
Given the innovative progress that sailing has been making over the past few years the appeal has grown and performances have been on the improve. Our young sailors are proving themselves worthy contenders at the region and international levels.
This year’s Sailing Camp goes under the theme, ‘Learn, Improve, Excel’.
The SVG Netball Association’s 2026 Camp has the theme, ‘Future Legacy Netball’ and will take place in Kingstown and Bequia, during the period 12 July to 7 August.
Future Legacy Netball aims to generate greater interest and bolster participation in the sport. Attendees will be engaged in developing their skill competencies and encouraged to focus on their holistic development as sportspersons in the nation, setting a good example for the nation’s future.
During the period 13 – 31 July 2026, the Hairoun Karate Federation’s Summer Camp will take place at the West St George Secondary School, offering training in Karate and self-defence.
According to the leadership of the Federation, this year’s camp ‘is designed to provide young participants with disciplined karate training, practical self-defense awareness, conflict resolution skills, communication tools, fitness, confidence, and a positive national sporting experience under the Hairouna Karate Federation.’
Participants being catered for by the Karate Federation will come from ages 4 – 18.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Cycling Union will hold its Camp during the period 20 July – 7 August in Barrouallie and Arnos Vales, with an expected participation of 80 persons.
Over the past few years Cycling has been undergoing an outreach programme aimed at encouraging participation in the sport with emphasis on safety, safeguarding and a development pathway from recreational cycling through to high-level competition. This year’s objective is ‘to create a space to learn and have fun’.
On June 27, the SVG Squash Association will commence its annual Camp. The target group will be a total of 28 children and young adults aged between 6 and 18 years.
Over the past few years we have witnessed both a growth in the number of athletes practising the sport at the National Squash Centre which shares a building with the National Lotteries Authority (NLA) in Paul’s Avenue. There has also been a significant improvement in the performances of the Vincentian Squash Players.
Currently, St Vincent and the Grenadines holds the U-11 and U-17 Caribbean Individual Squash Champions titles and will be defending these at the Caribbean Squash Championships scheduled for Tortola, British Virgin Islands later this year.
Interestingly, despite repeated complaints about the growing inadequacy of the existing facility – only two courts – in a building that the NLA owns, there appears to be no plans in place to change that reality any time soon.
The local association was offered the opportunity to host the Caribbean Championships this year. However, with only two competition courts the international requirements were not met and Tortola stepped in to fill the breach. The Vincentian team will contest the Caribbean Championships during the period 7 – 17 July 2026.
The Swim Camps usually run through July and August every year. This incudes a programme, ‘Learn To Swim’ that targets Vincentians who are as yet unable to swim. The intention is that in a country completely surrounded by water and so many beautiful beaches, everyone should feel confident and safe when taking to the sea.
The other Summer programmes from the swimming fraternity involve continuation along the development pathway for swimmers in the different age groups.
Rugby will host its camp 13 July to 21 August for individuals aged 8 – 17 years. The primary objective is ‘to introduce and develop rugby among young people across St. Vincent and the Grenadines through fun, safe, and inclusive coaching sessions that promote physical activity, teamwork, discipline, respect, and healthy lifestyles while identifying future rugby talent.’
The camp will be conducted at the Sion Hill Playing Field, Evesham Playing Field, South Rivers Community Playing Field and the Petit Bordel Playing Field
According to the Rugby officials, ‘the programme will provide structured rugby coaching, physical literacy activities, player welfare education, and introductory competition opportunities. The camp will target both males and females and support the continued development of grassroots rugby throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.’
The Volleyball Association’s Summer Camp serves as a critical component of the sport’s long-term athlete development (LTAD). Programme.
The Association is intent in generating interest in the sport across St Vincent and the Grenadines, especially since the international parent body has been paying more attention to the sport in the OECS sub-region.
The camp will feature ‘structured technical training, physical conditioning, and foundational education in teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship’.
Officials of the Volleyball Association hold the view that the camp will allow for ‘early talent identification and athlete pathway development, increased participation and retention of young athletes in volleyball, capacity-building through exposure to qualified local and regional coaches, and, positive social impact by engaging youth in healthy, structured sporting activity during the summer period.’
The Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines Summer Camp starts later this month with sessions at the Victoria Park, Arnos Vale, Bequia, Diamond, Cumberland, Campden Park and Georgetown.
Clubs affiliated to TASVG are usually asked to submit proposals to TASVG on the precise nature of their respective Camps which run for four to six weeks between June and August.They are also encouraged to seek sponsorship within their communities to increase the effectiveness of the Camp.
Conclusion
The organisation of annual camps by the different national sports associations are integral to the successful development pathway of each sport.
Plans require meticulous attention to detail and this should result in enhanced commitment to the sport on the part of participants.
The SVGOC requests national federations to be mindful of the holistic development of those attending their camps. Attention needs to be paid to the inculcation of values and discipline in the individual.
Federations can also use camps to attract volunteers in the much-needed areas of administration, officiating, coaching and general support. Whether at the community or club level, federations must seek out new recruits to keep their organisations on their own development pathways, important to the strengthening, ultimately, of the federation itself.
Participants at federation sports camps must be encouraged to have fun even as they maintain the required discipline so necessary for success. If participation is not fun and camp administrators and organisers fail to facilitate learning in a structured but not fear-filled manner, nothing will be of benefit to the participants.
As the sport camps are held, federations must take stock of their performances in all aspects of their respective disciplines. It is an opportunity to facilitate networking amongst participants, strengthen working relations amongst the different stakeholders and ultimately, to foster strong institutions.
Camps must always facilitate learning and allow for the benefits of the exercise to make all participants better persons, committed to the sport and to using it to make their own contributions to their own development and that of their fellow participants. We look forward to seeing the benefits of the SVGOC’s Camp Programmes 2026.
