Track can make immense difference
Much has been made of the need for a synthetic track in St Vincent and the Grenadines. Indeed, many have called for a national stadium.
Generally, a national stadium includes the stands and attendant facilities and hence, what we have at Diamond is really a synthetic track on its way to being established as a national stadium.
There is a national stadium at Arnos Vale, evidenced by the full range of attendant facilities associated with the particular sporting disciplines that train and compete there.
For the time being, we can make reference to the Sir Vincent Beache Sports Facility, a work in progress.
First track meet
On Saturday 12 December, Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines (TASVG) hosted its first official track competition at the Sir Vincent Beache Sports Facility. This was the TASVG Pre-Season Relays.
Track and field enthusiasts enjoy relays as much as the athletes who participate in them. The excitement is always at fever-pitch.
The good news is that the competition exceeded expectations in many respects.
Athletes
The athletes were anxious to use the new track. While some have had exposure to synthetic surfaces at the regional and international level they were in a minority.
Some would have used the TASVG synthetic long and triple jump runway at Arnos Vale, even though they did not always use the stipulated spikes of a maximum of 9mm.
The vast majority were using a synthetic surface for the very first.
For the athletes, therefore, there was an air of expectation. They wanted to be on a facility that is comparable to those that athletes across the world use. They were anxious to get the feel of the surface and to understand the difference between its responsiveness as against what obtains on the grassed surfaces to which they have long grown accustomed.
Three of the nation’s schools brought athletes to share the experience and also to show where they are with their preparation for the competitive season that begins in the early part of next year.
The St Vincent Girls’ High School, the St Vincent Boys’ Grammar School, the oldest education institutions in the country, and the St Martin’s Secondary School, fielded athletes in several events.
Other participating athletes came from High Performance of Central Leeward, IT DAT Academy based at Arnos Vale, E-CEED, X-CEL and Roses Academy of Troumaca.
The participating athletes thoroughly enjoyed themselves and gave good account as well as a strong sense of what we can all expect from them in the future.
There were some good performances from the athletes on show.
There is an abundance of athletics talent in St Vincent and the Grenadines and the provision of a synthetic track will allow for heightened interest in the sport as well as significantly improved performances.
Being on a level playing field is something Vincentian athletes have long desired.
Already, many athletes are looking forward to the full track season in the new year. They understand however that a synthetic surface is not a facility that is to be used every day all year. There is often a tendency for the surface to prove a source of injury if used in excess. This is the reason that grassed surfaces are still very much in need.
Coaches
The coaches on hand last Saturday were anxious to show what they have been doing with their athletes and this became clearer as the event wore on.
The evidence on display revealed that the coaches are working and the athletes are paying attention.
It was clear that some of the athletes were prepped on the different running styles required on a synthetic surface as opposed to grass. On the latter the runner, using longer spikes, has to grab and pull. The synthetic surface allows for use of shorter spikes – 6mm, using the bounce to full advantage. Coaches like to see their athletes win and this was clearly evident in Saturday. There was an abundance of words of encouragement, whistles and the more than occasional shouting for every athlete in every leg of each relay.
Technical officials
Technical officials were conspicuously absent. Thankfully a handful did show up and helped to make the competition run smoothly.
Over the past several years TASVG has expended significant resources to facilitate the training of technical officials only to find that the recipients are often very inconsistent.
Interestingly, it does appear that many technical officials are eager to participate in larger, more popular events. The smaller competitions where the crowds are not expected to be small do not seem to hold much interest for them.
The inconsistency of technical officials makes it virtually impossible for this country to seek to host regional and international competitions due to the lack of experience of our technical officials. Having been trained is one thing. Practising and doing so consistently is where the experience is gained. As of now, that is not happening.
It would be rather embarrassing to have a regional or even an invitational meet and find the technical officials present in adequate numbers and lacking the experience to deliver the professional officiating that is usually required and expected.
Spectators
It was a most welcome sight to have spectators in appreciable numbers at an athletics competition that is not a school’s sports.
Several lovers of sport, track and field enthusiasts as well as inquisitive individuals found their way out Diamond to witness competition on the Sir Vincent Beache Sport Facility.
The presence of keen spectators who enjoyed the competition to the full, despite the tremendous heat and lack of shelter, warmed the hearts of the athletes, coaches and administrators of the sport.
Athletes thrive when there are crowds looking on at their performances. This happened on Saturday last. Many of the athletes were only too eager to let the Vincentian public know their names as a result of their potential and performances displayed on the track.
Athletics is an individual sport and it is easy for sectators to get to know each performer by name in a way that is not necessarily the case in team sports.
Even though the competition was about relays, the individual performances were noticeable and appreciated.
Athletes felt good about being applauded for their contributions to their respective teams and also to the fans on hand.
Unfortunately, there are still athletes who do not have appropriate shoes. It is therefore important that efforts are made to have shoes provided for those who cannot afford. This is important since the surface at Diamond will cause serious blisters to athletes who venture to compete without shoes. Indeed, TASVG is advising against allowing athletes to compete on the facility if they are not wearing shoes..
Clearly, with the new track, sport aficionados will take the time to attend athletics competitions at Diamond.
Major works
TASVG followed protocol and communicated with the Central Planning Unit seeking permission to use the aforementioned facility. This was necessary because the facility is still very much a construction site and has therefore not yet been handed over to the National Stadium Committee or the National Sports Council or the National Lotteries Authority. This is as it should be.
For sure, the track itself is not entire complete. The sand pits are yet to be cleaned and filled in. The grassed area, to be used by football and possibly rugby, is also needed for the throwing events – javelin, shot, discus and hammer. This part of the facility is still very much behind schedule in terms of the full growth of a grassed mat that would more readily serve the needs of the aforementioned sports.
Completion of construction work for first phase:
There was some tardiness on the part of those responsible for the actual construction works such that the major part of the drains on the outer perimeter of the track are yet to be completed. They are still uncovered with steel clearly exposed. Thankfully the authorities are seeking to have this addressed soonest, since it would pose a hazard to users and hence would retard the allowance of access by schools and other organisations.
It is extremely difficult to place bleachers on the home straight on a synthetic track. It is therefore very important that consideration be given to the construction of a grand stand on the home straight with bleachers on the back straight and the curves.
Public health requirements are key. As of now users of the facility must procure portable toilets. These must be accompanied by a systematic provision and location of pipes for running water which is so important in the face of COVID-19 and its aftermath. These have to be addressed at the earliest possible time if institutions are desirous of making use of the facility.
The absence of fixed sanitation facilities and ready access to running, potable water, electricity as well as covered stands is probably the reason that many of the schools have already sought permission to have their annual athletics competitions at Arnos Vale, at least in 2021 and the foreseeable future.
The absence of any sort of warm-up area at the facility is another matter that has to be quickly addressed.
The norm is to have a warm up facility in which the surface of the area is of the same material as the competition track.
In some competitions, a grades area is allowed to serve as the warm-up facility. However this must be well manicured. As of now, neither a synthetic nor grassed surface that can serve for warm up purposes exists. This negates any hopes that this country may have of hosting a regional and/or international competition of any magnitude in the near future.
Also urgently needed is a building that caters for administrative, technical and doping control officials. Add to this the absence of work spaces for the meet management and photo finish teams as well as for sports journalists.
There is an urgent need for storage at the facility at Diamond. Without this and appropriate security the full potential of the facility cannot be realised.
Finally, there is an urgent need for the government to put in place an appropriate management structure and personnel. This is critical. Personnel have to be trained, not merely named. This has to be done now, not later.
The competitive season is about to begin and it would not be possible to effectively use the facility to develop the sport of athletics if the aforementioned issues are not quickly and professionally addressed.
