This Week in NACAC: NACAC athletes will excel in Tokyo

NACAC athletes will excel in Tokyo

With only a few days before the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, NACAC athletes have shown that they are rounding into form at the right time.

Athletes does not get started until one week into the Games but the world knows that this is when, for many around the globe, that is when the level of interest and enthusiasm peaks.

At the final preparation meet in the United States over the weekend, some of Jamaica’s Tokyo- bound athletes gave good performances in their respective events, among them, notably, was Yohann Blake, still in pursuit of the global status he once held, if only all too brief.

The US travels to Tokyo with a strong track and field team led by Trayvon Brumell, their best bet in the 100m and a legacy of outstanding relay performances.

Canada’s hopes in the sprints rely heavily on Andre de Grasse.

Trinidad and Tobago is hopeful that Michelle-Lee Ahye, newcomer, Tyra Gittens, Javelin Olympic gold medallist, Keshorn Walcott, Deon Lendore and Jereem Richards will all come good at the right time and bring glory to the twin-island Republic.

The Caribbean continues to see Jamaica as being the beacon in international track and field athletics for the sub region.

Costa Rica’s hopes rest on Andrea Vargas, gold medallist at the Pan American Games of 2019. NACAC President, Mike Sands, feels that the Tokyo Olympics will once more reveal the Area’s prowess in the world’s leading sport for individuals and further cement NACAC’s place in global sporting history.

NACAC commits to CADICA

Discussions with the CADICA leadership during the NACAC U18/U20/U23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, July 2021, yielded some concerns amongst the membership about the two CADICA events scheduled to be hosted by the Nicaragua member federation. for 15 – 18 July. In the best interest of a unified CADICA and NACAC, President Mike Sands agreed that the organization will send the experienced official, Mr Candido Velez, of Puerto Rico, to conduct an investigative study of the situation in Nicaragua, in order to appropriately assess the situation there.

Mr Velez has submitted his report.

During his visit, Mr Velez examined the range of concerns of CADICA members. His report explains the results of his analysis.

NACAC’s decision in respect of the final report will be featured in our next edition of This Week In NACAC.

New NACAC Director to engage our coaches

Newly appointed NACAC Director of Coaches and Camps, Chester Morgan, has already begun work with a comprehensive, painstaking review of the coaches’ database. The NACAC Secretariat had previously requested updates of their own coaches’ databases such that Development Department would be in a position to commence discussions on the respective caching needs of the Area.

Work has also been continuing with the planning of the NACAC Coaches’ Pathway to ensure that this programme is in sync with the broader development strategies of World Athletics and NACAC, yielding a more aggressive approach to developing our sport from grassroots through to elite levels.

As Director of Coaches and Camps, Morgan will be an integral part of the NACAC Development Commission and be engaged in monthly meetings with the World Athletics Development Department.

Morgan has also begun participating in the weekly meetings that includes the NACAC President, General Secretary and Director of Competitions, Michael Serralta.

30th NACACTFCA Congress

NACAC Director of Coaches and Camps has been in discussions with NACACTFCA, the regional coaches organization.

During the past week there has been communications exchanges between Chester Morgan and Richie Mercado as the planning for the 30th annual NACACTFCA Congress draws ever closer The Congress this year will take place at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Carolina, Puerto Rico, under the theme, “Getting Athletics Back on Track”, 11 – 14 November 2021.

Registration Link  HERE:

Keynote Speaker: Victor López (PUR)

Book Signing with Pauline Davis (BAH) – Running Sideways: The Olympic Champion Who Made Track & Field History

Carlos Guzman (PUR):  Distance Training and Racing Mike Judge (USA):  Developing Junior to Elite Throwers Luis López (PUR):  Sprint Mechanics and Development John Coghlan (IRL): High Level Sprint Hurdling

Dr. Jackie Rosado (PUR):  Coach, Athlete, and Fear of Success

Les Gramantik (CAN):  Developing Coaching Skills

Contact: Victor Lopez victorlopezpgp@gmail.com or Richie Mercado rmercado@sjs.org

Change in Aruba Executive

Aruban Athletics may well have experienced something of a setback with the sudden resignation of the organisation’s recently elected Secretary, Nizana Solognier. This comes against the backdrop of the tense situation that led to NACAC’s intervention for the organization of elections of a new executive on 15 June 2021.

President of the member AAB, Virginia Dirksz, advised the NACAC Secretariat of the surprise resignation. In accordance with the AAB’s constitution, a General Meeting will be convened to elect a General Secretary.

NACAC and the AAB are in discussions in respect of the crafting of a new constitution for the member federation in keeping with modern trends in the sport of athletics.

Meanwhile, the NACAC Governance Commission is in the process of drafting a constitution template to assist those member federations whose documents are not in keeping with changes taking place in World Athletics and the global athletics developments while allowing for appropriately responding to local needs.

NACAC supports Jamaican Schools engagement of the Caribbean

President of NACAC, Mike Sands, has once more expressed his gratitude to the increasing number of Jamaican schools that are aggressively seeking out talented athletes around the Area for both their academic and athletics careers.

Over the years, athletes from Anguilla, Turks and Caicos and St Vincent and the Grenadines have been in receipt of scholarships from schools in Jamaica. Several of the student athletes have gone on to win medals at regional and international track and field competitions,  the most notable being Anguilla’s Zarnel Hughes, who now represents Great Britain at international competitions.

Interestingly, under new rules, athletes from the British territories in the Caribbean who compete for Great Britain at the international level, will be allowed to compete for the countries of their birth at the Commonwealth Games, in the same way that, for decades, athletes from Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales have been representing those countries at the aforementioned quadrennial multisport event.

WA Gender Leadership

World Athletics continues to bring gender leadership to the fore through its education programmes.

A new series of online Webinars are planned by World Athletics beginning with the first scheduled for Wednesday 21 July 2021, 1400 – 1530 CET.

The Webinar will be on the theme: Inside the Discrimination Mind: Why It happens and How to Address It?

NACAC has been encouraging its member federations to participate in these developmental webinars in order to facilitate our progress towards gender equity in our Area.

The invitation was sent to all member federations with the registration portal identified.

EAA Coaches Webinar Series

NACAC has readily taken up the offer by European Athletics, inviting coaches from our Area to yet another in its Coaches Webinar Series, “Running and Mass Participation”.

NACAC has circulated the invitation to all its member federations for their coaches with interest, to attend.

This second Webinar, scheduled for 21 July 2021 from 13:00 to 14:15 CEST, Lausanne time, is dedicated to the Summer Olympic Games TOKYO 2020 and more precisely, the Olympic Marathon in Sapporo. The theme: All roads lead to Sapporo this summer – What to expect and how to prepare?

Speakers: Seiji TERAMACHI and David KATZ Moderated by: Geoff Wightman

Wednesday 21 July

10.00am ECT – Weekly Meeting – Mike Sands, Michael Serralta, Chester Morgan and Keith Joseph