Coaches cry foul over choice of team officials

THE EDITOR: The selection of officials to accompany national teams continues to be a sore point in the National Amateur Athletic Association. The executive of this association has repeatedly ignored the directives of the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF), formerly the International Amateur Athletic Federation, to select only qualified coaches to accompany national teams to regional and international games.

The executive of this organisation has also adopted a policy of selecting only executive members to act as national team managers, a provision not catered for in the constitution of the NAAA. The IAAF has continuously stated its position on national team selection even stipulating the qualification that coaches should possess in order to attend regional and international games. The IAAF technical quarterly titled: IAAF New Studies in Athletics, has regularly highlighted their position of the IAAF for the selection of Level 1 coaches to regional and age group championships such as CARIFTA Games and CAC Juvenile Championships and Level 2 coaches to Senior and International Championships such as Pan Am, Commonwealth, World Championships and Olympic Games. Far too often selection of coaches has become a matter of executive lobbying, as this executive looks no further than “across the table” when selection, particularly for major international games, is conducted. There are only two level 2 coaches on the current executive, namely, Dr Ian Hypolite (4th Vice President) and Nadine Hamid (PRO). Let’s make a comparison.

For the CARIFTA Games held in Trinidad over the Easter weekend the technical staff comprised a manager, two head coaches, four specialist coaches, a chaperone and a physiotherapist. Out of nine team officials, three are executive members. However, for the upcoming Pan Am Games to be held in the Dominican Republic all four members of the technical staff are executive members. Namely: Carlene Haynes — Manager (Treasurer); George Commissiong — Asst Manager (1st V President); Nadine Hamid — Head Coach (PRO); Gunness Persad — Asst Coach (Trustee). It should also be noted that Mr Persad is not a qualified IAAF coach. Further, Alan Baboolal, 3rd Vice President, attended the World Indoor Games as Manager/Coach, while for the CAC Senior Track and Field Championship the Manger is Lucretia Warner-Burns (executive member) and Dr Ian Hypolite (4th V President) is the coach.Trinidad and Tobago can boast of having the highest number of qualified IAAF coaches in this region, both Levels 1 and 2. We can also boast of having placed first on more Level 2 courses than any other country in our region. Recently, three coaches returned from Jamaica having qualified as IAAF Level 1 lecturers. If my memory serves me correct, prior to these three coaches the only other IAAF lecturer in Trinidad and Tobago is Lester Osuna. The continued inequity in the selection of team officials can only serve to negatively affect the morale of all the practising Level 1 and 2 coaches in this country.

COACHES FOR LIFE
Port-of-Spain