The role of the chef de mission

The chef de mission is “… the title of the team manager of a national delegation in major international multi-discipline sporting events, such as the Olympic Games.” Don Anderson led Jamaica’s Olympic teams from 1996 to 2012. Here is what he has to say about the role of the chef de mission: “Ensuring that the right environment is created to provide the athlete with the best conditions in which to give of their best during the Games.” In his view, “No chef de mission serious about the team’s ultimate success will choose to leave the village for long, even to attend official meetings outside ...

The buck stops with the chef de mission.” The chef de mission must ensure that no slips take place; be available to every athlete who has a concern; manage every challenge the athletes have, irrespective of how trivial it might seem; be on top of every development as the Games progress and ensuring timely communication to the officials and athletes.

Our chef de mission to the Rio Olympics clearly defined for himself a much more limited role. The understated case justified being a prominent ESPN analyst, whose views, incidentally, were audience-appreciated.

However, many found it more than troubling that our chef de mission could be so clinically analytical about the mishaps attending our relay teams (for which he had overall management responsibility).

He seemed totally oblivious of his role in helping lower-level team management negotiate the treacherous waters, having to do with ensuing protests. In fact, there was no emotional intelligence on display: no doubt, the consummate mental health professional.

But this is sports officialdom TT style. Maybe he should have been acquainted with the views of Anderson, as revealed in the Jamaica Observer, August 7, in a piece titled “Olympics and Jamaica – The Chef de Mission’s Role”.

It may well be that the involvement of the chef de mission would have made no difference to the outcomes in our relays. But he may have earned the eternal gratitude of his athletes, as noted in the following post-game email to a chef de mission: “Thank you, Mr Anderson for all your words of encouragement.

People don’t often realise how important simple words such as yours mean. Thank you, Sir.” To proclaim as alleged in the press, “I’m not responsible for appeals”, does not cut it. You were not around to advise and guide, period. And yes, if we had a couple more medals, we may not have had this discussions: “… this is the way life is …” Maybe having a chef de mission is akin to ensuring one’s house is ensured. One never knows when the hazard might strike.

Winston R Rudder Petit Valley