Teachers’ cricket manual launched

SCOTIA BANK of Trinidad and Tobago continues to support cricket in the West Indies, win, lose or draw. This according to Managing-Director Richard Young, “Let us like David Rudder, Rally Round the West Indies,” he said.

He was speaking at the launch of the 2003 Kiddy Cricket Season and the distribution of the “Clarence Goes to School Teachers’ Manual,” at the Sir Frank Worrell  Cricket Development Centre, Balmain, Couva yesterday. “We take pride in fostering initiatives that play an important role in the future development of our region.” Apart from being the official bank for the WICB,  Scotia Bank has been identifying with the promotion of youth cricket and mainly so throughout the Caribbean.

They have 7,500 players involved with over 600 schools and 1,200 teachers as coaches/sportsmasters, Young said. Scotia Bank has also distributed equipment and coaching manuals to schools throughout the Caribbean and “so far the response  has been overwhelming,” Young said. “And what is most heartening is the fact that we are getting requests from schools, local cricket clubs  and parents wanting to know how to get their children involved and this in itself is testimony of the impact and popularity of the programme,” Young said. Co-ordinating the  Teachers’ Cricket Manual distributed to schools was Dr Michael Seepersaud, Chief Cricket Development Officer of the WICB. He was thankful to all those who contributed to the production of the textbook, especially the English and Wales Cricket Boards of Control. Young said that Scotia Bank were proud of the manual “because it not only exemplifies our commitment to education but because it preserves a  heritage that has been so essential to the building of culture in the West Indies. “By passing this tradition on to our younger generation, we hope to encourage young children to develop a love for sport,” he added.

Young felt that classroom traning should provide a fresh, new perspective to learning about cricket and to assist children in becoming more disciplined and confident, traits they will be able to draw upon in later life. “Cricket is a game that stretches far beyond the realm of sport as it embracese young and old and unites West Indians with strong bonds. “West Indians have cricket in their soul and as Scotiabankers not only is cricket dear to us , but also we are truly West Indian — as a people and as a bank.” Other speakers included Baldath Mahabir, head of the Coaching Committee of the TTCBC; Roustan Job, third vice president of the TTUTA; Vincent Graham, president of the Primary Schools Cricket League, Bachan Boochoo, Physical Education Officer, and Sharon Mangroo, Director of Curriculum Development.