Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis has challenged local sports administrators to “be the change you want to see”. Lewis was among the presenters at the First Citizens Sports Foundation’s National Governing Bodies (NGBs) Meet and Greet Seminar, held at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre, on Saturday.
The seminar, titled “Raising the Bar, Moving Towards Effective Sports Administration in the 21st Century”, was an educational opportunity for those in charge of sport here in T&T.
The Sports Foundation, through chairman Dr Keith Clifford and another member, Mark Mungal, also used the opportunity to enlighten the NGBs about its own role.
Preferring to describe the attendees as sports leaders, as opposed to administrators, Lewis told them the “bar” ought not to be raised, but rather, removed and “sent into the stratosphere”.
T&T Hockey Board (TTHB) vice president Roger St Rose, an attorney-at-law, provided participants with valuable insight into the importance of a constitution, stressing that it ought to protect the weakest of members in any organisation.
“The constitution gives a permanence and stability to the organisation and is not designed to protect the majorities, who can protect themselves, but to preserve and protect the rights of the minorities against the arbitrary actions of those in power.”
Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs Policy Analyst, Kevin Jean facilitated group discussions and presentations on the new Sport Policy objectives.
And senior Sports Foundation member, Dr Terry Ali gave a detailed explanation of the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award form.
“This award is intended to acknowledge and recognise a National Sport Administration which is considered to be working towards the delivery through its examples of ‘Best Practice’ in respect to its administrative efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement within the national context.”
There were also presentations from University of the West Indies (UWI) lecturer Sherlan Cabralis and University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Academy of Sport and Leisure programme leader Dr Kerry Dolloway, highlighting the sport-related programmes available at the institutions. Dr Dolloway said UTT is planning to introduce sports law and sports journalism.
Senior Sports Foundation member, Catherine Forde coordinated the one-day seminar, which attracted more than 50 participants, including sports administrators and university students.