BVIOC free sports clinic stepping stone to promote grass roots development in the community

October 18, 2019 by

The BVI Olympic Committee organized and ran a free sports clinic for the community at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds on Saturday, October 12 as part of celebratory activities to mark Chantel Malone’s historic gold medal win in long jump at the Lima 2019.

The clinic took place the day after a ceremony recognizing Chantel’s achievement of becoming the British Virgin Islands’ first Pan American Games medalist. The interactive session was presented by Tahesia Harrigan-Scott and Joey Scott of Tru Fit Athletics, Miami and featured the BVI’s elite track and field athletes, Chantel Malone, Kyron McMaster (400m hurdles), Eldred Henry (shot put) and Ashley Kelly (400m) and Dr. Harlan Vanterpool, NHI Medical Director.

“This clinic was a great launch pad for executing grass roots engagement and bringing to life the practical elements of the long term athlete development programme,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC. “The four BVI professional track and field athletes worked with a captivated audience for the whole morning, interacting with the youngsters in the community, advising and inspiring them to work towards developing their athletic potential.”

The panel of professional athletes are all beneficiaries of the BVIOC Elite Athlete Programme which provides financial support to help them prepare throughout the year for major games. Each of the panelists shared their personal experiences, insights and practical tips on a wide range of topics during the indoor discussion forum and out on the track and field. Attendees heard what it takes to make it in a selected sports and learned more about the dual purpose of college attendance with recommendations to focus primarily on the academics followed by sports as an avenue to excel in a particular discipline.

The most important takeaway for many was the advice to set a personal goal and identify the support base to help achieve the goals. Out on the track and field, attendees loved the ‘form and technique’ sessions provided by the professional athletes – with each participant coming away with something new to apply to their execution.

Dr. Harlan Vanterpool’s engaging explanation about what anti-doping actually means and his conversation on testing and reveal of the testing kit used helped to deliver a better understanding among the young athletes on the reasons, rules and regulations as promoted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

“The BVIOC sees this clinic as just the start of another way of promoting sport for all and pushing the LTAD program in the community,” said Mr. Penn. “The BVIOC has 16 National Federation members, several of whom have athletes and teams who are on the professional circuit and who can help to build our pool of athletes through similar engagement. We have held two named Sports Festivals on Olympic Day with interactive sports stations set up by the National Federations but we now want to evolve these stations into actual clinics within the Sports Festival as a means of educating and enthusing the public of all ages. We also hope that it becomes an opportunity for the coaches to spot potential talent from within the community and open up a pathway for the development of such talent.”

The Olympic Day Sports Festival is slated to take place on Saturday, June 27, 2020.

View the BVIOC free sports clinic photo album on Facebook

Filed Under: Ashley Kelly, Athletics, BVI Olympic Committee, Caribbean RADO, chantel malone, Eldred Henry, Kyron McMaster, Lima 2019, LTAD, Olympic Day, PanAM Games, Regional Anti-Doping Organization, Tahesia Harrigan-Scott Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

VI Health Ministry signs agreement to develop physical literacy in pre-schools

September 10, 2019 by

Minister for Health and Social Development, Honourable Calvin Malone has signed an agreement with Sport for Life Society for the development of a physical literacy approach in pre-schools across the Territory.

The programme will be coordinated by the Ministry of Health and the BVI Olympic Committee and will enable the Sport For Life programme to build capacity in key personnel including early child care providers and teachers as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of the project in increasing physical activity in children and youth.

Coordinator of Health Promotion Services in the Ministry of Health and Social Development, Ms. Ivy George said the programme will also increase awareness of physical literacy in the Territory while improving physical activity.

The intervention will be held in four phases in identified schools in the Territory. Education, training and assessments will be carried out by the organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Agriculture and Fisheries.

The programme began in August and will conclude in July 2020. Sport for Life is a non-profit organisation out of Canada whose purpose is to create cross-sectional partnerships between sport, education, recreation and health while aligning community, physical activity programming and more.

Persons seeking more information on the organisation and the intervention programme can telephone the Ministry of Health and Social Development at 468-2274.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development aspires to provide a caring and integrated system of health and social services that facilitates the recovery of human development and quality of life in the British Virgin Islands.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee, LTAD, Physical Literacy Tagged With: , , ,

BVI among first in Caribbean to complete Physical Literacy and LTAD Series

May 26, 2017 by

BVI school principals with members of the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Committee. Photo: BVIOC

Workshop #5, the final in the series on Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Physical Literacy (PL), was held at the Training Division Conference Room May 18 – 19, 2017.

This marked the culmination of the BVIOC/ CANOC initiative which was launched in the Virgin Islands as one of the test beds for the introduction of similar programmes across the Caribbean. The other countries were the Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Haiti, and Suriname.

The objective was to develop Long Term Athlete Development sport models and introduce the concept of Physical Literacy: “Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.”- The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014.

Day 1
The facilitators Mr. Drew Mitchel and Mr. Thomas Jones of Canada Sport for Life met with the Chief Education Officer, Mrs. Connie George, Education Officers, principals from public and private schools, Dr. Monica Sagala, Deputy Director of Medical Services of the BVI Health Services Authority and other health representatives. The attendees were enthusiastic and pledged to get their schools more involved in physical activities.

“The workshop was wonderful and was a great opportunity to meet with other principals and educational personnel. The concerns were similar. I will continue to encourage a healthy lifestyle and the integration of physical activities in the daily lives of my students. I will use our school assembly to reinforce the concept of Physical Literacy,” said Dr. Antoinette Rock, Principal of St Georges Secondary.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the session on Physical Literacy. I believe it is a needed component in our curriculum in the VI. I plan to implement school-wide programs and encourage movement and healthy lifestyle practices,” said Mr. Orlandette Crabbe, Principal of Joyce Samuel Primary School. “My PE teacher has been charged with developing a plan for the new school year with regards to Physical Literacy.”

Day 2
Physical Education teachers of public and private schools, health liaison teachers, gym instructors and early childhood educators attended the workshop. Topics covered included integrating Physical Literacy into warm up routines, increasing performances of all participants and Physical Literacy Play Tool assessment for sport practices, Physical Education and group exercises.

“The Physical Literacy Workshop I must say was a grateful opportunity for me to be a part of. It has enhanced my knowledge and future thoughts on the importance of a physically balanced lifestyle and has already put me into action to find various strategies and goals from both workshops to execute in my curriculum at Akua Roots 24 Family Care effectively with results that will last a lifetime and promote optimum health and quality of life,” said Shevonne Findlay, Akua Roots 24 Hours Family Care.

As an outcome of these workshops, Physical Literacy is now an integral part of the curriculum in the government Primary Schools and is expected to become a buzz word in the High School.

The teachers of the Early Childhood Centers have expressed eagerness to include the concept in their daily routines. The BVI Health Service Authority is in the process of rolling out the “Green Prescription” through which doctors will prescribe a battery of physical activities, initially in addition to medication in an attempt to lessen the occurrences of non-communicable diseases.

National Federations present LTAD sport models
The LTAD sport models for Athletics, Archery, Basketball, Rugby and Sailing were handed over by the project leads to the President of the BVI Olympic Committee, Mr. Ephraim Penn at a ceremony held at the Old Government House Museum.

Minister for Education, Culture and Sports, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn, presidents of the national sport federations, and the executive of the BVIOC and guests were in attendance.

The project leads for the sports were awarded CS4L International Certificates and others were awarded certificates of recognition.

“We are excited about future projects in the BVI and want to thank you all for your boundless energy and interest in working with us to help improve the health and physical activity possibilities for people in this country. It is truly a special place,” said Tomas Jones of Canada Sport for Life.

Mr. Ephraim Penn and the National Coordinator of the LTAD and Physical Literacy, Mrs. Angeleta Bernard are pleased with the results of the 18 months of dedicated work by the project leads and the cooperation of the national federations.

Mrs. Bernard is grateful to the BVIOC for the opportunity to have served as coordinator.

Filed Under: Archery, Athletics, Basketball, BVI Olympic Committee, Rugby, Sailing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Rugby forges ahead with youth development programme

October 28, 2016 by

Source: BVI Platinum

Children take part in tag rugby under the guidance of Rugby Development Officer, Sherlock Solomon. Photo: BVIRFU

Children take part in tag rugby under the guidance of Rugby Development Officer, Sherlock Solomon. Photo: BVIRFU

In efforts of making the sport of rugby a permanent fixture on the competitive charts in the British Virgin Islands, the BVI Rugby Football Union (BVIRFU) has now turned their attention to training and encouraging young persons to play the sport.

Over the last two weeks, representatives from the union have been visiting schools around the Territory, teaching young persons how to play the game, its rules and the overall health and physical benefits to be gained.

These visits and training with the students will lead into a Rugby Festival, to be hosted by the union late next month, November.

According to Rugby Development Officer for the BVIRFU, Sherlock Solomon, the Festival will put the training received by both primary and secondary school students to the test, as teams are expected to go head to head in tournaments.

Filed Under: LTAD, Rugby Tagged With: , , , ,

Third Physical Literacy workshop to help develop youth in sports

September 27, 2016 by

Group work at the launch of the Long Term Athlete Development and Physical Literacy workshop in February 2016. Photo: BVIOC

Group work at the launch of the Long Term Athlete Development and Physical Literacy workshop in February 2016. Photo: BVIOC

The third Physical Literacy workshop is underway, running from September 27 – 28 at the Fort Burt Hotel Conference room.

The workshop, organized by the BVI Olympic Committee and conducted by Drew Mitchell, Director of Physical Literacy for the Sport for Life Society in Canada, is directed at sports coaches and representatives of the territory’s national sport federations as well as day-care and pre-school teachers and managers, health care providers and elderly care givers.

“Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.” – The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014

Research shows that without the development of Physical Literacy, many children and youth withdraw from physical activity and sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time.

Miss Beverlie Brathwaite, an Education Officer attached to the Ministry of Education sees Physical Literacy as a positive vehicle to champion the cause for a healthier nation and success in the classroom.

“Just as there are basic skills in literacy and numeracy which, when mastered, help students to become competent and motivated, we now know that there are basic skills in movement which have the same effect on students’ confidence, competence and motivation. Also, since there is growing research evidence of the positive link between physical activity and academic success, we see this exposure to Physical Literacy as a gateway to both healthy lives and academic success for our students.”

This workshop aims to also give assistance to the selected sports of Football, Rugby, Tennis, Sailing, Basketball, Athletics, Archery and Swimming as they continue the task to complete a Long Term Athlete Development pathway for their sport.

The first session took place in February and covered the key factors pertinent to athlete development and the 5 basic ‘S’s of training and performance – Stamina (Endurance), Strength, Speed, Skill, and Suppleness (Flexibility).

The second session, which took place in May, focused on discussing the project outlines in the areas of Sport, Health and Education that followed on from the first workshop.

The Physical Literacy Workshops are supported by the Sport for Life Society of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Health.

Filed Under: Athletics, Basketball, BVI Olympic Committee, Football, Rugby, Sailing, Swimming, Tennis Tagged With: , , , ,

Coaches attend 2nd Long Term Athlete Development workshop

June 8, 2016 by

LTAD bannerThe second BVI Olympic Committee Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Workshop was held at the Olympic Committee office May 27 – 28, 2016.

Representatives from the Football, Rugby, Tennis, Sailing, Basketball, Athletics and Archery federations attended the 2-day sessions which were facilitated by Mr. Istvan Balyi from Canada Sport for Life Society (CS4L), one of the initiative’s three co-sponsors.

The first session covered the key factors pertinent to athlete development and the 5 basic ‘S’s of training and performance – Stamina (Endurance), Strength, Speed, Skill, and Suppleness (Flexibility).

Coaches were also taken through the process and measurements required to manage athletic development. They were instructed on how to optimise training and output based on the distinct capacities of male and female athletes according to their individual physical, mental and cognitive, and emotional development. By applying the appropriate ‘periodisation’ model, coaches can identify periods of optimal trainability throughout the life of an athlete to help them reach their full genetic potential.

The second session focused on discussing the project outlines in the areas of Sport, Health and Education that were submitted for further development following on from the first workshop.

All the sporting organizations that were in attendance will now begin to work on the LTAD for their sport beginning with an assessment of “where we are now” to be followed by “where we want to be”.

The premise of the LTAD program is that it will pave the way for a healthier and more productive life and prepare the territory’s athletes for podium finishes at regional and international competitions.

“I was impressed with the workshop. I now see how Physical Literacy, the number 1 key factor of LTAD, is very important to the health of the nation, the development of sport and the concept of ‘Active for Life’,” commented Mr. Rhennie Phipps, a national Junior Basketball coach.

Other co-sponsors of the workshop include the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) with full endorsement from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The next workshop is set for September of this year and will cover Physical Literacy as a key factor for sport development.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee Tagged With: , , , ,

BVI benefits from Long Term Athlete Development and Physical Literacy workshop

March 4, 2016 by

Front row (l-r): Hon Myron V. Walwyn, Richard Way, BVIOC President, Ephraim Penn, LTAD Coordinator, Angeleta Bernard and 68 participants including physical education teachers, doctors from the BVI Health Services Authority, nurses, chairpersons and members of national sporting federations and personnel from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare attended a two-day workshop on Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Physical Literacy from February 29 – March 1, 2016.

Front row (l-r): Hon Myron V. Walwyn, Richard Way, BVIOC President, Ephraim Penn, LTAD Coordinator, Angeleta Bernard and 68 participants attended a two-day workshop on Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Physical Literacy from February 29 – March 1, 2016. Photo credit: BVIOC

The British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC), in collaboration with Canada Sport for Life (CS4L), the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) and, with full endorsement from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare conducted a successful two day workshop on Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) and Physical Literacy at the Fort Burt Hotel conference room on February 29 and March 1, 2016. Mr. Richard Way, CEO of Sport for Life Society, Canada was the facilitator.

At the Opening Ceremony Mr. Ephraim Penn, president, BVIOC, Hon. Myron V. Walwyn, Minister for Education & Culture and Ms. Ivy George, National Coordinator, Health Promotion Services, Ministry of Health and Social Development addressed the gathering.

The 68 participants comprised physical education teachers, doctors from the BVI Health Services Authority, nurses, chairpersons and members of national sporting federations and personnel from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

Physical Literacy which means ‘having the fundamental movement and sport skills and motivation that enable individuals to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, while moving confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activities’, was of major interest to the participants.

The premise of the program is that it will pave the way for residents of the BVI to live a healthier and productive life that will help to manage the cost of health care.

Five sporting federations successfully submitted applications to benefit from the LTAD programme. Athletics, Rugby, Football, Tennis and Sailing will shortly embark on the planning of the multi-stage training, competition and recovery pathway for their sport.

Mr. Andy Bickerton of the BVI Football Association said, “The workshop was educational and very relevant. If we practice what we learnt and employ them in our sport, our athletes should be healthier and the occurrence of non- communicable diseases would lessen. It has pointed us in the right direction and we of the BVI Football Association will ensure that we work with participants instead of concentrating only on the elite players, in an effort to sustain our sport.”

Nurse Cherry-Ann George Smith of the BVI Health Services Authority said, “It is timely and applicable to what is being done with community healthcare. It is a means of primary prevention in non- communicable diseases and chronic ailments. I see where it may be used for all our clients. This has opened an avenue for networking with different sports. It was an eye opener and I am pleased to have been a part of the experience.”

“The workshop was informative and well structured,” said Mr. Elsworth Phillips, president of the BVI Swim Federation. “Mr. Richard Way made the concepts easy to understand. I now see where the BVI Swim Federation can partner with the sailing association with strength and conditioning, their swimming skills and water safety.”

Mrs. Angeleta Bernard, local coordinator of the LTAD, BVI was pleased with the enthusiasm of the participants and will be meeting with the committee, chaired by Mr. Penn to initiate the launch of LTAD, BVI and Physical Literacy in the national federations, schools and communities.

Filed Under: Athletics, BVI Olympic Committee, Football, Rugby, Sailing, Tennis Tagged With: , ,

BVIOC to host Long Term Athlete Development workshop

February 17, 2016 by

3695405-600-600-0-a-0-539e49f32d76725ec62a2bfcdd8acc8a-wmThe British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC), in conjunction with Canada Sport for Life (CS4L), the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) and with full endorsement from the Ministry of Education & Culture and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will host the first Workshop on Physical Literacy and Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD).

LTAD IS A MULTI-stage training, competition and recovery pathway guiding an individual’s experience in sport and physical activity from infancy through all phases of adulthood. It is based on the physical, mental, emotional and cognitive development of children.  It is inclusive, addressing the needs of individuals with physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities and seeks to promote a healthy, physically literate nation whose citizens participate in lifelong physical activity taking them from healthy active lives to elite sport performance from the cradle through all the phases of adulthood and from the playground to the podium.

The workshop seeks to empower community leaders, athletes, teachers, coaches, parents, and others to train, educate, promote, and integrate concepts of physical literacy into our society.

This concept of Physical Literacy is just as important as the ability to read and write. It emphasizes the importance of mastering fundamental movement skills at a young age.

The Virgin Islands is one of six Caribbean nations selected by CANOC to benefit from the LTAD programme for two years from 2016-2018 in the first instance.

Research shows that without the development of Physical Literacy, many children and youth withdraw from physical activity and sport and turn to more inactive and/or unhealthy choices during their leisure time. The rates of childhood obesity and inactivity are clearly on the rise and if we hope to combat this epidemic, we must take action NOW. Therefore the LTAD workshop could not have come at a better time.

The aims of the Workshop are to revolutionize our thinking towards coaching and promote an active lifestyle which will improve the health, well-being and sustainability of life in the Virgin Islands.

The Workshop conducted by Mr Richard Way MBA, Ch.P.C, CEO Sport for Life Society, Canada, will be held from 29th February to 1st March, 2016 at the Fort Burt Conference Room from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee Tagged With: , , ,