CANOC

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

May 26, 2017 by Sofia Fay

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: BVI Olympic Commitee, Canada Sport For Life, CANOC, CS4L, Long-Term Athlete Development, LTAD, Physical Literacy

BVIOC / CANOC complete 4th workshop in LTAD series – Periodization & Planning

February 14, 2017 by Admin

BVIOC LTAD Periodization Feb 2017 0463 The BVI Olympic Committee (BVIOC) in partnership with the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC), Canada Sport for Life Society (CS4L), Canada Olympic Committee (COC) and Olympic Solidarity hosted the 4th Workshop on Long Term Athlete Development with emphasis on Periodization and Planning.

The two-day workshop which took place on February 9 and 10, 2017 at the Government Training Division Conference Room, focused on time management as a planning technique. It provides the framework for arranging the complex array of training processes (skill development, strength training, regeneration) into a logical schedule to bring about optimal improvements in performance.

The facilitator was Mr. Istvan Balyi of Sport for Life, Canada, a Planning and Periodization expert who worked with 17 different National Teams as a high performance advisor. He has led program development in the United States, South Africa, England, Ireland, Sweden and Bahrain.

On day one representatives of the six selected sports, Basketball, Archery, Track & Field, Rugby, Sailing and Football met with Mr. Balyi to analyze the work done so far on the Long Term Development of their sport.

Periodization & Planning workshop facilitator, Istvan Balyi addresses BVI sports representatives. Photo: BVIOC

The workshop was well received by the participants who represented the Basketball (3), Football (4), Rugby (2), Sailing (1), Archery (1), Track & Field (4), Volleyball (4), and Softball (2) Federations. Physical Education teachers (2) were also present. Also present was Mrs. Heida Joyles Selwood, the supervisor of Physical Education at the Ministry level

Raymond ‘Chi Chi’ Fonseca of Volleyball said “the presentation was awesome and enlightening. I have learned a lot about the importance of nutrition, mental and physical preparations of the athlete. I am now more aware of the concepts of burn out, over training, peaking and tapering”. He wishes that the workshop could be run again in the near future.

Supporting the comments of Raymond was Dwayne Rubaine also of Volleyball, “As coaches we need to be more prepared and this knowledge that we have received will foster better preparation of coaches and athletes that should lead to greater success.”

Jason Edwin of Basketball said “The information received leads us to realize that now is the time to get rid of a lot of misconceptions. Structure must be put in place and a national sport calendar is crucial to the development of the sport of basketball.”

Dag Samuels of Track & Field said that the information is very valuable for all coaches but it must be implemented and passed through a process of trial and error for success to be realized.

LTAD workshop coordinator, Angeleta Bernard introduces Ephraim Penn, president BVIOC (l) and Planning & Periodization expert and workshop facilitator, Istvan Balyi of Sport for Life, Canada. Photo: BVIOC

“The BVIOC continues in its quest to improve the sport practices of our coaches and individuals who are affiliated to Sport Federations in an effort to increase the nation’s podium finishes regionally and internationally,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC.

The workshop was number 4 in a series of 5. At the end of the series the sports of Basketball, Archery, Rugby, Sailing, Football and Track & Field should have a document outlining the Long Term Development of their sport.

The coordinator Mrs. Angeleta Bernard was very disappointed with the turn out. “Some coaches designated by their Federation did not show up and having noted the enthusiasm of those present and the questions asked, the absent ones would have benefitted. However, I am confident that with implementation of the periodization plan, the sports that were present will add to the successes they have

Filed Under: Archery, Athletics, Basketball, BVI Olympic Committee, CANOC, Football, LTAD, Rugby, Sailing Tagged With: BVI Olympic Commitee, CANOC, LTAD, Periodization, Sport for Life Society of Canada

BVIOC set to host CANOC Long Term Athlete Development Workshop on Periodisation

February 7, 2017 by Admin

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

The BVI Olympic Committee will be hosting the CANOC Long-Term Athlete Development Workshop in Tortola, British Virgin Islands from Thursday, February 9 – 11, 2017.

The fourth workshop in the Caribbean LTAD series will be facilitated by Mr. Istvan Balyi of Canada Sport for Life Society.

The focus is on periodization which is time management as a planning technique. It provides the framework for arranging the complex array of training processes (skill development, strength training, regeneration) into a logical schedule to bring about optimal improvements in performance.

The workshop is offered to all sporting organisations and those involved in coaching sports.

The first session took place in February 2016 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 2016, focused on discussing the project outlines in the areas of Sport, Health and Education that followed on from the first workshop.

The third session took place in September 2016. The interactive session on Physical Literacy address looked at the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.

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.

For more information contact workshop coordinator, Mrs Angeleta Bernard.

Filed Under: Archery, Athletics, Basketball, BVI Olympic Committee, CANOC, Football, LTAD, Rugby, Sailing Tagged With: BVI Olympic Commitee, Canadian Olympic Committee, CANOC, LTAD, Sport for Life Society of Canada

BVIOC co-hosts CCCP Training of Trainers Workshop

October 31, 2016 by Admin

Participants from 14 countries at the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committee (CANOC) Caribbean Coaching Certification Program (CCCP) Training of Trainers Workshop in the British Virgin Islands. Photo: BVIOC

The British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC) in collaboration with the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) Academy hosted a Caribbean Coaching Certification Program (CCCP) – Training of Trainers’ Workshop – in Tortola, BVI, from October 13 – 15, 2016.

The two-day course, conducted by Mr. Dave Farmer, Regional Coordinator and Director of the Barbados Olympic Academy had a regional reach targeting coaches from all disciplines and all affiliates to the NOC and potential sport leaders with the purpose of broadening and strengthening the national adoption of the sport for all concept and building the capacity of a nation.

A total of 17 participants from 15 Caribbean countries attended the workshop. The individuals were affirmed by their NOCs as being sport instructors who are primarily engaged in coaching and training of a broad audience and who are committed to furthering LTAD programmes within their communities.

“The goal of the workshop is for participants to take what they learn here and share it at a grass roots level with those in the community who would otherwise not get exposure to more formal training and to pass on the basics of, and best practices in coaching and sporting principles,” said Farmer.

“We were excited when the BVIOC was accepted to be the co-host of this workshop,” said Ephraim Penn, President of the BVIOC. “Our focus over the last couple of years has been on building the capacity of sports in the territory. The CCCP initiative advances the movement of the popular LTAD series of seminars that the BVIOC is running to guide and train not only Physical Education teachers and sports federations but also those working as volunteers, institutional care givers and managers in the Virgin Islands.”

“The CCCP Training of Trainers’ Workshop is run with the expectation that each participant will commit to working with their National Olympic Committees and sports organizations in the development and broadening of an understanding of the fundamental of coaching within their respective countries,” explained Mr. Keith Joseph, Secretary of CANOC.

The target audience to benefit from such training by the workshop participants includes all those involved with athletes in the capacity of parent, volunteer, untrained PE Teachers who either are directly involved with coaching a sport or working in an administrative capacity. Persons who then demonstrate further interest can then go on to obtain the various levels of certification that would be required by the different sports.

The participants from Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Guadeloupe, Haiti, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Suriname received their Training of Trainers certificates at the end of the workshop.

They are expected to work with their respective NOCs to coordinate the first Coaching Theory Course (CTC) and the Caribbean Community Sport Leaders Course (CCSLC) within 3 to 6 month of completing the programme.

The workshop was held under the agreement between CANOC and the Peruvian Olympic Committee and the Lima 2019 Organizing Committee.

In her opening remarks, Acting Director of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports (DYAS), Mrs. Brenda Lettsome-Tye recognised the importance of the workshop as it ties in with the Government’s objective of a National Sports Policy of making training a priority and its commitment to forging its partnership with the BVIOC and to developing a culture of excellence of sport in the Virgin Islands.

About the Caribbean Coaching Certification Program
The CCCP program has been in existence since 1998, and within this time over 1,000 persons in the Caribbean have completed the Coaching Theory Course (CTC) and the Caribbean Community Sport Leaders Course (CCSLC).

The CTC course is designed to equip the Coach and Sport Leader with a strong theoretical base to accompany his or her practical skills. The CCCP courses have been widely accepted across all the territories of the Caribbean and serve to improve the overall abilities of the Caribbean coaching base.

A new module for coaches of persons with disabilities has been introduced for an inclusive approach to sport and coaches should be exposed to and trained in the techniques associated with coaching all athletes.

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

14 Caribbean countries send coaches for CANOC CCCP training in British Virgin Islands

October 13, 2016 by Admin

The BVI Olympic Committee is proud to host seventeen participants from 14 countries at Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committee (CANOC) Caribbean Coaching Certification Program (CCCP) Training of Trainers Workshop in Tortola starting from 9.15am this morning.

The C.C.C.P Training of Trainer’s Workshop which will run through Saturday, October 15, has attracted participants from countries of Anguilla, Antigua, Aruba, Barbados, Bahamas, Caymans, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Guadeloupe, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname.

The Caribbean Coaching Certification Program, C.C.C.P. has been in existence since 1998, and to date has trained and certified more than 800 coaches across the region.

The Coach Theory Course is designed to equip the Coach and Sport Leader with a strong theoretical base to accompany his or her practical skills. The Course is 20 hours duration, designed to be completed over an extended weekend. The Manual is divided into 10 Modules, under the following topics:

• The Role of the Coach
• The Coach as a Leader
• Developing Skills
• Fitness
• Nutrition
• Safety, Injury and Recovery
• Planning Training Sessions and Programmes
• Event Planning and Management
• Sport Not Drugs
• Sport for Persons with Disabilities

The CCCP Coach Theory Courses have been widely accepted across the region and have served to improve the overall Caribbean Coaching base in many territories.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee Tagged With: BVI Olympic Committee, BVIOC, CANOC, CANOC CCCP, Caribbean Coaching Certification Program

Coaches attend 2nd Long Term Athlete Development workshop

June 8, 2016 by Admin

The 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: Canadian Olympic Committee, CANOC, CS4L, Long-Term Athlete Development, LTAD