BASSETERRE, ST. Kitts - THE twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has become synonymous with the production top quality athletes in track and field, with some of them even becoming international sensations in the sport.
These athletes hail from both St. Kitts and Nevis and have represented the Federation at a number of international and regional meets.
The track and field athletes who are oversees studying at universities are: Lavinton Forbes and Brittany Mortorn (Neosho Community College in Kansas); Marcia Pemberton (Florida State University); Maritza Williams (University Of New Mexico) and Lestrod Roland who attends a college in Texas.
Speaking with the Public Relations Officer of the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (SKNAAA), Evris Huggins, he outlined how these athletes gained the opportunity to pursue their academic studies as aspiring sportsmen and sportswomen.
“The SKNAAA is not in the business of sourcing colleges for athletes. The SKNAAA is bound by our constitution which is to empower our registered clubs, and our clubs in turn empower the coaches and the coaches empower the athletes. With that ripple down effect, the coaches go out and seek the best possible alternatives for the athletes to be able to attain a scholarship.”
He noted that the coaches have endorsed the United States of America and Europe as possible destinations for the athletes and have also developed relationships with other coaches they met at certain meets and courses.
“They try to keep their athletes well informed as possible and they go out on their quest to try to source schools for the athletes. The minute the Association steps in and try to offer any assistance to any particular athlete, it can open the Association for questions.”
Huggins explained the criteria required for an athlete to be eligible to represent the Federation at an international meet.
“I want to stress on the criteria on one to qualify to be considered for any national team. Firstly, you must participate in SKNAAA sanctioned meets, be it development meets or sanctioned meets by the IAAF. Two, once the athlete attains a qualifying standard, he or she must sign the Code of Conduct of the SKNAAA. He or she must also sign the Athletes Contract that is required when a team travels overseas.
“We always try to select the date for the athletic calendar the year before so that the information is communicated to all of the sporting clubs, all of the schools and all of the athletes who are in the Association’s database, and they begin to plan their programme around the calendar.”
When asked about the performance of the overseas-based athletes, Huggins said that Forbes, Morton and Roland have only just ventured off to their schools earlier this month, but added that they are not strangers to performing at high levels in competitions.
“Well, fortunately, the three that I mentioned, they journeyed off to school in January of this year…that is Lestrod, Lavington and Brittany. Marcia, she is in her senior year now at the Florida State University. All the athletes are no stranger to world championship, be it at the youth, junior or senior level.”
SKNVibes questioned whether these athletes could podium at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
“Yes, I think all five of them have the potential to reach there. Do they have the potential to qualify for the World Championship in Moscow this year? Yes, I do think they have the potential to do so. I don’t think any school would be willing to recruit the athlete if they did not feel they have the potential to reach the podium.”
He also mentioned other Kittitians and Nevisians who have been successful and have completed their studies.
“If we go as far back as Kim Collins, Virgil Hodge and Tiandra Ponteen, all three of them turned out to be regional champions. Those three athletes names have been circulating in the world of track and field for a while and were attendees of universities in the United States.”
