Seven Guyanese Athletics Coaches have proverbially ‘leveled up’ after completing a lucrative World Athletics Coaching programme.
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is said to have a three-part plan that would see the sport advancing greatly within the near future.
One aspect of the AAG’s plan is to have elite coaches that would appropriately guide Guyanese athletes to success. The recent completion of the World Athletics Coaches Education Certification System (CECS) Level 2 Sprints/Hurdles in Suriname, by seven local coaches, will do well to further that plan.
Kenisha Phillips, Keisa Burnette, Nadine Trotz, Junior Cornette, Sham Johnny, Kareem Aaron and Andrew Jarvis are the seven coaches who have completed the programme.
Standing from left are: Sham Johnny, Junior Cornette, Andrew Jarvis and Kariem Aaron. Sitting from left are: Nadine Trotz, Keisa Burnette, Oscar Gadea(Instructor,) Raymond Gilson(Instructor), Aubrey Hutson (AAG President) and Kenisha Headley
In an invited comment with the Guyana Times Sport AAG President Aubrey Hutson, he explained how fitting the new certification is.
“This level of coaching is coming at the right time for the Athletics Association of Guyana. We are planning to focus on sprints and hurdles, in a major way, as a group of events to get us to the top and to the top we mean having representatives at the Olympics and World Championships,” Hutson revealed.
He further stated, “Therefore, this batch of coaches, with the new level of training will be able to give greater guidance and preparation to our athletes, especially our elite athletes.”
Revealing that it is only the second step in the AAG’s three-stage plan, Hutson described how the newfound knowledge will assist athletes.
The AAG President reasoned, “It is my firm belief that we have the athletes with the natural talent to get us to the next level. We now have the second component, in having the coaches with the prerequisite training to get us there.”
Also part of the AAG’s developmental plan is the need for support, which Hutson also took the time to highlight.
“However, the third ingredient will depend heavily on Government and the Guyana Olympic association and all our other stakeholders, in providing the right framework and system needed to implement such a programme,” Hutson went on to state.
“We have the elite coaches, we have athletes who in my own opinion can be elite athletes but now what we need to do, is to have the elite programme in place to ensure that the coaches ensure they do what they have to do and the athletes are in a situation where they would do what they have to do.”
“The sky is limit, this is just one step and we from the administrative level have to look at putting in other steps to get us to the top,” the Athletics Boss concluded.
While the Coaches await their official certification, they were presented with the Olympic Solidarity certificates of attendance at the completion of the programme. (Jemima Holmes)
