Basseterre, St. Kitts (August 8, 2013) — Acting Director of Sports, Mr Jeffery Hazel, is calling on Federation’s youth to use sporting activities to be agents of change in their communities. He made the remarks on Saturday August 3 at the Sandy Point Hard Courts during the closing ceremony of the Sandy Point Primary Schools Basketball Camp.
“This basketball summer camp, as I understand, has not only better prepared our young basketballers but exposed them to co-values such as discipline, teamwork, communication as well as respect for others and yourselves,” said Mr Hazel.
He commended the camp participants for their eagerness and willingness to learn the sport and at the same time challenged them to focus on what was taught throughout the duration of the camp and to go back to various areas of their community to share the information and skills learnt.
“I ask of you, as you continue to grow in sport and in life, to reject violence and crime as well as drugs,” advised Mr Hazel. “Be the agents of change to rid our society of these ills that plague us.”
The camp started on Monday July 29 under Coach John Heyliger, a beneficiary of the People Employment Programme (PEP) coaching clinics, with 37 children. The participants were meant to be in the age group 8-12 but some much younger ones and older ones turned out and were accepted as part of the camp.
Mr Hazel who was assisted by Dr Norgen Wilson in distributing certificates to the camp participants said that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has been a longstanding partner in the development of young people through sports and in particular basketball and the Department of Sports would continue to support such programmes.
He commended Coach Heyliger and his team, the principals of the Sandy Point Primary School and the Charles E. Mills Secondary School, volunteers, donors and the Sandy Point Community for providing such a platform to better assist and prepare the country’s young sportsmen and women.
“It is important that this relationship is sustained as we are charged with the development and the promotion of the sport and sports in general in St. Kitts and Nevis,” said the Acting Director of Sports. “The Department of Sports therefore sees value and necessity of prolonging our affiliation with you and look forward to our future collaborations.”
In making brief remarks, Dr Norgen Wilson thanked Coach Heyliger for bringing such an activity to Sandy Point, and hoped that more would be held in future.
“I trust that our youth have really learnt something from this experience and understand that it is not just a summer camp, it is something which should continue throughout the vacation and throughout their lives because any sport is actually a form of discipline for our youth and this is something which we need to promote in our communities,” said Dr Wilson.
“As we know today, many people say that the young people do not behave themselves or they have deviant behaviours but we the adults we are supposed to be the ones that are guiding our youth and I am quite happy to see such an activity displayed today in our community.”
The ceremony, which was attended by parents and grandparents of the participants and also by the President of the St. Kitts Basketball Association, Mr Romel Tobias, was presided over by Pastor Prisca Hyligar of the Evangelist Faith Church in Sandy Point, while vote of thanks was given by People Employment Programme (PEP) representative, Ms Telly Onu.