The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE taking office last week, Minister Daniel Johnson has had the opportunity to meet with the staff and outline plans for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture.

The Member of Parliament for Carmichael is now just waiting to get his baptism with the various associations and federations so that he can articulate the goals and aspirations of the Progressive Liberal Party.

In his interview with The Tribune last week, Dr Johnson gave a sneak preview of what, how and when he intends to execute his plan of action in the way forward.

Q: What are you anticipating

from the Ministry of Youth,

Sports and Culture?

A: "I think this is the most important ministry in the Bahamas at this present point and time because this is all about instilling hope and inspiring people to do more, despite their circumstances," Dr Johnson said. "That's our message box. That's what sports does, that's what culture does. You get to master something. Human beings' happiness comes from when they found out that 'oh, I could do this. I could open a cupboard, I can open a bottle.' But it doesn't end there. I want people to understand their fascination that they can do things."

With the rules implemented in sports, Dr Johnson said it levels the playing field so that everyone stands a chance to excel because everybody has the same chance.

"Everybody in this country is going to get a chance. That is going to be my message from this ministry," he said. "Everybody will get a chance. We will not be focusing on just one or two sports, but we will bring all of the sporting bodies under one umbrella."

Q: What role will sports

play in the whole scheme

of your ministry?

A: "It's going to be more than just fun and games," he said. "Baseball players don't know that they can hit the ball until they start playing rounders. They don't know who they are until they knock that tennis ball all through the bush and they can't find it. All of a sudden, he goes to school and people tell him 'boy you're good.' But he always had it in him. No one just never brought it out of him."

Dr Johnson said his role will be to ensure that everybody playing sports first enjoys it.

"You don't have to be the best guy on the field to play. The reason they call it play, because it's not serious at certain levels," he said. "You don't have to win to continue. This teaches us another thing that we have incorporated from sports all through life. The analogies of sports lends us to the great aspects of life. So we have to level the playing field so everybody can play."

It's going to be important for his ministry to ensure that as many people get involved in sports because it's a way for them to stay in shape and, at the same time, stray away from the negative aspects in life.

Q: What plans do you have

for more community activities

in sports?

A: "Myself and Jerome Fitzgerald, the Minister of Education, want to expand what it is we're doing now in the schools and in our communities," he said. "We want the communities to be able to use the schools more to have events. Some communities don't have parks but they have one and two schools and the schools have the fields. But they lock the schools up and the communities can't use the schools."

The government, according to Dr Johnson, is for everybody and, as such, the people should have access to the public facilities that are being offered. "This is where we have to get the people involved," he said. "Remember Dr Off song, 'Get involved, get involved?' We need more people playing sports and you don't have to be an Olympian to do it. You can go on the beach and play volleyball or you can take part in family- oriented entertainment like rounders and other sports on these public facilities."

Note: In Wednesday's final segment, Dr Johnson will give his final prescription on the way forward for sports in his new role as minister.