The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the team selected, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is now trying to put the pieces together to ensure that the 70 athletes are ready to represent the Bahamas at the BTC Carifta 2013.

With less than two weeks before the start of the three-day competition over the Easter holiday weekend at the new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the BAAA held its first meeting with the athletes and parents.

Monday’s meeting at the old TAR Stadium got started with Fritz Grant, the coaching team’s adviser, leading out in the chorus “Bind Us Together” to show a sign of unity before he prayed for the success of the team.

Head coach Greg Cash then shared a passage of scripture from the book of Psalms. Devotions, according to Cash, will be the hallmark of the team’s gathering from here until the games are completed.

While the management team, headed by Doris Wood, the coaching staff, headed by Cash and the medical team, headed by Dr Cyprian Strachan, was introduced, each athlete and parent or guardian got a chance to introduce themselves as well.

BAAA president Mike Sands advised the athletes and parents that the athletes are now a part of Team Bahamas and as such, any decisions that they make over the next two weeks must be in consultation with the team officials.

The enthusiasm was running high from both the athletes and parents following the meeting.

Herbert Omebler, who represented the Bahamas in 1977 and 1978 when he won the bronze and silver medals respectively in the pole vault, said he’s delighted to see his daughter, Ashley, back on the team for the second consecutive year.

“I feel good about it because I remember back in 1978 that the pole vault was the first event and we medalled from the break,” he said. “I don’t know what the first event will be here this year, but my daughter is back on the team and even if her event is not first, I hope that she can win a medal.”

Tammy Gibson, mother of Danielle, said she was just as thrilled to see her daughter back on the team.

“This is a very strong team going into this year’s Carifta,” Gibson said. “With regards to Danielle, I’m very proud of her. It’s been a long journey for her coming back from an injury. But she was determined to make it on the team and she did a lot of hard work to get ready to compete again this year.”

Ask any of the athletes and they will tell you that they are eager to get the competition started.

“It’s a great feeling to be back on the team,” said LaQuan Nairn, who is hoping to duplicate the double medals he won last year in the under-17 boys long and high jumps as he moves up to the under-20 division.

“I had an awesome training session during the off season, so I think once I listen to my coach and I can guarantee you that once I have faith in God, in my coach and in myself, I will win the gold for my country.”

Nairn said the games is being held in “our house,” so once the athletes stay focused and believe in God, they should all do very well.

In her first appearance in the under-20 girls division, sprinter Kieanna Albury said she is just delighted to be on the team. “We have a strong team coming in this year and I am confident that we will do very well,” she said.

And Xavier Coakley said he’s honoured to be able to represent the Bahamas again, especially with the games being at home. “I’m just going to go out there and give it my best and hopefully bring home a medal,” he said. “We have a young team, but I feel that we will be able to pull it off.”

Coach Grant said it’s a balanced team that will be very competitive. “I think we’re going to put on a show with the games being in our back yard,” he said. “We have the sixth man, which is the Bahamian people. They should be able to give us the advantage to pull it off.”

As for the make-up of the team, Grant feels that the strength is definitely in the under-20 boys and girls divisions. He noted that the under-17 boys and girls have some bright spots, but if there is any weaknesses, it might be in the under-17 girls.

“But we always look at the fact that we are home and we have the home crowd, so anything is possible,” he said. “So we are looking to put on a very good performance and improve on the performance from last year.”

The remainder of the coaching staff will be announced shortly, but the good thing according to Sands is the fact that all of the coaches for the athletes on the team will be accredited to work with their athletes up until they have to report to the call room for their events.

And another plus for the team is the fact that all of the athletes will be staying in one of the two hotels identified as the Games Village for the 27 countries and more than 500 athletes participating in the games.

Team Bahamas will participate in a motorcade on Saturday, starting at 2pm from in front of the new TAR Stadium. After travelling through the streets of New Providence, they will return to the old TAR Stadium where a pep rally will take place. Then on Sunday, Team Bahamas will attend the morning worship service at Bahamas Faith Ministries.