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our manifesto VOTE – NOVEMBER 24TH, 2018
table of contents BIO’S Drumeco Archer...........................................................................................................................1 Ravanno Ferguson........................................................................................................................5 Rupert Gardiner...........................................................................................................................6 Sharon Gardiner...........................................................................................................................7 Dawn Johnson..............................................................................................................................8 Kermit Taylor................................................................................................................................9 Frank “Pancho” Rahming...........................................................................................................10
ABRANDNEWDAY New Administrative Culture.......................................................................................................12 Re-Programming the Federation...............................................................................................14 New BAAA Programmes............................................................................................................18 Meet The Council........................................................................................................................23
BIO | Drumeco Archer
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DATE OF BIRTH: January 30, 1972
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Nassau, Bahamas
MARITAL STATUS: Married, 2 Children
EDUCATION: • • • •
Saint Augustine’s College, Nassau Bahamas University of Central Florida, Economics BA University of The West Indies, Bachelor of Law (LLB) Honours – Cave Hill, Barbados Eugene Dupuch Law School (Bar Programme) – Nassau , Bahamas
SPORTS ADMINISTRATION: • • •
BAAA Legal Advisor 2010-2013 BAAA Chairman of the Council 2012-2015 BAAA General Secretary 2015-2018
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Chairman – Committee Carifta 2013 – Legal Advisor BAAA IAAF Delegate: Moscow, Russia - 2013 World Relay 2014/2015 – Legal Advisor & Member of Executive Committee Chairman Former Co-chair of Student-Athlete Scholar Award Former Co-chair of BAAA Nationals and Bahamas High School Nationals Member of the Track and Field Announcers Team 33 Years of Collective Athletics and management experience.
PROFESSIONAL: • • • • •
Attorney-at-Law Stone Arch International Legal Chambers Principal Stone Arch Maritime – CEO Former Associate of Lockhart & Munroe Former Trust Manager, Money Laundering Reporting Officer, Compliance Officer: SG Hambros
BE THE GREATEST! My Dearest Track and Field Family, I was once an athlete who wanted to be the greatest athlete ever lived in the sport of Athletics. Needless to say, I never experienced the wonder of being an Olympian. But it was through Track and Field that I received my greatest reward. It was through Track and Field that I earned a scholarship to attend the University of Central Florida, where I received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and later went on to the University of West Indies, where I received a Bachelor of Law degree with Honours. The boy who practiced long-jump with my neighborhood friends in Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School’s sand box, who jogged with my father on Windsor Park, and raced through the “over-the-hill” corridors of Deveaux, Milton and Young Street, grew into a productive man who will always believe in the power of sports. Track and field was the most positive alternative in my life and it is for this reason that I remain committed to transforming lives of others the way athletics has changed mine! Upon the completion of my athletic career, I joined the BAAA administrative team in 2007 as the Legal Advisor and eventually became the General Secretary several years later. For more than 60 years, our Federation has been aptly identified as
one of the global leaders in the development of policies and changing the world of our sport at the hands of great men like Dr. Bernard Nottage who championed the universal cause that allowed every member/country, regardless of its size and strength, the right to the same vote. We have been at the centre of global athletics, having medaled at every Olympic Games since 1992. And the world will forever remember us as one of the game changers of our sport, boasting of being the host the inaugural World Relays in 2014 and two consecutive editions thereafter. In recent times, however, we have had our share of challenges. But, challenges are what they are – prerequisites to success. I truly believe that together we can pave the way for continued success through the evolution of our platform and a reshaping of our collective vision. I, along with the Team, have combined forces to refuel the Federation and improve its overall offering to all its stakeholders. It is time for the Federation to B the GOAT! We have identified the following matters of concern which we intend to tackle very early in our tenure in office, should we be elected to serve you: 1. The segregation of the Federation – we propose to identify feasible mechanisms to integrate the entire coaching community for a common exchange of na-
tional values, objectives and training methodologies. We will jealously protect and preserve the interest of everyone in track and field and ensure that the value that you bring to the Federation is reflected in the reward that you will receive. 2. Recognition at times appear not to be based on factors other than merit – we propose to introduce policies and procedures aimed at ensuring that rewards reflect the value which members bring to the Federation. Those who work will always be rewarded. 3. There is a need for increased financial planning and management – we propose to establish a Finance Committee who will be charged with the responsibility to manage the Federation’s finances with a view of realizing greater financial autonomy for the Federation. 4. The sport needs better marketing locally – we propose to create incentives for athletes and local companies to market the sport with a view of creating an additional revenue stream for the Federation. 5. Need to improve the track and field experience for fans – we propose to introduce events and plan to offer a new experience to the changing expectations of our fans.
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6. Modernization of the sport and the management of the sport – we propose to increase our awareness and usage of technology to ensure that we can improve the training product to the athlete, the marketing of the sport to the wider community and accessibility of the sport to the fans etc. 7. We will take an aggressive approach to increasing our membership beyond the limits of our sport, with a view of becoming a community-driven organization with shared interests and national values.
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My family and friends, I am now ready to be your President and make the Federation THE GREATEST OF ALL TIMES (The G.O.A.T). My TEAM and I have come to join you in responding to the national voice that is telling us that we can be better. We can be GREAT again only if we work together! I embrace the opportunity to demonstrate to the nation and to the world that our Federation can be greater than anyone can ever imagine. If we can respect each other, work as a team and galvanize communities. We are determined to bring the spirit of greatness back to the Federation by putting strong and collective
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leadership back on the table. We will be innovative, and ensure that every constituent of the Federation from coaches to administrators are the best at what they do and that the veterans of our sport pass on the great history of sport to the next generation. “Summa Omnium Temporum” is the Latin expression that means “The Greatest of All Time”. This is my Team’s new mission and it is our solemn pledge to make Track and Field “The Greatest of All Time” (The G.O.A.T)! Go With MECO and his TEAM and B The G.O.A.T
BIO | Ravanno Ferguson
– BAAA’s 1st VP Candidate
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“We will place no limits on the magnitude of our achievements in Athletics. We will re-ignite the flickering flames of Bahamian Track and Field and make it GREAT again.”
Some people dream of becoming astronauts, others dream of being doctors, my dream was to be a golden boy in the 2008 Olympics. I began my track career at the age of 10 with the Rainbow 7 track club under Shelton Barr and later moved to the Golden Eagles track club under Dwayne Jennings, now deceased. I am eternally grateful to Mr. Jennings who prepared me for my first Carifta team and was also instrumental in securing a scholarship at Nichols State University and Liberty University where I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and minor in Sports Management. After a career-ending injury, I was forced to re-evaluate my life and decided to direct my attention on helping youth in the Bahamas to develop their athletic ability and be afforded an education through track and field. This goal resulted in my becoming the co-founder of FAST TRACK athletics in 2011. In pursuit of gaining more specialized knowledge of the sport, I obtained an IAAF Level 1 certifications in Track and Field Youth Coach Specialization and became a certified official under the IAAF. I also hold USATF Level 2 Certification in Distance Coach Specialization. I am excited about the prospect of becoming the 1st Vice President of the BAAA to come from an island other than New Providence. This is a testament of our team’s
commitment to making track and field available throughout the length and breathe of The Bahamas. Through my office, I, together with our team will cause Grand Bahamians and the Family Island athletics community to discover new talent and grow our sport throughout The Bahamas. I have been a part of the sporting fraternity for more than half of my life, as an athlete, and administrator and as a coach. Track and field runs through my veins and watching the sport I love fall apart is not an option. Admittedly, among some, there has been a historical divide between New Providence and Grand Bahamas, believing that they were under-resourced and generally played second to New Providence. To the contrary, it will be my personal undertaking to bridge this gap between New Providence and Grand Bahama to ensure that the Family Islands are properly represented. Change is in the air and by choosing a Grand Bahamian to run for our Federation’s second highest post, you will send a powerful signal to the entire country. I believe that there are no doors we cannot unlock. We will place no limits on the magnitude of our achievements in athletics. We will re-ignite the flickering flames of Bahamian Track and Field and make it GREAT again. This opportunity is bigger than me; it is for the survival of our sport.
BIO | Rupert Gardiner
– BAAA’s 2nd VP Candidate
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Rupert Gardiner was born in Nassau, The Bahamas on June 18, 1959. He was able to develop his passion for running and athletics from an early age, and was identified as having great potential in the distant events. Gardiner gives much credit to College coach, George Williams and Franklyn (Pancho) Rahming who encouraged him and pushed him to be the best that he could be.. Gardiner rose to national prominence in 1981, when he surprised the Bahamian track enthusiasts by setting a new record beating Sam Williams and William Johnson in the Model Bakery Road Race. He attended Indian River Community College in Florida and St Augustine’s College in Raleigh North Carolina, achieving an all American Honours in track and cross-country. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical education From St Agustine’s College in 1982. Upon his return home in 1982, he continued running, but had a burn-
ing desire to help younger athletes to achieve their dreams. As head track and field coach at the C C Sweeting High school, he won six consecutive National High School Track and Field Championships and was named High School Coach of the Year eight times. He co-founded the Bahamas Tigers Track Club which won consecutive national titles. Gardiner has been instrumental in assisting literally hundreds of athletes with attaining scholarships to colleges and universities throughout the United States. He has represented The Bahamas as a coach at all levels. His most famous moment came in the 2000 Olympics in Sidney, Australia, when he coached The Bahamas’ Women’s 4x100m relay team to a gold medal victory. A small country with about 300,000 people at the time stood tall, as the women crossed the line ahead of the world super powers. Gardiner predicted before and during the Games that The Bahamas would achieve the gold. His uncanny
brilliance to set up relay teams has always been his work of art. He has that Midas touch and is able to produce medals from some of the most unlikely teams. In addition to the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, he has led teams to win gold medals at the 1999 World Championship in Spain, at the Pan Am Games, and the Commonwealth Games in 2003. Gardiner represents the interest of every coach on the field and has dedicated his life to track and field. He has held executive positions in the Bahamas Association of Athletics for many years and is well known in the track and field world. He is currently employed with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and the Owner and Head Coach of The Silver Lightning Track Club. Gardiner is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and also a member of St. James Masonic Lodge (Prince Hall Affiliation). He attends Harvest Ministries.
BIO | Sharon Gardiner
– BAAA’s VP, Finance Candidate
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“My commitment to this Federation is to provide great stewardship by imparting financial information and knowledge to our entire membership transparently, openly and honestly to ensure that we become a better managed body.”
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES: • College Lecturer for 10 years • Treasurer – The Bahamas Association of Athletic Association • Assistant Treasurer- The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations • Past Treasurer- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.- Eta Psi Omega Chapter • Past ll Vice President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.-Eta Psi Omega Chapter • Past mentor at The Ranfurely Home For Children for over 12 years • Past director of G.E.M.S. a mentoring program for at risk girls sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. I received my early education at St. Anne’s High School, her Associate Degree in Accounting & Computer Science from The University of The Bahamas and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Fort Valley State University. My thirst for knowledge then led me to Nova Southeastern University where I obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in
Accounting. I am also the recipient of a Certification in Trust Law and Administration from The Institute of Bankers. I have held various senior positions in the Accounting Field at many of the leading offshore financial institutions and I am currently employed as a Senior Trust Accountant at J.P. Morgan Trust Company (Bahamas) Ltd. Apart from my involvement in corporate Bahamas, my greatest love is teaching. Through working with the BAAA, I am fulfilling my passion by being a part of a new era of transparency where everyone understands the financial aspects of our Federation. It is therefore my ultimate dream to also transfer my knowledge by teaching at the University of The Bahamas on a fulltime basis I have used my God-given gifts to impact many lives both at accredited colleges, church and in the community. And my commitment to this Federation is to provide great stewardship by imparting financial information and knowledge to our entire membership transparently, openly and honestly. This will ensure that we become a better managed body.
BIO | Dawn Johnson
– BAAA’s 2nd VP, Business Operations Candidate
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EDUCATION: • Murray State University: Master’s Degree in Recreational and Leisure services, Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration • University of The Bahamas – Honour Student • St. Augustine’s College STATUS: Single PROFESSION: Teacher, Instructor, Coach CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS: Member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. I am a teacher, a coach, an advisor and a mother of two beautiful children. Each of these role that I play has provided me with the interpersonal and hard skills required to build relationships in and out of the BAAA. As an Economics and Commerce teacher at St. Augustine’s College, I look forward to being a part of
a new business model of the BAAA where we can maximize the fullest of exploitation, use of the best human capital, which will becomes the driving force behind a successful organization. As the Chief Marker and one of the architects of the Ministry of Education’s Commerce BGCSE exam, I appreciate the importance of proper planning and proper delivery of the tools that allow people to grow and achieve their ambitions. Training and development of young people has been my lifelong journey, which inspired me to establish a homeschool for special needs students. Having achieved this amazing goal, I returned to my Alma Matter, St. Augustine’s College (SAC) where I have taught on the field and in the classroom for a total of 22 years. I am USATF level II Throws Coach and the Owner and Coach of Triple Threat Throwers Club. Through the teachings of my mother, Monica Woodside, nurturing and developing young talent and seeing them succeed academically, athletically and profes-
sionally makes my life’s work complete. We are now at the crossroads of the Federation where sound business practices and good corporate governance become more than just a conversation – it becomes a practice that we all respect and abide by. As Treasurer of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Coaches (BAAC), and a former Sports Officer of The Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture, I have gained the respect of my peers and I am confident that these fortified relationships bode well for my future office as VP of Business Operations. I trust that you find me eminently qualified to be your next Vice-President of Business Operations. Our business quadrangle will involve you, the members, Corporate Bahamas, The Government of The Bahamas and our FANS. Together, our country will be the Greatest of All Time.
BIO | Kermit Taylor
– BAAA’s VP, Marketing and Public Relations Candidate
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EDUCATION: • Associates Degree in Audio Engineering • Queen’s College PROFESSIONAL CAREER: • Radio Announcer • Sports Journalists (Photography) – sporting archive of Track and Field from 2006 to the present, capturing image of the following events: • CARIFTA Games from 2006 to present, • IAAF World Youth and Junior Championship from 2009, • IAAF Championships both Indoor’s and Outdoor’s from 2013. It is with pleasure that I offer myself for the position of VP of Marketing and Public Relations. This position is not new to me. I would have served in this position during the years of 2006 to 2009. But a little about myself and my family - I’m the father of three beautiful children Kenton, Kristen and Monalisa and a grandfather to Kali and Kamron (wow I’m getting old!). The journey of my track and field passion started with being a par-
ent and a support system for my three children who were involved in the sport. Suffice to say, I have fallen in love with the sport more than any of my kids. To the credit of Dianne Woodside-Johnson and the Club Monica family, they were instrumental in the wholesome development of all of my children’s lives both academically and athletically. Most notably, Kenton and Kristen both made CARIFTA Teams with Kristen earning a silver medal at the 2006 CARIFTA Games and a Bronze medal at the 2006 Junior Pan American Championships! What I found glaringly missing in our sport in the early 2000s was the absence of a sports archive that recorded the successes and contributions of our athletes. This void, created a new space for me in the Track and Field world where I was inspired to capture the story of this beautiful sport through photography. I am amazed at just how this small step has literally revolutionized the way we see our sport. As a sports journalist, I believe that pictures and writings preserve the history of our sport and generates commercial value that we must use to sell
our programs. The reality is that we have not even touched the tip of the Federation’s iceberg, as there are so many more things we can do to celebrate our sport both in a national and global way. If I were elected Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, it is my intention to raise the standard in all the work we do. This requires proper planning and execution of all of our initiatives. The work of the Marketing and Public Relations Chair is not a one man show and I have proven from my past term in office that more can be achieved through the work of a Marketing Commission, comprised of persons who have the required skill-sets and appreciate the pulse of the sport to make the best contributions to this committee and by extension the Federation. Working together, telling the stories of our athletes and sharing these experiences with our fans will make the next four years of track and field the best we have ever experienced. Then we will say that the BAAA will be The Greatest Federation of All Time.
BIO | Frank “Pancho” Rahming
– BAAA’s 2nd VP, Technical Operations Candidate
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EDUCATION: • Florida Memorial College PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: • Former Consultant to The National Sports Authority • Former National Coach • IAAF Veteran’s Pin Award Recipient • Technical Director of the Federation for the past 15 years • IAAF Level 5 Coach The beauty of the sport of Athletics is that the rules of the sport is measured on basic principles – hard work, working for the shear love of the sports and being committed to the people we help every day. I have seen many come and many go. But the ones who stay, stay because they truly care about the sport. This is why I have remained at the stadium all of my life. I have survived in this sport because I love what I do (even though I may cause hell sometimes). But it is only because I take this sport very seriously, committing to memorizing the rules, the measurements, the
distances and working with people who are prepared to commit themselves to the sport. I have seen some tough times in our sport. Sadly I must say that say that we have lost our way and before I leave this sport I am committed to bring greatness back to it. I’m sure that many members are asking why, especially when most of the persons I’m partnering with and others who are opposing me are former athletes who I had the pleasure of coaching nationally and internationally. To be completely honest, I believe that this “old man” must stick around a little longer to ensure that the technical knowledge about our sport is left into committed hands As your V.P. OF TECHNICAL OPERATIONS, I will continue to assist with the development and growth of the Federation’s success in coaching and officiating education. More importantly I will seek to find answers to the many questions we were only able to receive “NOTED” as a reply. I seek your support.
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ABrandNewday| A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE CULTURE The current administration has been severely criticized for failing to directly consult and communicate with its stakeholders, confining most of its decisions at the executive level. Members have been left in darkness, learning of decisions that directly affect them long after the fact. In many instances this has resulted in reputational damage to the Federation. Our Remedy: At all times, the Executives must be checked and be directly accountable to its members to avoid the temptation of abusive and reckless decision making. Through the implementation of a Finance Commission, this would provide independent advices to the Federation to ensure that Federation exercises best financial management practices.
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With the President or his delegate, we will ensure regular consultation with its members to ensure a collective decision-making process rather than decisions being made by a small group. To promote the free-flow of information and contributions among its members, we will have bi-monthly general meetings in addition to ongoing Commissions’ meetings. This ensures that the membership remains current with important matters of the federation. The improved lines of communication, therefore, creates transparency and ultimately fosters a higher degree of trust and confidence with and outside the Federation. Like the IAAF, should matters arise between general meetings, there would be interim reporting and proper documentation of resolutions passed, so that the members are always aware of decisions made by the Executive Board.
demanding operational functions would be to establish the following Commissions to involve industry experts and professionals to assist the Federation: • Arbitration and Conflict Resolution • Finance Commission (a body comprising of members with accounting and financial management experience) • Marketing and Sponsorship Commission ( a body that would have the combined skill-sets of social media managers, photography, videography, writers) • Education Commission ( a body comprised of teachers, counsellors and college advisors) • Training and Development Commission (this body will be a part of a Mobile Development Team that would travel to the Family Islands to delivery training and seminars) • Board of Advisors – (a board to provide advices and assistance to the Federation to be made up of Professionals, Former Presidents, and long-serving members) • International relations and partnerships Commission (a board to promote, develop and attract events to The Bahamas with a focus on athletes and coaches exchange, winter trainers, international partnerships) • Event Management Commission– a commission to plan, coordinate and execute BAAA Events (Budget, Sponsorship, Announcer, Entertainment, Games Management, Features, Invitation of Special Guests, Themes, International Competition) • Athletes Welfare Commission (a body to address the needs of at-risk athletes at high school and collegiate levels) • BAAA Family and Fans Commission – a body that will promote membership and fans support.
A New Corporate Structure The Federation has been so often challenge by relying upon the services of one or two individuals to an office (i.e Treasurer, Public Relations and Marketing Officer (now VPs). We will no longer be a reactionary body. We will plan ahead to meet the demands of a more dynamic Federation by enlisting the services of more innovative, experienced and efficient workers. Some relief to some of the B
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What does it take to BUILD a TEAM?’ The Massachusett Institute of Technology defines team as: “People working together in a committed way to achieve a common goal or mission. The work is interdependent and team members share responsibility and hold themselves accountable for attaining results.” Based on this definition, let’s look at the current BAAA culture. 1. Do we have a group of people who all know that they actually belong to one team? 2. Do we all have a common purpose that is clearly articulated and understood by all?
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7. We must create an environment where differences are resolved, and persons who disagree are not seen as disruptive trouble makers but have a genuine difference of opinion. 8. We must all respect the protocols of its members: come to meeting on time; come prepared to address the issues, complete agreed tasks. 9. There must always be constructive feedback. 10. The Leader does not always have to lead from the front but can allow others to lead and work to their strengths for the good of the Federation. The ultimate objective is to use the best people for the job in order to get the work done right.
3. Are we a group of people who have complementary skills and abilities? 4. Do we work together and depend on each other? 5. Do we really respect each other’s views even if they are not in line with ours?
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If you can’t answer these questions in the affirmative, then let’s define success for our team: 1. Our purpose must be clear and members must believe in the overall objectives. 2. Our team must have a mutually agreed approach. 3. There must be clear performance goals against which they are measured…remember what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get done. 4. Our environment must be friendly and tension free. 5. We must listen to each other and promote innovative thinking. Everyone has a voice. 6. We must create an open-door policy where members are encouraged to respectfully express their differences and objections.
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ABrandNewday| RE-PROGRAMMING THE FEDERATION High Performance
Sports Development
We have used the expression “High Performance” so often that it has almost lost its meaning. Indeed, the expression High Performance connotates achieving a higher standard and optimizing training methodologies in a highly skilled environment. That’s what we want for Bahamian athletes.
Our sport has lost popularity within community to basketball, soccer and video games. This is because we have not done a good job of promoting our sport in the media and through our local communities. If fans to come to the stadium, why should an athlete be motivated? In order to change this culture we will do the following:
To do this we must do the following:
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• Identify the best coaches and training resources in the world. • Attract the best athletes from around the world to train in the best training conditions in the world and promote the slogan through sports that “It’s Better in The Bahamas” . • Provide elite athletes with strong domestic competition environment. • Provide a well-structured accreditation programs together with ongoing training and seminars to develop elite level coaches. • Establish a talent development and identification program that would feed junior national programme. • Foster a stable environment to ensure the co-existence of coaches, athletes and administrators.
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• Establish a deeper presence in grassroot communities through the promotion of community competition and interaction. • Provide a universal “Sports is For All” campaign, sponsored by the Federation that provides access to free training and coaching to any athlete. • Foster open communication at every level of coaching to provide the best resources and outcome to individual members. • To create a national development program to ensure that certified coaches would visit Family Island communities to train Physical Education teachers and sporting stakeholders. • To establish a lecture series where renowned track and field experts would speak to stimulate discussion and provide greater exposure to the innovation and science of the sport. •
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BAAA Membership Programme – B Track and Field The Federation for years has been reliant upon the shoes, uniform and apparel sponsorship, a handful of corporate sponsors and the ongoing support of the Government of The Bahamas to sustain the Federation’s growing and ongoing financial demand. However, with changing market forces, increasing competition for funding and changing fiscal priorities of The Government, we have suffered from nearly 50% reduction in sponsorship dollars. Financial shortages have become a major challenge for the Federation and as a last resort we have become overly reliant on the Government to subsidize team travel and its attendant expenses. This therefore has had a direct impact on travel and operating expenses which has resulted in the Federation functioning from day to day and being subject to paying the most expensive airfares, with tickets being bought merely days and sometimes hours before team travel. In many instances this limits the number of athletes and team officials who travel. Remedy:
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• In addition to pursuing larger companies, we will engage smaller partners as a shared value proposition to make smaller contributions while the Federation promotes its products and service through its membership platform. Our focus will be to increase our membership so that our returns would be exponentially greater. This wider pool of resources allows us leveraging our relationships with larger partnership opportunities. • We can then guarantee more deliverables to our partners and stimulate the interest of a new corporate partnerships. • We will re-brand the Federation with a new slogan:
The B is a simple letter. It represents BAHAMAS! It is a symbol that would become synonymous to track and field, promoting the idea of that everyone can be a part of this brand. G O
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ABrandNewday| NEW BAAA PROGRAMMES Our social interaction with the country must be different, encouraging membership fees that creates an association with physical activity, opportunities for a cross-section of competitions among communities, civic and church groups, health and fitness as well as “down home� entertainment. This event driven approach instigates social exchanges as well as social discussions that will ultimately attract a cross-section of market demographics. To be relevant we will engage our consumers differently. Our team will develop new product offerings to include the following:
ABrandNewday| NEW BAAA PROGRAMMES THE NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAMME – Run with Courage, Jump with Vision, Throw with Determination
athlete, whose ambitions is not only to grow as an athlete but growing to become skilled in professional life.
The Federation will mount a national talent “hunt” programme called “The National Service” programme to identify the most superior athletes in the country. This national service programme will enlist the services of every Bahamian whose job it is to simply “tip off” talent by establishing a National Service hotline and electronic reporting services for everyone to identify the names and location of talent throughout New Providence and the Family Island.
These new ambitions of the Federation require that we align our athletes’ scholastic priorities with NCAA standards and requirements.
An interactive BAAA social media platform will be the medium for sharing information of this nature. OPERATION DOHA/OPERATION TOKYO
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In the early months after election, the Federation will develop a pilot project called the Elite Sports Training Programme with a two year mandate to deliver the most cutting edge programme in preparation of the Tokyo Olympic Games. In partnership with The Bahamas Olympic Committee, we will provide every resource to Olympic hopefuls to ensure that world class training, nutrition, and ongoing performance monitoring take place. BAAA “A STAR IS BORN” SUMMER PROGRAMME The Federation through the partnership of coaches will develop a one month summer programme to attract kids throughout the New Providence and Family Island communities to engage in fun-filled multi-disciplinary activities geared towards the development of all area of athletics. THE STUDENT ATHLETE – OUR NO.1 PRIORITY From the lens of the fans, coaches and even the athletes, we preoccupy ourselves with notion of winning – and these ideals of winning become the single most important focus for the athlete, which often leads to the detriment of their scholastic ambitions. This new BAAA will undergo a paradigm shift where the greater emphasis will be on developing the STUDENT
The establishment of our Education Commission comprised of educators (teachers and advisors) who will provide a “College Readiness” framework for academic counseling, tutoring, study hall programs, career symposiums and SAT preparation for students from grades 9-12. COATS FOR COLLEGE BAAA will appeal to the wider community to participate in drive to provide winter wear for college bound athletes who are ill-prepared for cold weather. We would encourage donors to include personal letters of inspiration in coat pockets to motivate athletes for their preparation for the collegiate journey that lay ahead. ATHLETES AND COACHES PENSION SCHEME The BAAA will engage an investment management firm that would establish an individual contributory pension or mutual fund that would be under independent management of the Federation for the benefit of both athletes and coaches. Athletes and coaches would have the option of contributing a percentage of subvention to the fund together with any other funds generated through sponsorship and prize monies. This fund would be fully discretionary. The Federation would make a one-time annual contribution to the fund on behalf of the top seven-ranked coaches. Coaches ranking would be determined year over year based on established performance criteria. BAAA HALL OF FAME The Bahamas will lead the charge in having a BAAA Hall of Fame in commemoration of its illustrious history in sport of athletics.
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We propose a Hall of Fame award ceremony that would take place every two years, celebrating the heroes of Track and Field.
A NEW NATIONAL APPROACH TO TRACK AND FIELD (BAAA, Schools, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture)
Clear award categories and guidelines will be determined. The process for the selection of Hall of Famers would be selected by an independent commission.
Re-introduce fierce school rivalry within the public and private school by encouraging more school-based club programmes, which places a greater responsibility on the schools to produce and identify outstanding athletes who otherwise fall through the crack in this current system.
COACHING INCENTIVES The BAAA in the past has also provided an incentive programme to coaches who would have been responsible for medalists at international and regional competition. We intend to re-introduce this scheme once again to provide greater incentive to coaches. MOBILE INTER-ISLAND DEVELOPMENT CENTRES For us to be leaders in our, we must demand more from our coaches. For this to happen we will provide every opportunity for basic and advanced training to the coaches and the people who deliver training programmes to our athletes. This will be done by developing Mobile Inter-Island Development Centres, where standardized training programmes are delivered to Physical Education teachers and coaches at both primary and high schools, with focus on the introduction of a “Kids Athletics” programme and a Junior development programme where greater emphasis will be placed on the most current training methodologies at both theoretical and practical levels. COACHING CERTIFICATION The Federation will develop a coaches registry that records individual levels of certification and continued education. This will establish a system upon how one qualifies him or herself to be named to national teams. COACHES LECTURE SERIES To maintain our competitive edge in athletic, the Federation will invite global leaders in various aspect of training and development to share their expertise with local coaches through the delivery of lecturers and seminars. Because of the expanse of our territory, many of these courses and lectures will be delivered electronically and via webinars.
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The Federation therefore intends to work more closely with all schools to ensure that they are provided with the necessary technical resources to ensure the adequate provision of training and development for every student athlete. This would require a focused effort to work closely with The Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, together with The University of the Bahamas to establish a standardized certification program that would be made available to all Physical Education teachers. Efforts would also be made to have closer dialogue with The Ministry of Education to provide incentives to Physical Education teachers to place a greater focus Athletic development. REVISION OF COMPETITION SCHEDULE The athletic calendar should be a relevant and an entertaining one that arouses the interest of new sponsors, new fans and new athletes. In order to gain traction, our calendar of events must be made available to our prospective sponsors one year in advance, with event programming and presentation being clearly defined, themes (community event, wellness, corporate events, seasonal events etc.) and objectives should be articulated to ensure that prospective sponsors have a shared vision with the Federation in order to make an informed decision about the benefit of the sponsorship. VOLUNTEER PROGRAMMES As we continue to move towards professional status in the management and organization of our events, we rely heavily on volunteers to ensure that we continue the promotion of the sport. We intend to take a holistic approach to developing a Volunteer Programme that identify all administrative and technical needs.
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BAHAMA HOUSE BAAA’s Multi-Purpose Complex
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HOME SWEET HOME: A NEW MULTI-PURPOSE COMPLEX After suffering the loss of our announcers booth and athlete stand, we will replace this with a new multi-purpose complex that would house the following: A new administrative office that is outfitted with the following: • Meeting/conference rooms • Executive offices • Gym facility • Offices for BAAA affiliate bodies: BACO, Coaches Association, Parents Association, Athletes Rep • Medical Room • Reception hall • Balcony seating overlooking the track • Locker rooms • Showers • Break rooms • Study Hall rooms
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ABrandNewday| MEET THE COUNCIL It is the intention of this administration to identify a Council that would serve as a working body that would be complementary to the Executive Board and Commissions. The Council will function more meaningfully as members who serve an advisory role within the new structure of the Federation, thereby adding expert advice to the Board. Though we there are seven (7) members who make up the Council, we have provided a list of twelve (12) members (in no particular order) from which you may choose.
COUNCIL MEMBERS Cora Hepburn John Ingraham Mike Sands Sophia Higgs Jerial Forbes Shervin Stuart Dr. Kier Miller Pharez Cooper Christian Knowles Kennard Mackey Bradley Cooper Wayne Smith
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