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US college system remains useful
ON THE SPORTING EDGE
PAUL REID
Thursday, May 19, 2011
THE unprecedented success of the MVP and Racers Track clubs and relative success of smaller, local-based clubs have resulted in calls for Jamaican high school athletes to reject American college scholarships and stay home to chase success in the sport.
Last week's announcement by Edwin Allen High super athlete Ristananna Tracey that she is staying home and attending the University of Technology (UTech) rather than follow her elder sister's footsteps to the American collegiate circuit, has added fuel to the view that our high school athletes should stay here.
While staying here could in the long run benefit the younger Tracey than going away, this recipe might not help others and I find that advice not just reckless and ill-considered, but a dangerous one that could have far-reaching consequences.
The first thing is that to use the success of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Nesta Carter, as an example is misleading.
These athletes are the exception rather than the norm and attending college in America would not make them any better than they are right now.
But not every athlete who leaves high school, or even wins medals at Champs, will be the next Bolt or Asafa and those filling their heads with such nonsense ought to know better.
More parents need to get involved in the process and stop leaving the decisions to coaches some of whom are chasing fame and money for themselves rather than the long-term welfare of the athletes.
There are a number of very practical reasons why the majority of our student athletes should not stay here after high school.
There is just not enough space at either the clubs or the tertiary institutions to absorb all of them. There are maybe 30 times more scholarship places in the US than the University of the West Indies, UTech, GC Foster or Mico can offer, and very few of the athletes can afford to pay for their own tertiary education.
Even with the addition of the Usain Bolt track at the UWI campus, training space is still limited and the increased use of the tracks will only hasten their deterioration.
There will come a point when the top clubs will say: 'Sorry, we can't take any more athletes' or they might have to start eliminating the ones who are not coming along as fast as hoped to accommodate the 'next best thing'.
Even if there is space in the professional ranks, who will pay the coaches who I am sure don't work for free -- at least not when those paying the bills need the extra attention.
I found comments by former Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Ato Boldon urging our athletes to stay home, curious to say the least.
This is a man who benefited greatly from one of the great colleges of the United States with a degree that would open many doors. Why should we deny our athletes the same opportunities?
We forget that up until a few years ago, all our individual medals from the Olympics or World Championships came from athletes who attended US Colleges or were based in the United Kingdom, as was the case of Arthur Wint.
We also forget why so many of our athletes end up in Junior Colleges or the not-so-prestigious schools where they are overworked.
It was a change in the US college admission system where decent grades were demanded in order to maintain minimum academic standards.
The lack of concentration on academics by athletes in some schools also see some of our best talents shipped off to track and field 'sweatshops' where they are burned out by over work.
Chances are, if they had managed even the minimum grades and were able to matriculate to the better-funded and monitored Division One schools, we would not be hearing these 'burn out stories'.
US college system remains useful
ON THE SPORTING EDGE
PAUL REID
Thursday, May 19, 2011
THE unprecedented success of the MVP and Racers Track clubs and relative success of smaller, local-based clubs have resulted in calls for Jamaican high school athletes to reject American college scholarships and stay home to chase success in the sport.
Last week's announcement by Edwin Allen High super athlete Ristananna Tracey that she is staying home and attending the University of Technology (UTech) rather than follow her elder sister's footsteps to the American collegiate circuit, has added fuel to the view that our high school athletes should stay here.
While staying here could in the long run benefit the younger Tracey than going away, this recipe might not help others and I find that advice not just reckless and ill-considered, but a dangerous one that could have far-reaching consequences.
The first thing is that to use the success of Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Nesta Carter, as an example is misleading.
These athletes are the exception rather than the norm and attending college in America would not make them any better than they are right now.
But not every athlete who leaves high school, or even wins medals at Champs, will be the next Bolt or Asafa and those filling their heads with such nonsense ought to know better.
More parents need to get involved in the process and stop leaving the decisions to coaches some of whom are chasing fame and money for themselves rather than the long-term welfare of the athletes.
There are a number of very practical reasons why the majority of our student athletes should not stay here after high school.
There is just not enough space at either the clubs or the tertiary institutions to absorb all of them. There are maybe 30 times more scholarship places in the US than the University of the West Indies, UTech, GC Foster or Mico can offer, and very few of the athletes can afford to pay for their own tertiary education.
Even with the addition of the Usain Bolt track at the UWI campus, training space is still limited and the increased use of the tracks will only hasten their deterioration.
There will come a point when the top clubs will say: 'Sorry, we can't take any more athletes' or they might have to start eliminating the ones who are not coming along as fast as hoped to accommodate the 'next best thing'.
Even if there is space in the professional ranks, who will pay the coaches who I am sure don't work for free -- at least not when those paying the bills need the extra attention.
I found comments by former Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Ato Boldon urging our athletes to stay home, curious to say the least.
This is a man who benefited greatly from one of the great colleges of the United States with a degree that would open many doors. Why should we deny our athletes the same opportunities?
We forget that up until a few years ago, all our individual medals from the Olympics or World Championships came from athletes who attended US Colleges or were based in the United Kingdom, as was the case of Arthur Wint.
We also forget why so many of our athletes end up in Junior Colleges or the not-so-prestigious schools where they are overworked.
It was a change in the US college admission system where decent grades were demanded in order to maintain minimum academic standards.
The lack of concentration on academics by athletes in some schools also see some of our best talents shipped off to track and field 'sweatshops' where they are burned out by over work.
Chances are, if they had managed even the minimum grades and were able to matriculate to the better-funded and monitored Division One schools, we would not be hearing these 'burn out stories'.
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