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Francis: Take those scholarships
...NCB Foundation gives $6.5M to MVP, JAAA
BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter
raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, May 21, 2009
GOING against his tried and tested philosophy of allowing Jamaican athletes to train locally instead of making the trek to American colleges, Stephen Francis says athletes who earn overseas scholarships should take them.
The MVP Track Club head coach made the startling pronouncement at yesterday's Sports Development press launch where the NCB Foundation handed over $6.5 million to MVP and the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA).
NCB's group managing director Patrick Hylton signs a cheque valued at $6.5 million as a contribution to the sports development initiatives of the MVP Track Club and Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) yesterday. Sharing in the moment are (from left) world 100m bronze medallist Asafa Powell; Thalia Lyn, chairman, NCB Foundation; JAAA president Howard Aris; Sheree Martin, CEO of the NCB Foundation; JAAA treasurer Ludlow Watts and MVP coach Stephen Francis. (Photo: contributed)
"I definitely believe that the vast majority of kids, if they are offered a scholarship (abroad), they probably should take it," Francis told the Observer.
"I have a somewhat mixed feeling when people talk about staying in Jamaica and training because I firmly believe that our educational opportunities are not as they should be for our youngsters and if you as a youngster can use your ability to get... a scholarship to go elsewhere to study, then you should take it," he added, noting that coaches should allow youngsters to pursue a college degree or some other vocation even as they attempt to earn a living from track & field.
Francis hinted that attempting to do track & field as a profession without getting an education was like playing 'Russian Roulette'.
"The only youngster we've ever had who was world class in high school is Usain Bolt - meaning he was near the top of the sport - and in cases like his, where you can transition easily I can say 'OK, he should consider not going to college or not going to college abroad or going to college in a different type of scenario where he can both train, be compensated for his talent and earn an education,'" explained the MVP's CEO and co-founder.
"But someone like him (Bolt) is going to come about once every 25 years or so, the vast majority of people should take up that offer... and if they don't, they should ensure that they are enrolled in a similar type of programme in Jamaica to make sure they can get their degrees or get whatever it is that they want to pursue as a career," reasoned the controversial coach.
According to Francis, the common belief that most high school stars will make the transition to becoming world stars and making a lot of money is a misconception.
"First of all athletics is a very weird sport... only the very top of the sport can even earn a decent living. It's not football where you can earn a lot of money being a reserve and people believe that it's almost an automatic transition...
"The truth is that when you run as a high schooler, you run against an age group; when you run as a senior, you run against people who may be younger or older... so you're no longer sheltered in terms of being the best because maybe you were the only person running 10.1 at age 19.
"As a senior, if you run 10-flat you'll find that there are 30 other people and No 30 ain't making any money in this sport," asserted Francis, who holds a Bachelor's degree in management from the University of the West Indies and an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan.
"...It's just common sense, if you have an opportunity to earn an education (because) between 30 and 70 years is the average life span of a Jamaican... You need to be assured that you have the best possible means of supporting yourself and your family after you have finished (track & field), and even if you do make it, you need to ensure that you can continue to earn a living... at the end and in the chances that you don't... you need to pursue your education and make sure that you have a career... whenever... you're finished training," Francis added.
Meanwhile, CEO of the NCB Foundation, Sheree Martin, told the Observer that $3.5 million of the funds handed over yesterday will go to the JAAA, while MVP will collect $3 million.
"The JAAA funds will be used similar to what we're doing with MVP... the JAAA has a programme for the year to help prepare teams to compete overseas and they have developmental meets.
"They also have training programme for the athletes and coaches and so the $3.5 million is going to be used to help with that aspect of their programme," said Martin.
"On the MVP side, we'll continue to help them with the nutritional needs of the athletes... and the medical needs," she added.
...NCB Foundation gives $6.5M to MVP, JAAA
BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter
raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, May 21, 2009
GOING against his tried and tested philosophy of allowing Jamaican athletes to train locally instead of making the trek to American colleges, Stephen Francis says athletes who earn overseas scholarships should take them.
The MVP Track Club head coach made the startling pronouncement at yesterday's Sports Development press launch where the NCB Foundation handed over $6.5 million to MVP and the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA).
NCB's group managing director Patrick Hylton signs a cheque valued at $6.5 million as a contribution to the sports development initiatives of the MVP Track Club and Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) yesterday. Sharing in the moment are (from left) world 100m bronze medallist Asafa Powell; Thalia Lyn, chairman, NCB Foundation; JAAA president Howard Aris; Sheree Martin, CEO of the NCB Foundation; JAAA treasurer Ludlow Watts and MVP coach Stephen Francis. (Photo: contributed)
"I definitely believe that the vast majority of kids, if they are offered a scholarship (abroad), they probably should take it," Francis told the Observer.
"I have a somewhat mixed feeling when people talk about staying in Jamaica and training because I firmly believe that our educational opportunities are not as they should be for our youngsters and if you as a youngster can use your ability to get... a scholarship to go elsewhere to study, then you should take it," he added, noting that coaches should allow youngsters to pursue a college degree or some other vocation even as they attempt to earn a living from track & field.
Francis hinted that attempting to do track & field as a profession without getting an education was like playing 'Russian Roulette'.
"The only youngster we've ever had who was world class in high school is Usain Bolt - meaning he was near the top of the sport - and in cases like his, where you can transition easily I can say 'OK, he should consider not going to college or not going to college abroad or going to college in a different type of scenario where he can both train, be compensated for his talent and earn an education,'" explained the MVP's CEO and co-founder.
"But someone like him (Bolt) is going to come about once every 25 years or so, the vast majority of people should take up that offer... and if they don't, they should ensure that they are enrolled in a similar type of programme in Jamaica to make sure they can get their degrees or get whatever it is that they want to pursue as a career," reasoned the controversial coach.
According to Francis, the common belief that most high school stars will make the transition to becoming world stars and making a lot of money is a misconception.
"First of all athletics is a very weird sport... only the very top of the sport can even earn a decent living. It's not football where you can earn a lot of money being a reserve and people believe that it's almost an automatic transition...
"The truth is that when you run as a high schooler, you run against an age group; when you run as a senior, you run against people who may be younger or older... so you're no longer sheltered in terms of being the best because maybe you were the only person running 10.1 at age 19.
"As a senior, if you run 10-flat you'll find that there are 30 other people and No 30 ain't making any money in this sport," asserted Francis, who holds a Bachelor's degree in management from the University of the West Indies and an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan.
"...It's just common sense, if you have an opportunity to earn an education (because) between 30 and 70 years is the average life span of a Jamaican... You need to be assured that you have the best possible means of supporting yourself and your family after you have finished (track & field), and even if you do make it, you need to ensure that you can continue to earn a living... at the end and in the chances that you don't... you need to pursue your education and make sure that you have a career... whenever... you're finished training," Francis added.
Meanwhile, CEO of the NCB Foundation, Sheree Martin, told the Observer that $3.5 million of the funds handed over yesterday will go to the JAAA, while MVP will collect $3 million.
"The JAAA funds will be used similar to what we're doing with MVP... the JAAA has a programme for the year to help prepare teams to compete overseas and they have developmental meets.
"They also have training programme for the athletes and coaches and so the $3.5 million is going to be used to help with that aspect of their programme," said Martin.
"On the MVP side, we'll continue to help them with the nutritional needs of the athletes... and the medical needs," she added.