GRIM PICTURE

With the track and field season set to begin in the coming week, coaches across western Jamaica are still facing challenges afer the passage of Hurricane Melissa devastated that side of the island.

Low athlete participation in several schools has disrupted training schedules and overall track programmes, raising concerns about preparedness for and competitiveness in the upcoming season.

More than 600 schools in western Jamaica were severely damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Petersfield High School’s programme, for instance, is unlikely to operate this year.

it’s“I don’t think the school wants to do track and field this year. With the situation, they don’t think they will participate. Right now, the coaching staff and a few parents trying to help some athletes this year who show up for training,” said Machell Woolery, coach of Petersfield.

Woolery stated that only a small number of the 60 athletes he has are training.

“The track season start this weekend but we not participating. We selected few meets we are participating in and its based on affordability.

“We selected a few boys and girls out of the squad. Owing to affordability, some of them get displaced, and other reasons. Out of that, I would say probably 10 or 20 per cent of the team overall is training,” said Woolery, painting a grim picture, with some students still not yet able to wear uniforms to school.

The Westmoreland-based Petersfield is also still being used as a shelter.

Andrew Henry, coach of Mount Alvernia High, says the absence of electricity in some communities has meant the lowest participation in years.

“It is a major hit for schools in the west doing track and field. At present, no school in western Jamaica is presently having 80 per cent of their athletes in training now. Some schools, the numbers [are] actually cut in half, or it’s just a third of the athletes that are coming out,” said Henry.

Henry believes this is particularly concerning, as these athletes have great potential to improve their performance and change the sports dynamics.

In addition, he stated that the fear factor associated with travelling at night in areas without electricitity is a significant barrier.

“It’s going to be difficult for some of them to go out and go back home the same night, as what they are familiar with. We have to take into consideration that when you have a student from Cornwall living in Westmoreland, he has difficulty to get home in the night without electricity.”

Meanwhile, Roderick Myers, coach of William Knibb Memorial, says his team’s focus is on mental stability rather than on winning.

“It’s about getting the wheel turning again because many of them were affected. The impact is real, so we have to be very pragmatic about our approach, about how we can get them back in a frame of mind for school and for one extracurricular activity,” Myers said. According to Myres, 50 per cent, of his athletes are yet to return.

“We have to do some psychosocial evaluation and assessment of the students who were severely impacted. It will be difficult for them. It doesn’t matter how physically fit they are, if they are not mentally prepared, it will affect their performances.”