Acting Prime Minister the Hon. Philip Davis on Wednesday morning threw out a challenge to athletic coaches to seriously undertake teaching concepts and strategies that would allow their athletes to develop into responsible citizens. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Urban Development was the special guest speaker at the official opening of the 17th Annual Tabernacle Academy Thanksgiving Basketball Classic.

Twelve teams, inclusive of five United States-based squads and one team from New Providence participated in the tourney. Visiting high school teams were: Cherokee High, Jefferson High, Oakridge High and Siegal High School from Tennessee; St. Rita’s High School from Illinois; and C.I. Gibson from New Providence. The Grand Bahama school teams were Bishop Michael Eldon, Jack Hayward High, Mary Star Academy, St. Georges High, Sunland Baptist, and Tabernacle Baptist.

Mr. Davis said that the game of basketball is a very good place to start when it comes to the fundamentals of building relationships for a better world. He said that basketball has spread throughout the world, particularly in the United States of America, to become one of the most played sports today, and that hundreds of thousands of young people are dedicated to the game, which has become sometimes the only means by which they secure excellent educational opportunities for their athletic, personal and social development.

“Beyond that, basketball has served to develop values that help to make our future adults better citizens, because the game stimulates peaceful and respectful interaction among people and countries.”

To the coaches, he said: “I challenge each of you as coaches to seriously undertake teaching concepts and strategies that allow your team members to successfully develop into responsible citizens.”

The Acting Prime Minister focused on respect telling players to respect their coaches, teammates, opponents, referees and the rules of the game. He called on teachers, parents, coaches, to identify the good in our youth and cause that good to dominate their lives.

THANK YOU SIR! Ms Taleaha Vega, a student of Tabernacle Academy, presents Acting Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis with a special gift following his address to a large audience attending the opening of the 17th Annual Tabernacle Academy Thanksgiving Basketball Classic. Also pictured looking on is school principal, Norris Bain.   (BIS Photo | Vandyke Hepburn)