Despite the unsettling upheaval in the parent body, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA), one of the more progressive elements within the sport, never missed a beat.
Reference is to the Bahamas Parents Association of Track and Field Athletes (BPATFA). Headed by Harrison Petty and inclusive of a sturdy group of executives, the BPATFA maintained continuity of the most vibrant program within the BAAA family. The scholarship list grew as expected. Student-athletes headed to various parts of the United States and were enrolled in institutions via the connections of the BPATFA.
Convinced that the BPATFA affords young track and field athletes one of the best opportunities to advance academically and athletically, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology came on board as a major financial partner. To Petty, the confidence of the ministry in the BPATFA "is gratifying" because it means that there is official recognition from an important government arm that the organization is vital to the overall development of Bahamian student-athletes.
"We presented our history to the ministry in detail. It is clear what we have been doing for many years. We appreciate the meaningful decision taken by Minister Jerome Fitzgerald. We are satisfied that we are important to the development of track and field in this country," said Petty.
The endorsement of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, will no doubt motivate Petty and company and result in more opportunities for Bahamian athletes. At a time, when there is no structured national development program considered worthwhile for track and field, the organization driven by dedicated parents, has evolved as one of the main planks in the process of discovering, nurturing and preparing student-athletes for competition and life afterwards.
The BAAA still does not have a national development program of note. So, accordingly, the sport is greatly dependent on the presence of the schools, private coaches/trainers and the BPATFA. Last Friday, the BPATFA saluted and encouraged its scholarship fraternity during a social event at the Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium. It was an appropriate year-ending interaction between athletes on scholarship and their sponsor-organization.
The BPATFA looms big on the Bahamian Sports Industry's horizon. The Government of The Bahamas is pushing the concept of a National Sports Academy. The BPATFA is just one of the many programs that are primed to serve as the pillars of sustenance for the proposed National Sports Academy. Indeed, the Bahamian sports landscape is much better off because of the existence of the Bahamas Parents Association of Track and Field Athletes.

(To respond to this column, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com)

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