A Community coaching programme, currently being implemented by the Ministry of Education, Youth & Sports, is making it possible for more local youngsters to be properly introduced to sports. The programme will instil sports discipline into hundreds of children who would not otherwise have had the opportunity.

The island-wide programme began earlier this year with the launch of the first district programme in March. The community-coaching programme has since been successfully launched in several other districts. At present, programmes are available for the children of Gros Islet, Monchy, Babonneau, Dennery, Castries, Anse La Raye, Canaries, Vieux Fort, Choiseul, Laborie and the Mabouya Valley. The programme will soon be instituted in the rest of the island to allow the rest of the nations children to benefit from regular sports training. 

The community-coaching programme is open to all students between the ages of 7 and 12-years old. For a small fee of $5.00, youngsters are given t-shirts, and the opportunity to engage in a number of sports in a disciplined manner. 

Students have a choice of pursuing football, cricket, basketball, volleyball or netball, and two coaches have been assigned to instruct students in each of the disciplines. Coaching takes place on Thursdays from 3-5p.m. and Saturdays from 10a.m.-12p.m. The programme, which will end with the school term and reopen when school begins, is currently in its first phase.


Youth & Sports officials have high hopes for the programme, which is expected to continue into the long term. The bugs are still being worked out of the system and the Ministry is expected to review several aspects of the programme, including the days on which it is held.