Let us discuss the recent problems which seemed to have brought numerous voices of discontent when countries, especially the lesser developed ones, get into the market for the employment of a national coach.
The interest in seeing great team performances on the sporting fields in the Caribbean is felt by sports enthusiasts across the region. I suppose that I am probably one of the veterans who have been in the business of sports for over fifty years. Forty of those years being heavily involved in the business of turning my playing experiences into the specific form of coaching, my dedicated profession.
Today, the competence of many educators who have demonstrated their knowledge and communicative skill in the chosen sport, have had a certain degree of success generally. Prior to the Caribbean countries becoming Independent, the National Association had utilized the practice of seeking the qualified personalities, the request from the MCC and EFA.
In between 1954 and 1975, several coaches were employed from abroad to spend a period of spreading the gospel of building the natural talents of players in the region. In a flash, cricket became the glory boys, with their attractive presentations with the bat such as George Headley, Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Garry Sobers, Gerry Gomez, Rohan Kanhai, Sonny Ramadhin, Alfie Valentine Brian Lara, Viv Richards, Lawrence Rowe, Malcolm Marshall, Mike Holding, Andy Roberts, Ian Bishop, and many other heroes whom the world recognized. Football may not have had a similar amount of world-class players, but certainly, enough to address the various countries within Europe and sometimes Asia.
Both sporting disciplines produced a brilliant quality of skills with the help of the foreigners and actually turned the game of Cricket filled with joy into the hearts of the Caribbean and the world as well. Why have we not paid more attention to the quality of coaches before defining the criteria needed for the results for which are aiming? Knowledge of the sport, attributes of a true professional nature are essential, and proof of their previous levels of success in their own countries, or even within the high divisions of Club commitment.
I believe that my next article regarding this same topic will help to inform the national associations as to who and what are the main features of making the right choices for employing coaches. For the foreigners, the demand for their general ability must be thorough on and off the field, their personal presentations must be exemplary and productive.
