2023 BLAZING IN BUDAPEST
Maurice Wilson, who like Coleman was a brilliant high school coach before moving into the collegiate and professional sector, recommends that the young professionals connue their educaon. “I think the opportunies are reasonable, if it is that the youngsters who are transioning at any point in me are going to receive an educaon along with whatever they plan to do,” he ventured. Clarifying his point further, the principal of the GC Foster College for Physical Educaon and Sport elaborated, “if it is that they are going to be leaving high school and be focusing on professional sports, whichever one, without any form of educaonal input, then I would not be supporve.” “I would be more supporve of the youngster going abroad, be exposed to their sort of instuons and then if they want to pursue it from America or come back to Jamaica, but if it is that they decide that they want to, they’re out of high school, they’re at the talent level, and they want to go professional in any sport at all, they should align with an instuon, or do some form of formal cerficaon, along with what they’re doing.” Coleman’s recommendaons end with an observaon that the terary educaon system here is less accommodang of the professional athlete. “You look at them based on the uniqueness of the individual, and then you can point them in the direcon you think is best for them. I don’t think, however, that Jamaica lends itself to studying and training the way it does in the
Olympic 110-meter champion Hansle Parchment beneted from a UWI track scholarship
process and I don’t think there is any high school student from this country who was ever prepared for that transion from high school and immediately to the high level, the senior ranks. Not one,” he pronounced.
system as a useful bridge between high school and
professional track and field: “It sll remains that way. Bear in mind though, I want to say this to you, that if they’re not careful they can go through the same kind of shellshock experience into the terary programme.”
He gives a nod to the college
Before she became a mainstay in the Diamond League and at global championships, Shanieka Ricketts was a UWI scholarship athlete.
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