Best Youth Athletes Converge for Championship
The National Sports Council held its annual national track and field championships at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City today. Over two hundred students, the best of the best from each district, gathered at the stadium to compete in several events ranging from shot put to relay races. We stopped in at the championships this afternoon to speak with the Sports Council and two of the competitors.
Kaya Cattouse, Sports Coordinator, National Sports Council
“Events range from long distance running to the sprints, throws, shot put, baseball throws, long jump, triple jump. Basically, we have two hundred and thirteen student athletes coming from across the country coming from as far as Corozal and Toledo. Awards for this are for the first, second and third place with gold, silver and bronze medals are usually the awards for track and field. These students, they get a complete day of track meet and it is a good experience for them. Coming from their respective districts, they are bussed and provided with breakfast, lunch and a take home snack with all day refreshments, water and Powerade and all of this paid for by the national sports council.”
Kaya Cattouse
Andrea Polanco
“For the students who win medals, do you look at them as possible representatives for Belize in any of the games abroad?”
Kaya Cattouse
“Of course. The winners are looked at for preparation for the CODICADER games, so they get invitation to come out here and train and if they are from the districts we get training for them in their respective districts to represent Belize at the CODICADER Games.”
Andrea Polanco
“Are you satisfied with how these kids are performing out here today?”
Kaya Cattouse
“In the runs, in the sprints especially we have quite a number of exceptional athletes. When it comes to things like the jumps and throws, it is more based on technique and we need to work a bit more on that from the schools. But based on the runs we have quite a good number of athletes; natural talent.”
Andrea Polanco
“Kaya, do all our primary schools in Belize have a physical education; a sports program; and if not, what are the sports council and the ministry of education are doing to assist them?”
Kaya Cattouse
“Although it is mandated, not all schools have a structured physical education program. However, the Sports Council, we try to go in to schools and offer not a P.E. program, per se, not an all inclusive P.E. program, but a sports program, an after school P.E. program tailored to prepare their teams for our competitions.”
Jason Orosco
Jason Orosco, St. Mary’s Primary School
“I participated in the long jump. It was so good. I come in first. I go into the 80 meter and I come in second for the final race. It was so hard. I enjoyed all the sports events that take place at the Marion Jones for track and field. I want to go and represent Belize because I think I dah wah fast runner. I work out and stretch and run up and down and that mek me learn how to run fast.”
Dawn Alvarez
Dawn Alvarez, St. Mary’s Primary School
“I competed in the baseball throw and I lose but I am still happy because I participated in a lot of events. It is a lot of fun to do. I wah come yah and I wah train more harder and work for a medal next year.”
