U.S. Olympiad meets with local athletes

The Ministry of Sports is conducting a track clinic at the incomplete Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City. Track and field athletes between the ages of fourteen and seventeen from the Belize Amateur Athletics Association, the National Secondary Schools Sports Association as well as individual track athletes are invited to the two-day clinic by former U.S. Decathlon Olympian, Cory Hicks. Athletes will demonstrate their skills in the track and field sport as Hicks will provide advice on enhancing their skills as well as a pep talk on the value of education in relation to sports. It’s all in an effort to better the standards of the young athletes which will in turn increase their eligibility for the opportunities available internationally. One such program which the ministry intends to introduce to Belize is “Play in College.” At a press conference held today at the national Sports Council Office at Roger’s Stadium, both Sports Minister Herman Longsworth and Hicks spoke of the talent here in Belize and how athletes can improve their game to access program such as these.

Herman Longsworth

Herman Longsworth, Minister of Sports

“The main purpose of having Cory here today and for the weekend is for him to get a feel for what exists in Belize and for him to say look this is where we need to go and these are the things that you need to do for you to reach where you ought to reach to be able to access program like the one he has. But the intent of all of this is to ensure that we develop a program where our athletes can feed into programs that Cory has; it is all over the world.”

Cory Hicks

Cory Hicks, Athletics Director, American Heritage Prep School

“When you say student athlete, you mean an individual being talented both academically as well as athletically because these are the things when you go to the universities or within the states, these are the things that you are required to do. But we have to teach them how to put themselves in the position in terms of work ethics; that’s not something that comes naturally—especially in track and field. Track and field, the weather is hot, you running multiple times; you’re doing things that you have no understanding about. But there is method. So the key thing first what we want to do is really and truly educate to show you how to become a student of track and field. Then by becoming a student, we have a program in place that’s call play in college. It is a program that I would like to get the City of Belize involved with because what it basically does it takes. It’s not just about sports, but it is also about performing arts; it’s also about individuals that are academically inclined. It creates a profile and it takes about your age, graduation date, your ACT score, your SAT score; if you are eligible. It will show you everything you need to become academically eligible; but not just that, it will send your profile out to every major university in the United States. So therefore, these talented individuals are getting exposed. But now that they are getting exposed, now you have NCA recruiters that are coming down looking at these athletes as they compete on the track opening up endless opportunities.”

The clinic starts at nine a.m. on Saturday morning.