The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IN an effort to continue his search for top flight local talent, one iconic Bahamian sports figure will provide another opportunity for student athletes to showcase their skill set.

The Frank Rutherford Foundation, in conjunction with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, is scheduled to host the first “Mega Malt Frank Rutherford National Youth Combine” at Goodman’s Bay Park August 8-9.

The combine, free of charge for boys and girls aged 10-17, will be facilitated by Rutherford, Bahamian football icon Devard Darling and several visiting coaches from the United States.

From 10am to 5pm on both days, combine participants will be taken through a series of athletic assessment tests.

“We want this combine to be the gateway, the initial introduction of sports, or organised sports for that matter, to young athletes or a parent who for some reason or the other doesn’t know where to go or how to get started in getting their kids involved in sports or a particular programme. Through my years of scouting and mentorship throughout the Bahamas, more of the kids have come to me through parents who have never really formally been introduced to playing in any particular league. Strangely enough, the big kids in our society are not really involved in sports. I continuously have people that come to me and tell me about a young athlete who has the size and youth to compete at the elite level and have not been exposed to that level and what sports can do. This is not about a specific sport camp, but it is an athletic introduction to sports.”

The Frank Rutherford Foundation has created a pipeline for many Bahamian student athletes to get from the Bahamas to the collegiate level and a few that have even reached the professional ranks.

Some of the most noteworthy members of the programme include Darling - a 2004 NFL draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, Waltiea Rolle of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, Wannah Bail of the UCLA Bruins, professional football player Enrico Forbes of the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League and Mavin Saunders, most recent signee of the NCAA champion Florida State Seminoles.

For the combine to be a true success, not just in its first edition but in future years, Rutherford called on the involvement of sporting federations throughout the country to assist in identifying talent which may be applicable to their respective sport.

“We are encouraging all the members of all these sporting federations in the Bahamas to come out because I would like to have them participate to help run the drills and get a look at the skill set of some of the kids,” Rutherford said.

“It is a huge benefit to the national federations and national team programmes in terms of a talent search. That sort of thing has been so successful for us. As a country we need to build this combine to be a true national combine where you have the elements of coaching from each federation to join hands in the community to conduct this as a talent search to give exposure,” he said.

The basic measurements of speed, agility, strength, along with height and weight will be taken.

The foundation will also be keeping a database of all athletes in order to steer and recommend to parents as to what league sport in which to get their children involved.

“There are a number of universities and private high schools in the United States that have scholarship opportunities available to young Bahamians to further their education. We will have a few high school coaches that will join Devard and I at the camp,” Rutherford said.

“I have an inventory of private schools, middle and high schools that are lined up for Bahamian young talent for our foundation so the ability is there for a lot of these kids to show up and get in the pipeline and follow the programme for the kid to develop and earn themselves an opportunity at a world-class education.”