The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH they are forced to suspend all after-school sporting activities with schools on virtual classes, the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is still looking at holding its election of officers.

The GSSSA held their annual general meeting on Wednesday when it was agreed that because there are no in-person classes, their after school sports will have to remain on hold for another year.

But incumbent president Varel Davis said the GSSSA agreed that they will still hold their election of officers in about two weeks, once the country has completed the general election.

“I will be seeking re-election for the president post,” said Davis, who was first elected as the GSSSA president in 2015 and re-elected. “This position is not an easy one but through God’s grace and mercy I was able to accomplish a lot.”

Davis, a physical education teacher at the CH Reeves Secondary High School, thanked her family, the Principals Association, her GSSSA executive team and its members and her co-workers at CH Reeves for their assistance and support over the past years.

This will mark the second year of no sporting activities for the GSSSA after all sporting activities were halted in the country in March, 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic started to spread.

But Davis said she’s optimistic that things will turn around.

“We were hoping that we would be able to start this term since we haven’t engaged in any sports last year,” Davis said. “We do understand the health and safety for all is very important.

“We are optimistic that if not this term hopefully next term we would be able to engage in after school sports. We will put a plan together.”

Once the general elections are held on Thursday, September 16, Davis said the GSSSA will be applying to the government for the return of after-school sports, hopefully to start in the second semester of the school year in January. She indicated that softball, baseball, track and field and soccer with protocols In place would be their priority sports.

“We know that this all depends on if the virus is under control and we are able to get back to school face to face,” she stressed. “We are hopeful and praying things will get better for our kids’ sake.

“It’s been very tough for some of athletes last year especially those ones who were trying to get scholarships.

“We just hoping that we could get sports started.”

Staff

There’s been no new changes in the various sporting departments at the schools, but there was one addition with Bradley Cooper Jr, a graduate of the University of the Bahamas, joining the staff at RM Bailey Secondary High.

Davis said the GSSSA will continue to pray that things will get better so “we could open up schools face to face” and “get back to do what we love to do as coaches, which is to coach.

“We miss it and the students miss it as well.”

In addition to serving as the GSSSA president, Davis is also a coach for the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s National Junior Girls team.

The married mother of two boys, who also play basketball, is a former senior women’s national team point guard.