The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

A MAJOR milestone was announced for the Grand Bahama Secondary School Athletic Association and the nation’s second city will now feature baseball played at the high school level.

The Ministry of Education’s Sports Unit introduced the game to the athletic curriculum in New Providence in 2014 and now the Director of Education Lionel Sands mandated a pilot programme to be launched in Grand Bahama.

Director of the Sports Unit at the Ministry of Education, Evon Wisdom said the progression of the programme to Grand Bahama is integral to the development of the sport at the high school level.

“For some time now the issue of baseball in schools has been widely publicised in the press and I’m proud to announce that the director of education has announced that his department is asking for public schools on the island of Grand Bahama to institute a pilot baseball league for the first time in our country,” he said.

“For a long time many members of the press and public at large did not understand the safety issues with regard to baseball but we now can commence baseball in the public school system on that island. It is a pleasure to finally have this in Grand Bahama and we wish to continue to work with the Bahamas Baseball Federation to enlarge the scope and value of baseball in our country.

“Baseball has the highest percentage for scholarship potential going into the NCAA. Most of the other sports are between 6-8 per cent while baseball is registering at 16 per cent.”

In May 2014, the Government Secondary School Sports Association launched baseball among schools in New Providence at the baseball diamond built at Her Majesty’s Prison.

“I also want to make it abundantly clear that baseball was commenced on the island of New Providence and it has been very successful in the public schools,” he said. “Various issues arrive with other associations that we have limited control over. What we are going to be asking is that as a sports unit is to work hand in hand with those independent school systems to see how we can cause them to matriculate over to baseball. We do not control them, but we do monitor and advise them and we will make strong suggestions to them that they now matriculate to baseball. We do not control every system but those that we do control, we support baseball in schools and we wish to see the sport continue to grow.”

Teddy Sweeting, president of the Bahamas Baseball Federation, underscored how baseball can shape the future of student athletes with the opportunities it provides.

“It’s always exciting to see the sport of baseball grow in the country. We need the country to stop complaining about what’s happening with our young men because we have opportunities for them. Baseball is one of those avenues that will benefit our young men tremendously.

“Baseball has had a number of successes in recent years and much more than just at the pro level. We have hundreds of young men playing high school and collegiate baseball in the United States under our umbrella.

“We will have 11 Bahamians representing the Bahamas on Team Great Britain at the World Baseball Classic and those 11 young men came up through the programme. It just goes to show the level of talent of our young men. Not all of them are causing trouble and have divisive attitudes. A lot of our young men are being very productive and we are happy to partner with the ministry to put this programme into high schools.

He lauded the contribution Grand Bahama has made to the game at the grassroots level and admonished other organisations to adopt baseball into their curriculums as well.

“Grand Bahama has always been a catalyst with respect to the growth of the sport in the country and now to get the programme growing is an exciting time for us. The goal is to have a national baseball championship where we can have a true national champion. In respect to the other school affiliates – one thing they have always told us in baseball, if you build it then will come. Once we have a success among the public schools, then you will see all of the other schools come together and they will become apart of that programme,” he said, “We are excited about what the government as doing, as you know they are in preparation to start the construction of our new baseball complex. One part of that is we want to ensure we have sufficient fields out there so we can make sure we continue to grow the programme. Baseball is in an exciting time with its growth and development but the future development is to make sure we impact every young man in this country who wants to be apart of this. The opportunities are there. Whether it is the education or the athletic aspects. I’m happy to see the Ministry of Education understanding that sports  is critical to the development of students athletes taking the tools of athletics and education together.”

Bahamas Olympic Committee President, Wellington Miller, said with the wealth of talent in the country and more on the way through the school programmes, the Bahamas has targeted baseball qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

“We are happy baseball is now back in the Olympic fold for 2020. We look forward to our talented baseball players to be apart of team Bahamas in the future,” he said, “We envision this will be the largest team Bahamas because of the growth in our team sports. We see no reason why the Bahamas can not once again be the top in this region in baseball.”