“Do More Than Congratulate,” says Olympian to Corporate Barbados

#Barbados, August 22, 2022 – After victories in the recently finished Commonwealth Games, a former athlete tells corporate Barbados to show support for their athletes beyond social media posts.

Freida Nicholls, who became the first female to compete for Barbados at an Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, believes companies have to get serious about supporting athletes, and not only after reaching the podium.

“Companies have to include in their budgets and strategic plans which sports they are going to support and what they’re going to do… I would like to see all companies starting to promote, recognise, and identify the sports people that are in their companies – you can start there,” she said in an interview with Barbados Today.

Nicholls highlights the importance of first-class and specialist coaching and support systems for athletes. She noted that while success on the track is evident, the focus appears to be lacking in the growth and development of athletes in field events.

“Getting to the gold medal, to the podium is not an overnight affair. Listen to the stories; usually, it takes about ten years… It is a tough road, they had to take the steps, the adjustments (maybe some setbacks), and all of that has to be discussed in the boardroom,” she expressed.

The former athlete is adamant that Barbados should start thinking strategically. She recalls that “Akela Jones is the last outstanding long jump female that we’ve had, but I don’t see many other field event persons coming through the ranks.”

“I am sure there are young people looking at doing field events. Every coach can’t coach an elite athlete, and a coach has to know what their limits are. If you are a coach that coaches sprinters and you have in your club or group someone doing field events, connect to the field event coach that can coach your athlete. It doesn’t matter if that person is in your group or not, pull a field event specialist into your group. I know that is easier said than done, but that is the way it is done,” she added.

Nicholls says it is important for a major reset in Barbados’ sports so the sector can move forward in a sustained way.

She suggests that there should be an inspection of the government’s role in sports development and what they can do to ensure that athletes have the best opportunities and resources in all areas of sports. She also suggests the involvement of Barbadians, who are spectators, to be involved in this reset.

“By resetting, we identify the roles of all the players, which would be the schools, principals, teachers, and coaches. Then you look at the particular federations, what are they doing? How are they working? You also have to include Barbadians. I am seeing a resurgence in spectators. The Road Tennis Association people are coming out, local cricket people are coming out again, so that whole reset pulls all those particular players together,” she said.

Nicholls added that Barbadians need to stop, think and start getting serious.