I can hardly contain my excitement writing this article because tomorrow the long wait will finally be over and my anxieties would be put to rest. Tomorrow I would be one of the avid 300-plus students gathering at the Cascadia Hotel Ballroom for the first day of the Atlantic/Ministry of Sport Leadership Symposium.
The 13th edition of this mentorship programme, hosted by the T&T Guardian Sports Desk, is entitled Seeing Through the "I" and runs from tomorrow until Thursday. This year's event promises to be nothing short of captivating, with sporting icons such as Ato Boldon, Ian Bishop and Shaka Hislop leading the charge of the compelling lineup of speakers.
Over the years, the programme has seen personalities such as Brian Lara, George Bovell, Daren Ganga, Merissa Aguilliera, Jehue Gordon and inspirational speaker Don La Foucade, to name a few. We are so lucky to have the opportunity to be taught valuable lessons from some of T&T's greatest icons and to be given personal insights into the struggles and hardships they had to endure on their way to success. Not to forget, the opportunity to also make new friends and a lifetime of memories.
I had the opportunity to sit down with the event's founder, T&T Guardian Sports Editor Valentino Singh, who said that the idea to host this annual symposium came after having a conversation with cricket legend Brian Lara. "I was having discussion with Brian about what he was planning to do after he ended his cricket career.
After we completed that discussion...he (Lara) turned and asked me what I was going to do with all the knowledge I had gained and all the resources I had generated from the people I met during my years of being involved in sports writing. He suggested that I was stuck behind a desk in an office with all this expertise and he asked 'why didn't I take advantage of this opportunity to do something for other people?'
"So I sat down and I thought about it, and then it occurred to me that I know some wonderful people and national heroes and icons... and what better way to reward them by getting them to enlighten young people who are on the verge of entering a new phase in their lives. So I decided to give some of the bright young leaders of our country the opportunity to understand what success is and how to deal with failure."
Thinking Sport Series
Singh started the mentorship series under the title Thinking Sport Series in 2005 held at the Trinidad Guardian's Training Room, which targeted a few high school students in Port-of-Spain. But as the years went by, the number of participating students and interested schools increased, prompting Singh to comply with the demand to facilitate more students at a venue that would hold more than 50 students.
Today the symposium boasts of being able to hold more than 300 students representing 71 schools across T&T, coming from all areas including Cedros, Palo Seco, Guayaguayare, San Fernando, Diego Martin, Mayaro and Tobago; a feat which the Sports Editor is immensely proud about.
When asked about the meaning behind this year's theme Seeing through the "I," Singh revealed that the title was actually suggested by one of the students who attended the event last year. He offered this explanation: "Seeing through the 'I' means not seeing through the 'eye' as in the physical 'eye', but 'I' as in the first person. To learn how to see yourself as the person you want others to see you."
Singh also had these words of advice for students: "It's very easy to follow but, it's a lot more difficult to lead. It requires a lot more strength to be a leader than a follower. What I want students to take away from the symposium is that we all should aspire to do well in our lives. Doing well in your life entails doing things that are positive so that people can look up to you and say 'that is somebody that I want to be like'."
Of course, this event would not be possible without the kind contributions of corporate sponsors-The Sports Company (SPORTT), TSTT Foundation, National Gas Company (NGC), Toyota, bpTT, and RBC. The official drink for the symposium is Red Bull, while prizes which will be handed out on the final day are being sponsored by The Fan Club of MovieTowne, the licenced store for sale of merchandise of the top football teams in the world, including Barcelona, Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus and several other teams which campaign in the Champions League.