The question that many parents of young and active children have to consider is how early to involve them in sports, and what sports to involve them in. The question becomes more acute as the long school holiday break approaches. That period, in excess of two months, isn’t going to be taken up by holidays. Parents have to find some activity.
In our Caribbean societies, we start sports early and often without considerations about fitness and exercise. We played road cricket, in which we had to exercise care about not smashing the ball into someone’s window… learn to play along the ground when batting.
Underarm bowling, tennis or plastic palls, makeshift stumps or dustbin covers. Cricket and football –the popular games we gravitated towards naturally as children, were also played on open fields if we had them near to where we lived.
Children in riverain and marine communities take up swimming naturally. Some parents who did not live near waterways steered their children towards swimming, because it is a recreational activity that they can get into when they are toddlers. Children as young as six months old can learn to swim.
Schools and sports
School, particularly high school, brings more structure and choices. That is where some children gravitate more seriously towards sports, often finding what they like at school. For me, at age 11 and in Form One at high school, Coach Sam decided that though the bony, bespectacled boy liked rugby; rugby didn’t like him. He cut me from the practice squad. The hurt was alleviated, many years later, when he told me he listened to my BBC sportscasts with pride.
My school was a cricket school that usually churned out national-level players. The cricketers’ level was high. Mine wasn’t. Short of athleticism but long on enthusiasm, I found football (which was more forgiving than rugby) and volleyball. Badminton was popular, played in courts marked out in our vast assembly hall. The school produced national-level players in that sport as well.
A couple of months ago, we asked mothers how early they involved their children in sports, and the answers were revealing. Davina Sooknanan, a teacher at Presentation College in Chaguanas, sees sport as a great complement to academics… intertwined and interdependent.
With the support of her husband Malcolm, Zane, 12, has been excelling in and out of the classroom. He is currently the National Super Sprint Aquathlon Champion. Zane is on the National Aquathlon Team and will be representing T&T at Carifta in August.
Seniors and sports
At the other end of the scale, retirees have to consider how to stay active. Although it is a matter of life, longevity and death for many; for others it’s a question of remaining active and involved in pursuits that they enjoy.
Dane Charran, 76, a retired pharmacist, is more active than most. He runs marathons, most recently this year. He and other seniors meet every Sunday morning at Maracas Beach for a sea swim of various lengths – up to 5,000 metres at times. It’s the Trinity Masters Open Water Swim. At the gym that I attend in central Trinidad, seniors are well represented. Although those of advanced years prefer light cardio, many do not shy away from the weight room.
Senior fitness is coming more into focus in many countries, with developing countries ahead of the curve. An organisation named Expat Network, which facilitates movement between countries, recently ranked the 10 best countries for sports-active seniors and retirees. Britain came out on top, with the United States second. Japan was the only non-European country among the remaining eight.
The findings came from “researching 30 of the most developed countries around the world, and analysing a number of factors including the number of green spaces, gym classes, swimming clubs, golf courses, allotments, lawn bowls, dance classes, swimming pools, cycle routes, and yoga studios in each country.”
Parents’ view:
Sunil Boodansingh and Ambica Ramphalie
It’s vital for parents to encourage their kids in sports from an early age, as it builds discipline, confidence, and resilience. Our 11-year-old daughter has already represented her country twice in gymnastics, and our 14-year-old thrives in powerlifting.
The impact of early encouragement is clear. Both daughters train at the same gym that we do. It’s truly been their second home since age five. They’ve now added cricket training and practice. This support nurtures their passion, strengthens their bond, and inspires them to push boundaries. It proves that with belief and backing, young girls can achieve excellence in any sport they choose.
