Chris Martin to perform at Penn Relays

The 128th staging of the Penn Relays will be special. 

60 years after Jamaican teams first competed at the prestigious relay carnival in Philadelphia, the black, green and gold will again take the spotlight at the 2024 staging. 

Team Jamaica Bickle, celebrating 30 years, will execute a Reggae Pop-Up vibe on the final day (April 27) and will for the first time, have a DJ,  Road International and live performance, from Christopher Martin, a former Bickle Ambassador.

Martin who won the nation’s top competition in 2005 has racked up a variety of hits and will be the main act in a 20-minutes action packed performance, never before experienced at the Penn Relays. 

Award winning Road International led by DJ Roy will provide the initial vibe for a massive anchor by Martin.

Irwine Clare Snr, head of Team Jamaica thanks the collaborative effort of VP Records, The University of Pennsylvania, the Consulate of NY,  Hypa Active Sounds and Jamaican Dave Productions.

The three day relay carnival will feature top high, university and Olympic Development teams from the USA, Canada, Jamaica and the Caribbean. 

-ENDS-

Jamaican Women – a step ahead in Sport

Acknowledging Women in Sport – Jamaica (originally written in March 2023, and updated based on Summer 2023 results)

How we have impacted the world

Any global feature on women in sport will showcase the work of a Jamaican. The key areas of success include women who have done well on and off the field of play. 

Track and Field, Football, Cricket, Basketball, Swimming and Netball are just some of the disciplines where excellence has been consistently highlighted. This is exhibited in leadership in the boardroom alongside performances on the field of play. 

For the last five decades, a Jamaican woman has held leadership roles in sport in the Americas, impacting on global spaces. But it was Molly Rhone, OJ, in 2003, who tipped the scale to become the first Jamaican woman to sit as President of International Netball for 16 years.

There is evidence that suggests that Isis Clarke-Reid is Jamaica’s first professional track and field star. She won a bronze medal as part of a relay team at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1938. She went on to do so much more on the track. She died at age 100 in June 2020. 

We know if she was the trailblazer in Track and Field, we now see how that has turned out. The women have continued to “run the world.” We can always click on any search engine and type “Jamaican women in sport” and it would have multiple pages to read. We salute our women. 

Before I move to 2000, I have to mention Esperanza Forbes. In 1982 Forbes was given her credentials as the first ever female referee for football. She qualified to referee in all levels of football. In 1985, she was awarded a medal of honour for her “work. Further research revealed that Forbes was not only the first female referee in Jamaica, but in the entire American continent and rumoured, at the time, to be only the third worldwide. 

Since 2000 

With the game shifting to more commercial models for sport, women were now seeking to be celebrated, achieve equality in pay, sponsorship and visibility. The international headlines were consistently dominated with who got paid more; who had more visibility and it essentially became a numbers game. Women have held their own and globally, Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and the US Women’s Football Team took up a lot of that space. Becky Hammon became head coach of the San Antonio Spurs (NBA Team) in 2020, the same year Kim Ng became General Manager of the Miami Marlins (Baseball). 

Back here in Jamaica and the region, more women got involved in executive teams for sport, but very few outside of the boxes. The women essentially provided support as Physiotherapists, Team Managers, Agents, Attorneys; but remained in female-dominated sport. 

Marva Bernard was head of Americas Netball during this period. She left office in 2022; Karen Anderson is head of Jamaica Squash, Jackie Cowan, made it as the first ever woman Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), she is also President of Jamaica Volleyball; while Marie Tavares became the first ever General Secretary of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). 

2023 and Beyond 

There has to be a place in the Jamaican Sport Industry that dissects the value of women not just in leadership, but in economic terms. The aspirational and inspirational sides, while good for the psyche of a nation, can only ring true when the real values are measured. We have to create that legacy for the next generation. 

Congratulations to the Reggae Girlz for reaching two World Cups in the last decade. That is an incredible achievement. 

The Sunshine Girls got 3rd  in Cape Town for the World Cup Netball last Summer; while women formed the bulk of the team at the World Championships in Athletics in Budapest. Jamaica won 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze medals – the women won 2 gold, 3 Silver; 2 Bronze of that. 7 from 12…

RIP – Simone Edwards, first Jamaican WNBA Star. 

My Wish 

Let’s tally that value.

Let’s get more women in the game. 

Let’s transform the game. 

Hail to the women who were before us, hail to the women who will join us. 

One Love 

Carole is a Sport Marketer/Author. She has over three decades of work in Sport. 

Historic Agreement between GC Foster & Centenary University

Sports Education is the focus of the collaboration between Centenary University, New  Jersey USA and GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sport based in Jamaica.  The collaboration will feature a Track & Field Coaching 2.0 Certification program  being offered this April – June for enrollment in the USA.  

This program will see the two educational institutions expand certificate offerings also  on other sporting disciplines. The format is in-person and online. Special events like  conferences and symposiums will also be part of the agreement.  

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed last Wednesday (March 13) by  Centenary University’s first African American President, Dr. Dale Caldwell along with  the G. C. Foster College Physical Education & Sport, Principal – Mr. Maurice Wilson,  OD  

Both leaders were elated at the partnership being sealed and Dr Caldwell said, “this  unique partnership broadens Centenary University’s presence in international markets  and creates extraordinary opportunities for students at both institutions.” He went on to  add that “it also opens the door for potential new NCAA Division III athletic programs at  Centenary, including men’s and women’s track and field.” 

GC Foster College Principal, Maurice Wilson expressed his appreciation and noted that  “The College is continuing on its pathway to developing the best of Jamaica with sport  education as one of its core focuses. This partnership is a step in the right direction and  we know the impact it will create. We are pleased that Centenary is on board with us  and we welcome the broadening of our reach and scope of work.” 

“The choice to go with Track and Field first, was a no-brainer.” Both leaders of the  institutions agreed.  

The online proceeding was witnessed by a cross section of officials from both  institutions. 

Managing Director of PPIVOTT, O’Neil Walters is responsible for bringing the two  institutions together and he also was online to witness the signing of the MOU.  

Walters said, “we are proud of this intercultural partnership in sports education that  represents first step action within the broad mission of the brand” said O’Neil Walters,  Managing Partner, PPIVOTT. “As we embark on creating brand identity solutions to  uplift our people (talents) in key the areas of sports, entertainment and the arts, we will 

be conducting Jamaica’s first Peak Performance Summit in June 2024 to coincide with the end of the first Track & Field Certification program.”  

-ENDS-

ABOUT CENTENARY UNIVERSITY 

Centenary University offers extraordinary learning opportunities that empower students  to develop intellectually, emotionally, and interculturally keys to career and personal  success. Under the leadership of President Dale Caldwell, Ed.D., the University aspires  to advance its reputation as a world class institution offering innovative programs,  including the world’s first Master of Arts in Happiness Studies, to lift the future for our  students and local communities.  

ABOUT G. C. FOSTER COLLEGE of Physical Education & Sport 

Located in St. Catherine, Jamaica, West Indies, G C Foster College of Physical  Education & Sport is a world-class tertiary training institution established in 1980, as the  first of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean. With a mission to produce excellent  teachers, sports, and recreational professionals to meet local, regional, and  international demands. The college’s programs are designed for physical education  teachers, athletes, and other specialists in recreation and sports.  

ABOUT PPIVOTT LLC:  

PPIVOTT LLC, founded by a Jamaican immigrant in Florida USA, delivers strategic  brand identity and B2B partnership development services in the field of sports, music,  film and media. PPIVOTT’s core focus is the talent’s lifecycle, hence our founding vision  and mission is dedicated to creating life changing solutions for creatives and talents from all walks. We are focused on building bridges to the access of best practices that are  critical for the growth and success for many creatives, including talent from underserved  communities.  

Call for a Caribbean Sport Development Fund

KINGSTON – Sport Marketing Specialist, Carole Beckford is calling on CARICOM and Caribbean Governments to give up 1% of their 2024 – 2025 budgets towards a Sport Development Fund.

The Fund could be a partnership with existing agencies that have operations in the region.

Beckford says “with focus being placed now on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, T20I World Cup Cricket; there are other international competitions that the region’s best would be aiming for. These would include the World Cup Football men and women; Netball World Cup. The region has to be placed in a better position to win on and off the field.” She also feels a comprehensive plan with specific eligibility criteria can be developed to identify where the allocation goes and how much. 

The Fund aims to focus on 

• Technical 
• Infrastructure 
• Marketing and Business Development 
• Research and Development 

The funds are to be distributed based on criteria designed to enhance the four areas listed above. 

Technical – there are several categories of athletes who are preparing for a number of regional and international games/championships over the next ten years and would need access to the most durable equipment. There could be a first time allotment of funds to import the listed and approved equipment. The applicable duty waivers could be applied as incentives. This could be for five years in the first instance. 

Infrastructure – All regions have facilities to host major events and most need upgrades. The awards could be granted based on which country has commitments to host any regional and/or international events over the next ten years. The allocations would be based on detailed plans on events to come. 

Marketing and Business Development – The athletes have largely done well on the field of play, but their post life plans could be enhanced by opportunities in the marketplace and ongoing awareness of how to plan for life changes. The allocations here would be based on the business plans and their forecast. 

Research and Development – The suggestion that talent alone is enough does not hold and so, there are reasons why the athletes continue to perform. However, with all the environmental and related issues, times are changing and could affect how sport is managed, governed and even hosted. Funds here would focus on discussions on how the Caribbean can manage its resources in a more efficient way. 
The recommendation is for a Team with expertise in: 

• Commercial Planning 
• Marketing 
• Finance and Planning 
• Governance 
• Academic Development 

Globally, the sport industry is estimated to value at least a billion dollars and there is more to access, but athletes need to be better prepared. The Caribbean as a region is a sporting destination, but there is always an opportunity to capture a bigger piece of that global pie with more intentional planning among the nations in the region. 

-ENDS-

RADDESH ROMAN IS NOW A TRU-SHAKE AMBASSADOR

CAYMANAS Park, Jamaica – Raddesh Roman has added another milestone to his career. He has signed with TruShake as their latest brand ambassador. Roman is the fourth jockey in less than two years to join the TruShake family. 

Caption: Raddesh Roman with the Tru-Shake team (l-r) Karel Ferguson, Brooke Nunes, Raddesh Roman (jockey); Lauren Mahfood and Keresha Ferguson 

Roman placed fifth in the 2023 standings and is currently in second place behind Tevin Foster, another TruShake Ambassador. 
Lauren Mahfood, Marketing Manager, Trade Winds Citrus Limited, says she is elated to add another brand ambassador to their sporting family. She noted that, “Horseracing in Jamaica is very popular and as a Jamaican brand it is amazing to be a part of sport that Jamaicans are so passionate about and support our talented jockeys.”

Mahfood went on to say that “TruSHAKE is a great fit for the jockeys who are very mindful of their weight. As a nutrition shake, TruSHAKE can act as a meal replacement or as a snack to complement the jockey’s diet depending on their goal weight.”
Roman is pleased to be associated with the company and has set his sights firmly on taking the 2024 championship. He said, “I will do all I can to make this relationship work and will perform at my best at all times.” 

Roman joined the big leagues when he rode Blue Vinyl to victory in the 2000 Guineas and St Leger Classic races in 2022 and added an elite win on his  resume last August (2023) when he rode Runaway Algo for his 100th career winner.

Roman joins the other jockeys  2023 winner, Reyan Lewis, Tevin Foster and Javaneil Patterson; while the other athletes are Olympic bronze medalist in women’s hurdles, Megan Tapper and race car driver, Fraser McConnell. 

Roman had three wins on Saturday for the SVREL 7th Anniversary 

Track and Field is Jamaica’s top female sport

Monday, February 12, 2024 

Survey says, “we want more netball on Television” 

KINGSTON, Jamaica – A survey sample done over the last two weeks, shows that Jamaicans’ favorite female sport is track and field. While that is no surprise, the same sample said they wanted more netball to watch, whether on television or online. 

A Neilsen report summarised that women’s sport will grow globally. The report said, “from equal pay agreements to amazing comeback stories, record audiences and new media deals, women’s sports are in the spotlight now more than ever. While they often don’t receive the same level of attention as men’s sports, a new Nielsen Sports research project highlights untapped potential and new commercial opportunities for rights holders, brands and media.

The survey was done across eight key markets around the world (U.S., U.K, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand) and found that 84% of sports fans are interested in women’s sports. Of those, 51% are male, which confirms that women’s sports engage a gender-balanced audience.

In recent times, the Sunshine Girls’ competitions have become more accessible to the national audience, but the respondents still want more. The same audience would still want to see more track and field, with football showing up in the runnings. 

The sample of those surveyed were dominated by females and they were noted to be  in the 41 years of age category and above. 

The survey also highlighted that Jamaican sports fans are consuming sports on multiple platforms to still include newspapers. An overwhelming 61.5 per cent of the sample use traditional and online sources for sport. 

Television Jamaica has been identified as the number one source for sport on television by almost half of the sample. Important to note that almost 4 of 10 have other sources. 

The average consumption per event is up to three hours. 

Jamaica’s women will have, over the next four years, international competitions in football, cricket, track and field, and the netball world championships in 2027. In the next survey update, we will find out who are the favorite female athletes in Jamaica. The group also shared what more should be done to enhance the support for women’s sport in Jamaica. 

The survey sample was taken from tertiary level students, marketers, researchers and sport administrators, based in Jamaica. 

Contact: Carole Beckford 

E: carole.beckford@gmail.com 

OVERSEAS TEAMS CONFIRMED FOR GIBSON MCCOOK RELAYS

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Junior and senior athletes from the Bahamas, Canada, St Kitts Nevis, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA have confirmed their participation in the 2024 renewal of the Gibson McCook Relays. 

The February 24 event will have the Canadian teams fielding junior athletes in the 4 X 100 and 4X200 classes I, II and III both from the Brampston Racers and Flying Angels; while Bishop Anstey and Queens College of T&T will field girls and boys teams respectively in the sprint ( 4 X 100, 4 X 200 and 4 X 400) relays. 
St Kitts Nevis is due to enter a high jump athlete and the Bahamas a 4 X 100 male club team. 

The USA Teams will compete in the sprint and mile relays. 
The overseas athletes are part of the over 2,000 athletes registered to compete at the 51st staging of the event. 

The event, scheduled for the National Stadium in Kingston will also feature for the first time, the 4 X 400 mixed relays high school open.
Schools scheduled for the March 19 – 23 ISSA Boys and Girls Championships can earn qualifying standards for specific events.

The Organising Committee has assembled partners for 40 of its events. The event which is usually on time will be broadcast on all TVJ, TVJ SN 1spotmedia.com and Hitz 92 FM. The meet is scheduled to start at 9:30 am and the last race at 8:50 pm

-End-
Contact: Ed Barnes E: edbarnesja@gmail.com

Caymanas Park is now recycling

CAYMANAS PARK AND RECYCLING PARTNERS OF JAMAICA JOIN FORCES TO CLEAN UP PORTMORE

Portmore, Jamaica – Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL) and Recycling Partners of Jamaica (RPJ) have forged a strategic partnership towards fostering sustainable environmental practices at Caymanas Park and its environs. The agreement will see an official RPJ Drop Off location being set up at the iconic park in Gregory Park, St. Catherine, offering patrons and residents of the local community a convenient option to drop off their plastic bottles and preventing them from entering the environment.

Aswanda Stoddart, AVP Administration at SVREL was pleased with this most recent initiative to implement more eco-friendly practices at Caymanas Park. “As a key business in the area, we understand our role in contributing to the economic and environmental vitality of the community. We have been proactive in implementing sustainable development processes and this partnership with RPJ is our most recent initiative,” she said. “This new drop off location will give not only the hundreds of punters who visit the Park weekly an opportunity to practice responsible waste management but we’re also opening it up to the wider Gregory Park community with a view to influence behaviour and improve the general environmental practices in Jamaica.”

Last year, as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts, SVREL invested heavily into a solar energy project which saw over 3000 solar panels installed at a cost of US$4 million. The project is slated to generate 1.6MW across three phases, which will significantly reduce the Company’s carbon footprint.

Candice Ming, Marketing and Public Relartions Manager for Recycling Partners of Jamaica says the company is always thrilled when we are able to partner with influential entities, as it foreshadows a Jamaica where the corporate community has an active role in the protection and sustainability of the country’s environment. Caymanas Park has long been a stalwart in Jamaica’s sporting culture and to implement recycling at their facilities, with access to the wider Gregory Park area is the kind of growth Jamaica needs moving into 2024, as RPJ looks to collect more plastics and increase its production capacity. This partnership comes with an asset value of over one million Jamaican dollars. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with SVREL”.  

Both organizations look forward to the positive outcomes that this collaboration will yield, not only for their respective entities but also for the community and the environment at large. The partnership between Caymanas Park and Recycling Partners of Jamaica represents a unified effort towards building a sustainable future while demonstrating the power of collaboration in achieving meaningful change.

Contact: Chloleen Daley-Muschett

  Corporate Communication and PR Manager 

  Supreme Ventures Limited

  Chloleen.daley-muschett@svlgrp.com

  876-469-2192

L’acadco returns to New York

L’ACADCO – A UNITED CARIBBEAN DANCE FORCE RETURNS TO NEW YORK CITY FOR GALA PERFORMANCE ON JANUARY 11, 2024

by Lyndon Taylor

Tickets Now On Sale At www.touchstonelink.com For This Cultural Celebration

NEW YORK, NY – December 22, 2023 – L’Acadco – A United Caribbean Dance Force, Jamaica’s leading contemporary dance company, makes its return to New York City after a 20-year absence, for a special gala performance at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Consul General of Jamaica to New York, Mrs. Alsion Roach-Wilson, OD., serves as Patron of the event, which will honor Dr. Una S.T. Clarke, and being held under the theme: Building Bridges Through The Arts. Part proceeds will go towards the New-York based Jamaican charity, Children of Jamaica Outreach (COJO) Inc. Tickets available at www.touchstonelink.com/lacadco 

The one-night performance will showcase the artistry, dynamism and technique of L’Acadco’s extraordinary dancers who are set to thrill returning fans as well as first time attendees. The evening will include contemporary works and pieces exploring popular and traditional Caribbean forms highlighting choreographers Jessica Shaw, Orville McFarlane and L’Antoinette Stines, Artistic Director. Satta and Honfour, two of the company’s signature works choreographed by Dr. Stines, will be performed.  

The night’s lineup will feature special guest performer Amma D. McKen, Yoruba Orisha Singer and Priestess of Yemonja. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, McKen has sung traditional sacred Yoruba music since she was 14. McKen holds several roles and titles in Yoruba, including the title of Akpon, a lead singer and officiator for the drumming and dancing celebrations. She became the first African American female Akpon to produce a musical recording of the traditional songs, titled Alaako Oso: Owner of the Songs is Eloquent.

This electrifying cultural exchange promises to leave patrons spellbound and enthralled.

L’Acadco had its genesis in 1978, when Dr. L’Antoinette Stines established the first black dance company in Miami. She returned to Jamaica in 1982, where she continued to grow with her company, becoming a compelling representative of Jamaican and Caribbean culture.

Dr. Stines is the creator of L’Antech, a contemporary Caribbean dance technique – the company’s movement language. Her expertise in Classical Ballet and popular and folkloric Jamaican and Caribbean moment vocabularies enabled her to create this method of training bodies while exploring choreographic work inspired by the virility of her island’s culture and ancestry, the sensuality of its people and the natural mystic in the air.  

ABOUT US

L’ACADCO – A United Caribbean Dance Force, is widely regarded as Jamaica’s leading contemporary dance company. The Company’s membership has included dancers from Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Bermuda, Cuba, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. These talented dancers represent the best in the Caribbean. In 1978, Jamaican dancer and choreographer, Dr. L’Antoinette Stines, founded Miami’s first Black dance company, L’ACADCO. Returning to Jamaica in 1982 she continued to grow with her company and together they have become dynamic ambassadors for Jamaican culture, through dance, and advocates for its preservation and development. For details, visit www.lacadco.com 

Contact:

Lyndon Taylor

Communications Consultant

Lyndon.t2003@gmail.com

646.403.5771

Poor Leadership Caused Reggae Girlz 2024 CONCACAF Elimination

by Dr Cecile Dennis

Poor decision-making by the Michael Ricketts-led Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) leadership has resulted in the first-round elimination of Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz team from the 2024 CONCACAF competition. 

Disputes between players and their governing bodies are nothing new, nor are such disputes new to the Jamaican football arena. 

Italian men’s players in 2011, Bolton Wanderers’ players in 2018, Spain’s Women’s World Cup football team in September 2023, and the current Australian netball players’ strike over pay all demonstrate the fragility of player-associations relations worldwide. 

While we cannot avoid labour disputes in sports, we must handle them in the best interest of all stakeholders – players, fans, and sponsors, and consequently protect and preserve hard-earned gains and reputation. 

We have just seen our Reggae Girlz unbelievably crash out of the first round of the 2024 CONCACAF competition,  immediately following their remarkable performance in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. 

The failure of the Jamaican team to perform at expected standards is the direct result of the disruption created by the Ricketts-led JFF team, through two poor yet critical decisions, namely, the termination of the coach whose energy and leadership style created strong synergy between himself and the team, and the ‘suspension’ of the Reggae Girlz who indicated their withdrawal from the team.

In a 2014 dissertation by GC Foster graduate Marlene Campbell examining the factors negatively impacting the poor  performance of the Boys’ Town 2013/14 in the Red Stripe premier league, she highlighted the lack of team cohesion impacted by player departure, as the main factor leading to Boy’s Town’s poor performance and relegation threat in the Premier League competition. 

The lack of cohesion was evident in a Jamaican team comprised of players who had no time to understand each other. Sports psychologists have repeatedly touted that a good player-coach relationship is critical to the team’s performance and that teams synchronize and work collectively towards their victory through the shared knowledge of a transactive memory system they develop through training and playing matches together. 

Instead of considering the greater good of negotiating directly with the ‘Girlz’ at the table, just as the team of negotiators led by former Cricket West Indies President, Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron and Raymond Anderson did with the Reggae Boyz on behalf of JFF during the 2021 impasse, the JFF leadership punched its iron fist to the detriment of the team, fans, and sponsors, ultimately eroding our international ranking gains based on our 2023 World Cup performance. While Spain was able to field an entire replacement team and perform well in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Jamaica could not.     

Good leaders display the type of emotional intelligence that demonstrates deep and thoughtful decision-making rather than emotional, ego-driven actions. The ‘I-am-the-boss’ decisions to terminate the coach and suspend players, rather than foster good relations, ignored basic leadership rules of emotional intelligence, conflict management, and good governance, and certainly disregarded the labour relations rules of due process and equity, defined by FIFA as ‘fair play’. In all cases of players’ impasse mentioned here, one factor remained common throughout – the governing bodies sat at the table to negotiate a settlement with unhappy parties and resolved the issues. 

If Jamaican football is to achieve its full potential it will require the kind of leadership that demonstrates good governance evidenced by competence, strong accountability, timely and effective communication, and stakeholder equity and inclusion. Hopefully, the January 14, 2024, JFF elections will accommodate this very needed change in the sport we all love – football.

Dr. Cecile Dennis is a human resource specialist, an assistant professor, and a former Jamaica national table tennis representative.