Girls Trip – You should try one

Long before the 2017 American comedy Girls Trip with the star-studded cast of Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish, the trips were a thing.

I did two of such trips in 2019 and they were therapeutic. I would therefore like to recommend a few reasons why women of all ages should take a Girls Trip.

Beach Front, Ocho Rios, JAMAICA

Before I get into the reasons though, it is a time when you can sample a new set of experiences to include, food, wine, attractions, sport, theatre, music among a few things.

1. You can do this from as early as college. Girls Trip can be used to conduct research for that final paper before graduation; or if there is a conference you want to go to network, plan a few days around it.
2. After College, it is a way to have a reunion with your circle, especially if everybody moved back home and got new and exciting jobs/projects and it will provide a great opportunity for updates face to face.
3. If you keep in touch with your friends from as far back as high school, then here is another reason. Even within the big-group reunion, there is always room for four/five of you (who are close) to reconnect.
4. Girls Trips can also be fun for sport. Say the Summer Olympics which is coming up (July 24 to August 9) in Tokyo, Japan. I don’t need to add anything more on this one.
5. Work friends can use it to unwind, once you can all get vacation at the same time
6. If you are part of service clubs, community groups, a small group from either team can take a trip too.

Travel Tips

• Make a budget
• Four/five days are good (especially if it is the first)
• Check the weather and pack accordingly
• Select a team leader (she will create an agenda)
• Use miles
• Book for the airport closest to the hotel
• Book room for at least two each
• Look up the great restaurants
• See what events are on so you can book tickets early
• Check if it is more reasonable to do Uber/Lyft – or rent a car

These trips are usually shared expenses and if you suggest an activity outside of what was agreed, ensure there is enough notice. Also, plan an hour or so and do a gift exchange, preferably on the last evening before departure. You can pick up on hints on what each other like, so that should be easy. And take loads of pictures. – the memories are what matter.

So, start calling your girlfriends from school college or work, and plan a trip for 2020. You will be glad you did. Go for the fun, enjoy the experience.

#OneLove

Football is of great value to the Jamaican economy

KINGSTON, October 10 – Quite the contrary, Sport is not just fun and games. It is so much more. It is actually BIG business. Since Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz qualified for France in 1998 I think there began a realization among the sport power brokers in Jamaica that there are major business opportunities in sport. Football at the time is and remains the number one sport in the world. That measurement is the television audience which is growing closer to 4 billion. The recent World Cup Football 2014 held in Brazil saw world record figures.

Take for example, the match between the USA and Ghana was watched by 11.1 million on ESPN in the United States, setting a new record for ESPN coverage of a men’s FIFA World Cup match. Another highlight is 42.9 million watched Brazil and Croatia on Brazilian channel TV Globo, the highest sports broadcast of 2014. You can read the full article here http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=6/news=tv-viewing-breaks-records-in-first-fifa-world-cup-matches-2378078.html

Read this report if you have the time too and you will see that WC 2014 was a watershed moment for football (soccer) in the USA as the viewership was more than the 2014 NBA final and the 2013 Major League Baseball series http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/44/29/89/fifaworldcupinnumbers_120714_v7_eng_neutral.pdf – that is a major accomplishment.

Amidst all the recent FIFA issues with its leadership and the calls from sponsors and other supporters for its President, Sepp Blatter to step away; the sport is enjoying its highest level of visibility ever. Here is another bit of information confirming the sport’s popularity http://sports-facts.top5.com/the-worlds-top-5-most-watched-sporting-events/?page=2

How can Jamaica benefit?

Saw a feature by Andrew C Edwards recently talking about developing the Jamaican footballer. Here is the link to the article http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Lessons-from-afar-as-we-aim-to-develop-the-total-Jamaican-footballer_19232628 – “One of the key points he made though, was Our players must demonstrate an insatiable appetite for winning; they must demonstrate a desire to win at all times regardless of circumstance. For all intents and purposes, winning is not only measured by results, or at least not by immediate results when dealing with young players. Learning to play the game “properly” is an important seed for the fruit of future winnings.”

I also wrote some months ago that Jamaica needs the football programme http://carolebeckford.blogspot.com/2012/10/jamaica-needs-football-programme.html – the point of the article was to highlight that Jamaica being able to maintain stability – The administration of the JFF has to then focus on accountability, transparency and must engage the newest forms of management expertise available, using technology to enhance its message. The support services for the sport have to be managed using the tertiary level institutions allowing for young players to move on to collegiate football to gain valuable experience on and off the field. The number of coaches, officials must increase, but offer quality and impartial service all aimed at growing the sport. Jamaica has to go back to the day where the natural progression from primary to college football is seen as the way to enter the national programme, developing the Jamaican Brand of Football. The island currently boasts the fastest men and women in the world. What of football? Isn’t it high time the Jamaican football brand is known and established into the minds of people firstly in Jamaica and also to the rest of the world.

Although the country has a number of sporting disciplines which can attract certain levels of financial investment, I believe that without a stable football programme – the sport assets of Jamaica are at risk.

Let’s play ball!

Collegiate System – Bridging the Gap

For the 2011 – 2012 period in the collegiate system in the Jamaica, close to 150 student-athletes have been awarded scholarships from colleges. Mico University, University of Technology, University of the West Indies and the GC Foster College of Physical Education & Sport have so far registered their intention to prepare and improve on the development of athletes from various sporting disciplines.

It suggests that for the next four years, we should see our student athletes continue with their excellent performances on the field of play, but also have greater access to acquire requisite training and development in other professional areas. 

These scholarships are a welcome addition to the growth and development of the sport industry as Jamaica progresses and grow into the sporting mecca of the world. This effort has to be lauded. While the colleges/universities have their own agenda in terms of collegiate competitions, it may also be a great idea to have the athletes at least meet once/twice each year to exchange notes and ideas on their varied experiences in a controlled setting. The offices of Students Affairs may want to coordinate on their calendars. 

We know the value of a great education especially to athletes who seek the best opportunity for earning ability and it is the responsibility of the athlete to seek this out, but the system can and is playing its role. The efforts by the college system are also important as it is this age group, 17 – 26, that poses some challenges, according to researchers. So I am hoping we can officially track some of these individuals to look at their overall progress in highlighting the validity of the programmes and what shortfalls there may be, with recommended improvements. 
Support Programmes
While we are growing the industry though, it is also of value that we train to provide the support in administration, technical, social and other developmental areas. We have seen how quickly the sport sector is growing and is bursting at the seams in some areas; but we have to be mindful that the athlete base does not outgrow the support we can offer. 
It is therefore important to have better access to courses in sport management, sport psychology, sport administration, sport nutrition, statistics, budgeting and finance as areas that will complement the training being done on the academic side for the athletes. The Business of Sport while having the athletes can only be stronger if the support grows. The formal four-year programmes do offer some of the related courses, but there are creative ways to offer professional modules which last for up to 45 hours, making it also in keeping with international standards. What this does too is attract some people from ‘outside’ the industry to make better use of some skills and knowledge. 
An athlete ultimately wants to perform at the highest level of competition, either in the world championship of their respective sport or the Olympic Games, and while London is just around the corner, the Brazil 2016 programme should start now. I am excited at these developments and we look forward to the support from all. Well done!

(c) – Republished from September 2011