Why are we still at the point where every problem and issue is seen as due to a lack of money.
When we say we need more money what do we mean? What’s it going to take? Is it always about money?
Becoming the best takes more than money; it takes thinking big from the start.
Is it money alone? What about character, integrity, the work ethic, knowledge, experience, creativity, innovativeness?
What will it take to make T&T the best sporting nation in the region and one of the best in the world?
What will it take to make national sport organisations the best sport marketers in the country?
What will it take to transform T&T sport into a market focus environment?
What will it take to make local athletes and national teams the best prepared mentally, emotionally, physically and physiologically?
What will it take to ensure that local coaches are the best trained and world class?
What will it take to ensure that national sport organisations are the best run and governed, the most transparent and accountable best practices examples?
What will it take to win ten Olympic gold medals and more by 2024?
It’s not about passing judgment on whether it can be done or not.
It’s about answering the question.
It’s about thinking big and being honest. It’s about being serious about sport and where we want sport to go.
It’s about not being intimidated.
What will it take to be the absolute best that we can be?
The question is easy. It’s the answer that causes discomfort and pain.
There will always be resistance. People will tell you in great detail why it isn’t possible.
They will produce hard evidence and history to show it isn’t possible and why.
I once read somewhere that when people laugh when you present an idea, that idea has a chance of becoming a breakthrough idea.
When an idea is considered outrageous and pie in the sky and people view it as dumb and unrealistic.
That’s a good sign.
Forget about the negatives for a few seconds.
What would happen if it were possible?
What would happen if T&T were to become a mecca of sport and sporting excellence?
Use your imagination. Suppose just suppose it were possible. Wouldn’t the potential benefits exceeded the negatives?
But even so, look way past just the medals and big commercial contracts.
The bigger objective is to afford young people the opportunity to hunt down their potential and empower and enable them to be the best they can be.
What will it take to support Olympic and Paralympic sports and athletes to achieve success at world, Olympics and Paralympic levels?
A start point would be to invest in and support the development of high performance systems. But before that can happen there has to be a change in attitude. There is a need to challenge traditional practices, approaches and methods that at this time may be getting in the way of progress.
When will there be productive debate about the issues related to high level sport performance?
Can we produce world class on a constant basis without at the least making ourselves aware of the most modern and up to date aspects of athletes and team preparation or without having world class beliefs and values?
Which comes first, the money or the will and vision?
If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got. If what you are doing is not working, do something else.
The longest journey starts with the first step but it has to be a step in the right direction. A small change can have a huge effect.