WORLD JUNIORS PARENTS - YOU SHARE IN DYLAN'S SILVER!!!

This week a 17 year old boy has achieved in T & T swimming a phenomenal feat. Not only is he the first swimmer to ever medal in the World Junior Swimming Championships, but he is the first swimmer in my recollection, not named George Bovell III, to have generated a wave of national pride. Social Media was abuzz. The media gave 100% support to the team. And now everyone knows our newest champion Dylan Carter.

The intention is not to further glorify his magnificent achievement. But to give the story behind the story….to let the people of Trinidad and Tobago know what patriotism entails, what love for your sport costs, and to glorify the real champions behind the swimming champions…the parents!! Not just Everard and Tracy Carter, but also the parents of the other team members- Beverly and Wayne Julien (Kristin’s parents), Dean and Jacqueline Romany (Joshua’s parents), Kim and Anthony Ramkissoon (Jonathan’s parents) and Craig and Babette Martin (Tyla’s parents) and all parents of National Athletes.

This group of parents work progressively and in unity to ensure that the five athletes on the team in the face of uncertainty and even some animosity made it to Dubai. From temporary loans among one another, to waiting in bank lines to advance monies to the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT), to using credit cards to pay for team officials, to having athletes bunk with one another during training stints just to save a dollar, to dipping into personal savings and retirement funds, just to ensure that the athletes who had achieved the highest level a junior athlete could achieve, and thankfully they all made it to Dubai. While the Dubai trip itself may have been $30,000 an athlete, preparing for same cost double and triple that amount ADDITIONALLY.

World Juniors were held in 2006, 2008 and 2011, but 2013 became the first time funds were not advanced by the Association for these games. These world juniors’ parents were basically told by ASATT on June 13th that there were no funds available to these athletes ($50 - $80k was the amount quoted which could have realistically funded officials only). These parents could have taken a decision not to have their children participate or publicly take the powers that be to task. They were privately emotional about it and they had their quiet pondering painful moments trying to determine how this could be. Assessing their situation, they kept focus and through immense financial sacrifice, Dubai is now history. The majority would share the sentiment of team manager Dean Romany who still is confident that the parents of these potential Olympians are reimbursed.

Parents in the sport continue to support regardless of all that is meted out to them. Patriotism and love for child can make you do some crazy things like wake up at 4:00am to take them to morning training and then return for an evening session.

Shipping out children to the US and other countries to train with or without parental supervision, depending on how the pockets are, is another investment and frankly a risk. Volunteering at swim competitions just to ensure meets can run. There are the physiotherapy fees, gym fees, personal training, food, supplements, gas, training fees and host of other expenses. Not to mention managing hormones and new attitudes which creep up in teenage years. Sometimes due to insufficient planning by administration, parents are forced to make spur of the moment financial decisions just for athletes to represent the Red White and Black. Yet their contribution to the development of sport in Trinidad and Tobago is at times completely undervalued.

The management of family life is probably the most difficult task especially if you have a mix of athletes of different sports, or athletes versus non-athletes. Ensuring that there is a balance of attention given to your offspring, management of emotion is not an easy task. An athlete sometimes needs more encouragement- enforcement of a strict regimen is needed. Parents also have to learn if to push, when to push, what to say, what not to say in order to affect the mind of the athlete in a positive way. They have to learn to be strong when the athlete needs them the most and most likely cry in their quiet times.

So Trinidad and Tobago, without the support of the parents, Dylan Carters and George Bovells would not have achieved what they have. We can be almost sure persons like Jehue Gordon, Andrew Lewis and Njisane Phillip would attest to the same. Trinidad and Tobago needs at this time of Independence to salute the parents of our athletes who for years on end are the true flag bearers, the cheerers, the supporters, the screamers, the backbone of all our athletes, especially the ones who bring glory to the red white and black.

On behalf of all Trinbagonians, I would like to specially thank the parents of the World Juniors Swimming Team. While at times faith was a scarce commodity, you stuck it out as a team, and ensured that Trinidad and Tobago had its best performance ever at the World Junior Championships. You all share in Dylan’s silver!

By Jason Wickham