Former Olympian and World Record-holder Leroy Burrell believes Barbados has a wonderful array of athletic talent and he is excited about it.
Burrell, now head coach at the University of Houston, made the observation at a special meeting with past and present student athletes on Thursday in the BMW MINI Showroom at McEnearney Quality Inc.
The athletes were drawn from Harrison College, Springer Memorial, Princess Margaret Secondary, Ellerslie Secondary, Alleyne School, Coleridge and Parry, St Leonard’s Boys’, Combermere and the Barbados Community College.
The gathering also included Springer’s coach Sean Dupigny and another University of Houston coach, Will Blackburn.
“There are wonderful opportunities open to Barbados’ and other Caribbean students, but they must work hard and leave nothing to chance,” Burrell said.
“Your academics must be good as well as your athletics in order to be noticed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).”
He admonished the students to ensure that their grades were up to scratch, as the various tests conducted in the United States were of a high standard and geared to American students, so Caribbean students, being unfamiliar with the system, could find it challenging.
He said his university plans to spend around US$30 000 and more per student from the Caribbean and urged them to choose their universities wisely, with the guidance of their coaches.
“If your pet area is the 400 metres, then look for the university on which there is a focus on that area before applying,” the former sprinter advised.
Marketing manager of McEnearney Quality Inc., Margaret Hoyte, in welcoming the former Olympian, his team and the students, said she was pleased with the turnout and urged the students to use the opportunities offered them to their best advantage in their dash for excellence.
“Don’t waste time . . . work hard, listen to those in whose care you find yourselves, and try to make yourselves, your schools, your families and Barbados proud,” Hoyte said.
The presence of the high-level team from the University of Houston was facilitated by the Physical Education Department of Springer Memorial, whose principal Pauline Benjamin said she hoped it would become an annual affair.
