Badree Academy of Sports Education (BASE) has resumed its operations after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic with a view to reversing the negative impact that the long absence of team sports would have on youth development.
Since March 2020, the sport has been suspended with government restrictions in place to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
BASE, which was founded by former world number one ranked T20 bowler Samuel Badree, resumed operations on April 16.
The former West Indies leg-spinner said that during the two years of the pandemic, “kids recorded worrying levels of inactivity and skill development was stunted. The pandemic had a detrimental effect on our young boys and girls and the opportunity for a restart has just emerged of team sports, BASE reopened its doors.”
Badree, who is now a cricket commentator, noted that during the first few sessions, the negative impact of the pandemic was quite evident, however as the sessions progressed, the children began to show higher levels of skill acquisition as well as improved social skills.
The academy has enrolled over 150 children and caters to the diverse needs of participants, ranging in age from 5 to 18 years and including boys and girls.
The beginner group targets basic skills and fundamentals of the game. As children improve, they can progress to the intermediate group which focuses on more complex skills and then there is the advanced group which prepares children for hard ball cricket.
Once children have demonstrated ability at this level, they can eventually progress to the ‘high performance’ group which includes children who play at a competitive level representing their schools and various regional and national teams.
There is a clearly defined pathway for children to progress as skills and competence improve and the Academy continues to develop players for national duty with four players – Brendan Boodoo, Zane Maraj, Scyon Charles and Ganesh Gobin – selected in the Trinidad and Tobago U-15 team to take part in the West Indies Under 15 tour to Grenada in August.
The coaching staff includes Badree, former West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, West Indies coaching development officers Keshava Ramphal and Brendon Ramlal, former West Indies women’s captain Stephanie Power, women’s player Tammika Ramsumair, former youth national players Christopher Siew-Sankar and Shiva Rambaran. Arnold Bassnoo, Sharaaz Hosein and Brian Mathura.
Sessions are held every Saturday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy from 9am to noon where the children go through their warm-up, fitness development, skill development and finish with a game element.
“The emphasis of this program is to get kids active and away from their screens, develop important social and life skills, and have fun in a safe environment while doing it,” Badree added.
He also thanked title sponsor PowerGen as well as presenting sponsors Omega XL, Guardian Life, R. Teeluck Financial Services, Montcalm and Nico’s Nook Tobago for making the program affordable and accessible to all participants.
The 2022 program will run until the end of November and there will be an opportunity to play competitive matches against other teams in an U-15 tournament set for August.
“We thank all our parents for their commitment, Mr. Haresh Ragoonath of BLCA and all our stakeholders as we continue to nurture champions,” concluded Badree.
