High altitude for high-level training ...
Sligoville sportsman invites teams to take advantage of facility’s location
TALMAR WARREN, the man who plays and coaches his community’s Division Two team, hails the Sligoville Stadium has an ideal environment for high-level training because of its high-altitude location. Warren, who also coaches Sligoville’s Under-17 team, revealed that the facility, which stands 517 metres, or 1696.19 feet, above sea level, is being sought out by more and more local high schools, which have discovered the advantages of training in thin air.
Warren notes that many top local secondary schools sports programmes have been making greater efforts to utilise the venue, which is considered by many to be a ‘white elephant’.
“Right now it is being used more often because (St) Jago did pre-season training here and Calabar have asked about it, and since last week, Immaculate (High) is slated to use it every Tuesday. So it’s purpose is good, and it is good to train where the altitude is high as we don’t have a lot of environments like this in Jamaica, so a lot of coaches like it and it is cool and quiet,” Warren said.
Warren would now like to see more national teams take advantage of the facility and its special training advantages.
“I would like to see the national teams start using it as well, teams like the Under-17s and even the senior team. I would like it to be fenced so that passers-by can’t just look over, but in order for that to happen, you need more development,” continued Warren.
There are also plans by the community to make more use of the facility for their sports teams, and the coach is calling on Member of Parliament, Natalie Neita-Headley, to assist their sports club to present sports as a more viable option for the community’s youth.
“Sligoville has a lot of talented people, a lot of youths. We have a club and a lot of different communities in Sligoville, but we came together and formed Sligoville United Youth Club, and we would like the MP to come in and help us develop our club to the next level,” said Warren.
“A lot of girls play netball but only corner league. They don’t have an official team. But we just have been asked by the Social Development Commission (SDC) to enter the SDC All-Island Twenty20 cricket competition, and the captain and coach of that team are trying to get it together, but funding is an issue because in Sligoville, you don’t have a lot of businesses to help with sports,” he lamented.
“If GC Foster is going to come on board and it is going to be better for the community, fine. But we want people to use the stadium as a springboard to get into the sporting arena, whichever field they want — cricket, football, or basketball, from they can make a life for themselves, family, and friends,” he said.
“Sports is the biggest backbone of Jamaica, and if we in Sligoville can get an opportunity, that would be great,” Warren added.