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OUR
VISION
To create the best sporting environment in The Bahamas
MISSION STATEMENT
We commit that we will establish the New Providence Sports
and Educational Centre as the premier team sports facility
in The Bahamas while maintaining an uncompromising commitment
to our membership, particularly the young, as we grow.
The Centre accomplishes this with the help of guiding principles
• To provide all members of The New Providence Sports and
Educational Centre with a club environment in which they hold
a vested interest and sense of ownership
• To be the focal point for recreation and companionship for
all members, from the very youngest to the club elders.
• To give every player the opportunity to develop his or her
skills to the highest level of the individual's ability.
• To provide a level of competition commensurate with each
participant's ability, interest and desire.
• To provide a healthy, safe and enjoyable environment for
all participants.
• To foster honesty, integrity and good will within the community.
• To provide educational opportunities to all players, coaches,
volunteers and the community at large.
• To govern and administer the Centre in a fair, efficient,
and exemplary fashion.
• To provide recognition of players, coaches, referees, and
volunteers at all levels of participation.
• To promote unity within the community.
• To be an organization which is a positive role model and
which provides leadership to the community at large.
• The Centre is fundamentally dedicated to and supportive
of its members.
The Philosophy
Essential to the establishment of the Sports and Educational
Centre is the reduction of crime in The Bahamas by improving
the quality of life of Bahamian children, and nurturing ambition
by providing access to structured, enjoyable and meaningful
leisure activity within the umbrella of a unified community.
THE VALUE OF SPORT IN COMBATTING CRIME
Leisure is central to the quality of life of young people,
as a key source of friendship, networks and self-identity,
particularly in the absence of work, full-time education or
family responsibilities. However, here a distinction should
be made between the short-term and long term benefits of sports
and sporting institutions.
The short term benefits of sports are predominantly ‘diversionary’,
ie: the casual integration of youth at risk reduces delinquency
rates by encouraging the positive use of leisure time. However,
it would be naïve to say that sport alone can reduce
the levels of youth crime in society, although it can have
an indirect effect by providing challenge, adventure and meaning
to young lives.
In the long term, it is the environment surrounding the sporting
activity that is the predominant influence on the young person.
Sport delivered in a sound ethical framework can engender
self-respect, esteem, confidence and leadership qualities,
the presumption here being that the social outcomes of participating
in sport, rather than the inherent value of the sport itself
are the significant factors in reducing the propensity of
individuals (mostly young males) to commit criminal acts.
In other words, if I wish to gain acceptance into a positive
social group (in this case a sporting club) my chances are
greatly reduced if I am inclined towards anti-social behaviour.
Once accepted, the individual is exposed to an environment
that is one of encouragement and beneficial to social development.
However, most large-scale programmes tend to have either vague
rationales or over-ambitious objectives (often motivated by
the need to impress funders with an apparent 'economy of solutions').
The idea that sport reduces crime is inferred and simply presumed
to be one of the possible outcomes of the provision of the
programmes. As such, the vast majority of sports programming
is diversionary in nature and does not directly address the
underlying issues of character and community.
If sporting programmes are to achieve more than simply providing
short-term alternatives to opportunity-led crime, their effectiveness
depends on whether they achieve at least some of the following:
• Improvements in cognitive and social skills.
• Reductions in impulsiveness and risk-taking behaviour
• Raised self-esteem and self-confidence
• Improvements in education and employment prospects
Most young people who are less predisposed to anti-social
behaviour develop these skills, to varying degrees, within
the confines of a supportive family and go on to better integrate
into society. However, the vast majority of crime and criminal
acts are committed by disenfranchised groups, particularly
those involved in the ‘gang culture,’ a problem
that is becoming increasingly endemic to the Bahamas. Young,
disillusioned men who seek the perceived self-esteem and self-confidence
provided by the ‘gang’ environment will commit illogically
self-destructive acts in order to gain or maintain the respect
of similarly disillusioned peers.
The psychological profile of the young person who finds himself
drawn to the gang suggests that young people do so because
they see few alternatives and would be inclined towards more
socially acceptable activities, if such were available. Logically
a properly constituted sports club, based on strong ethical
principles would fill that ‘need for acceptance’
while also providing positive goals and constructive motivation
which would replace the negativity and desperation that comes
with gang membership.
THE VALUE OF A ‘CLUB BASED’ APPROACH
A key aspect of the NPSEC’s mandate is that the Centre
should take care of its members for life. A child should be
able to join at the age of 5 and feel that he or she is a
part of an extended family, within which s/he will be encouraged
to grow and mature in an environment that is conducive to
such. That is, an environment that takes an active interest
in, and is able to exert an influence on, the child’s
personal development, health and employment training.
Sport, as a means of combating crime is effective when combined
with programmes which seek to address the wider aspects of
personal and social development. Rather than hope that these
develop as a by-product of participation in sport, the club
intends to ‘exploit’ young people’s attraction
to sport to draw them towards integrated programmes which
offer formal developmental opportunities.
Below are listed a few of the benefits that a young member
can hope to gain from membership:
1. A daily homework club under the supervision of a fully
trained teacher (see education section below).
2. Private tuition and after school lessons, again with a
teacher, but in a less formal environment and with a smaller
number of students.
3. Supervised fitness training in the gym.
4. Coaching from qualified and competent coaches.
5. One guaranteed nutritious meal each day provided by the
club (see nutrition section below).
6. The Club mentoring programme with older members of the
club.
7. College and scholarship advise from the club’s education
officer.
8. Careers advise from members in a variety of businesses.
9. Computer training.
10. Regularly scheduled dental and medical checkups.
11. Increased employment opportunities. A potential employer
should, based on our reputation for integrity, be able to
approach the club for references and recommendations.
12. Regular, competitive sports in a fair and honourable environment.
13. Trust, respect and equality.
14. A safe, friendly community in which a kid can be a kid.
The
Rationalisation
The need for a major centre in New Providence is obvious to
anybody involved in sports. There are, it should be said,
some compelling reasons why it is in everyone’s interest
for an organisation such as the Winton Rugby Centre to take
on the responsibility of running such a facility.
A HOME FOR SPORTS
Winton, as a centre for rugby has been well administered and
has been the home of the sport since 1975. It enjoys strong
patronage and support from its members who have expressed
an earnest desire to see their facility put to greater use.
The New Providence Sports and Educational Centre will be an
attractive place for school teams, youth teams and senior
clubs, both male and female, to play rugby and football. With
around 120 teams currently playing football in New Providence
in four major leagues, the market is a large and vibrant one.
The same also applies to the sports of basketball, baseball,
etc., so there is no reason to assume that the centre will
not become the focal point for a whole range of sports.
WHY SHOULD THE RUGBY CLUB TAKE THIS ON AND NOT ANY OTHER
SPORT’S GOVERNING BODY?
The key to this is the concept of ‘allegiance’.
Today’s society is one in which the spirit of volunteerism
does not thrive and generally, though not exclusively, athletes
tend to feel a stronger bond to their teams or clubs than
to their sport. This is not the case in rugby, a sport which
has always been able to boast a strong spirit of camaraderie
between the teams, all of which act for the good of the sport.
Each club can call upon a large number of members and former
players who willingly give their time for the betterment of
their sport. The same cannot be said for the governing bodies
of most sports which rely heavily on the support of a few
and suffer from both practical and political constraints that
do not hamper the rugby club.
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL RELEVANCE?
As should become clear below, such a facility as this will
have enormous benefits for the community at large, both on
its own merits and as a catalyst for other such centres to
be established. By adopting a multi-faceted approach to youth
development, the NPSEC has a unique opportunity to exert a
tremendous positive influence on its young members.
The
Concept
• Winton Rugby Centre has developed a tradition of looking
after its own. The three clubs that call the Centre home have
shown a high level of commitment and dedication to their sport
and to their members. In recent years, the clubs have established
a youth policy that is highly supportive of its players and
well within keeping with the mandate set out in the mission
statement.
• To further perpetuate the growth of rugby in The Bahamas
as well as enhancing Winton’s commitment to the community
at large, the land currently occupied shall be substantially
upgraded to accommodate the ‘New Providence Sports and
Education Centre’ (NPSEC).
• In recent years, the sport of rugby has established a youth
policy that is highly supportive of its players and well within
keeping with the mandate set out in the mission statement.
This programme will be greatly enhanced by the NPSEC concept.
• In furtherance of the NPSEC’s mandate, one or more
Football Club(s) shall be invited to participate in this venture,
taking up residency at the Centre alongside the current occupants.
This will provide an immediate boost in membership and enhance
the financial and social viability of the concept.
• Baha Junior is a new, well founded youth football club which
has already taken residence at the Winton facility. The club
has a strong management and support base and already has at
its heart many of the core values of the NPSEC as expressed
above. The members and administrators have both respected
and improved the facilities at the Centre and therefore, this
club is well placed to become the centre’s football ‘team-in-residence’
• Coincident with this has been the tremendous growth of youth
soccer on the island of New Providence over the last few years,
which has served to enhance this aspiration.
• The Centre shall be properly constituted, maintain a safe,
constructive environment, employ child protection and equal
opportunities policies and be overseen by an elected board
of directors.
• Education and family values shall be at the heart of the
Centre’s youth policy.
• The Centre shall support members of every age, ability level,
race or religion and shall welcome both men and women equally.
• However, the board of directors of the club recognises the
greater need of the sporting community as a whole to be able
to utilise a high quality and consistently viable facility,
both for training and competition. The NPSEC will therefore
become a multi-sports complex, with a skeletal full time staff,
managed and run by an elected executive.
• Full membership shall be afforded to all rugby club members
as well as to any ‘teams-in-residence’ with associate
membership to be offered to a variety of other sporting organisation
and individuals.
• The essence of the NPSEC is a self-supporting community
centre that provides sporting, educational and social outlets
for its members as well as for the community at large.
• The Rugby Club is fortunate to have a powerful support base,
including several members who have become successful in the
world of business, education, medicine, law, etc. and whose
commitment to our programmes provides us with a strong nucleus
from which to initiate our plans.
Infrastructure
ORGANSATIONAL
CHART
The
Board of Directors
A Board of Directors is to be established out of the nucleus
of the NPSEC which shall be responsible for all Club policy.
The elected officials shall fulfil the following criteria:
1. They shall have played or demonstrated longstanding support
for the sport of Rugby and/or football in The Bahamas.
2. They shall put the Centre’s interests at the heart
of all decisions.
3. They shall act without personal prejudice regarding nationality,
race, gender, religion or ability in their dealings with all
members.
4. They shall display professionalism and integrity at all
times.
5. They shall meet at least four times each year.
6. They shall display no other loyalty above their allegiance
to the Centre in their dealings with official club business.
7. They shall not directly seek either professional position
or elected office for any family member.
8. They shall seek no personal financial gain from the Centre.
9. They shall not disclose any of the business of the Board
of Directors to any non-Board member.
10. They shall not criticise another member to any non-member.
11. They shall uphold the reputation of the Centre at all
times.
12. CLUB BOARD of DIRECTORS (The Board)
• The Club Board shall consist of the following 5 Club Officers:
Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Treasurer, Secretary and Minutes
Secretary, elected at an Annual General Meeting.
• Each Club Officer and Club Board Member shall hold office
from the date of appointment until the next Annual General
Meeting unless otherwise resolved at a Special General Meeting.
One person may hold no more than two positions of Club Officer
at any time. The Club Board shall be responsible for the management
of all the affairs of the Club. Decisions of the Club Board
shall be made by a simple majority of those attending the
Club Board Meeting. The Chairperson of the Club Board meeting
shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie. Meetings
of the Club Board shall be chaired by the Chairman or in their
absence the Vice-chairman. The quorum for the transaction
of business of the Club Board shall be three.
• Decisions of the Club Board of meeting shall be entered
into the Minute Book of the Club to be maintained by the Club
Secretary.
• Any member of the Club Board may call a meeting of the Club
Board by giving not less than 7 days’ notice to all members
of the Club Board. The Club Board shall hold no less than
four meetings a year.
• An outgoing member of the Club Board may be re-elected.
Any vacancy on the Club Board which arises between Annual
General Meetings shall be filled by a member proposed by one
and seconded by another of the remaining Club Board members
and approved by a simple majority of the remaining Club Board
members.
• Save as provided by the Rules and Regulations of The Bahamas
Rugby Football Union or The Bahamas Football Association,
the Club Board shall have the power to decide all questions
and disputes arising in respect of any issue concerning the
Club Rules.
Membership & Affiliation
We envisage several tiers of membership, the players being
at the apex of the club’s development. Although elitism
is not practiced as a general rule, it is important that certain
privileges be set aside for full members only, such as a combined
meeting room and lounge.
FULL MEMBERSHIP
All former players are automatically full members and others
may be voted in as honorary full members by the Club’s
board (based on the constitution of the club). Corporate partners
are also afforded full membership with the approval of the
board.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP
Although Rugby and Football’s ‘team-in-residence’
are at the core of the Centre, other organisations will be
invited become affiliated. This will enable them to avail
themselves of the facilities as a base and/or training facility,
particularly baseball, basketball, volleyball, and other football
teams. Other sports are also under consideration, based on
the development of facilities, such as boxing, gymnastics
and other sports. The members of any affiliated organisation
will automatically gain associate membership of The Club which
will allow them use of most facilities.
However, any club that wishes to enter into an affiliation
with The New Providence Sports and Educational Centre must
agree to follow the ‘Terms of Association’ (see
Affiliated Clubs below) which includes observance of the club
rules, obedience to the club’s Code of Good Practice
and obedience to the club’s Child Protection Policy.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
Any team that enters into one of the weekly league competitions,
eg. 5-a-side soccer; corporate baseball; inter-departmental
basketball, (see Corporate Leagues below) etc. or any individual
who wishes to use the club’s facilities (multi-gym, keep
fit classes, etc.), will be afforded a general membership
which allows limited access to specific amenities. It is also
to be expected that the rules of general membership should
be relaxed whenever a major sporting event is held or televised
(World Cup, etc.). This should be at the discretion of the
board.
CHILDREN
The New Providence Sports and Educational Centre’s Anti-Discrimination
and Equal Opportunities Policies (see Code of Good Practice)
dictate that no child, of whatever gender, race, nationality,
religion or ability shall ever be refused membership. However,
a child must join the club, an affiliated club or be accompanied
by an adult member of the club before entering.
FAMILY MEMBERSHIP
The New Providence Sports and Educational Centre believes
strongly in The Family. Indeed, parental support for young
athletes is one of the most crucial aspects of the club’s
youth policy. It is greatly hoped that parents will choose
to come and watch their children train and participate in
competitive games. As a result, and in an effort to encourage
parents, The Club offers General Membership to all other family
members of any child involved in one of our youth programmes
(see ‘Family Environment’ section below).
EXCEPTIONS
Any local visiting team involved in competition at the club
is automatically granted general membership for the day(s)
of the competition. A team travelling from abroad specifically
to play at the New Providence Sports and Educational Centre
will be afforded associate membership status. As an incentive
for these teams to return, this status will be good for five
years (see Sports Tourism below).
Full members should be permitted to invite up to five guests
at any one time, as one of the benefits of that status.
EXCLUSIONS/EXPULSIONS
The general manager may exclude any non-member from entering
the club premises without reason. Any board member may recommend
an exclusion to the general manager who is obliged to act
upon it in accordance with club policy.
A child or general member may also be expelled by the general
manager without reason. However, an associate member may be
expelled for a period of 24 hours unless approved by the board.
A full member can only be expelled by a meeting of the board.
All excluded or expelled persons are entitled to have their
case reviewed by the board which shall make its decision according
to the terms of the Code of Good Practice.
Volunteer
Recruitment
As far as the Complex is concerned, volunteers fall into three
clearly defined, though sometimes intertwined categories:
1. Sports Volunteers
2. Administrative Volunteers
3. Educational Volunteers
4. Mentors
1. Sports Volunteers
a) Rugby and Football
Each member Club must be prepared to provide adequate coaches
for senior and youth teams. Each team has a head coach and
assistant coach. Teams will train three times a week and play
on Saturdays or Sundays. Coaches shall be provided with a
small stipend.
b) Affiliated Sports
Any sporting body wishing to utilise the New Providence Sports
and Educational Facility must be prepared to create a similar
infrastructure as a condition of affiliation.
2. Administrative Volunteers
Although, key posts will be appointed positions, any in-house
work that needs to be done for the betterment of the Centre
will be covered by the club, specifically the Board of Directors
and other full members. This should include:
a) Event Management
b) Administrative (office) work
c) Bar/restaurant work during busy times
d) Ticket sales for specific events
e) Refereeing
f) Any other work, as and when required
3. Educational Volunteers
Due to the specific and professional nature of this category,
it is felt that an ‘Education Officer’ should be
appointed and given a limited budget to remunerate teachers
who are prepared to give their time to tutor students in after-school
lessons. The club should have up to ten teachers on hand every
day between the hours of 4 and 6 to assist with homework and
provide extra tuition to those in need. Aside from this, the
club has several members with backgrounds in education who
shall be prepared to give weekly lessons in key area such
as mathematics, IT, and English.
4. Mentors
This is the most difficult area to cover. Although a mentor
does not need any particular qualifications, he/she must possess
certain qualities that meet the strict requirements for mentoring.
It is also a fairly labour intensive field as mentors, by
definition, should not be responsible for the wellbeing of
one or two ‘at risk’ individuals at any one time.
However, as the ‘Buster’ Mentoring Programme will
not be introduced immediately, it is felt that appropriate
individuals will present themselves as the Centre grows.Education
and College Connections
Several young Bahamians have been good enough athletes to
achieve college scholarships in the US and Canada, but have
not been able to take up these placements due to their academic
shortcomings. This is a substantial problem, especially for
government school students. One of the primary goals of the
New Providence Sports and Educational Centre is to address
this situation.
EDUCATION OFFICER
The Club should appoint an individual who is prepared to liaise
with schools and parents and construct academic programmes
that fulfil the need of every young player involved in our
programmes. The club should be willing to provide all students
with:
• A homework club
• Extra tuition in core subject areas
• Assistance with computers
• Assistance in developing study skills
• A full Mentoring Programme (see below)
COLLEGE PLACEMENT
As the club develops, it should be able to assume that many
players who have gone through our programmes shall be good
enough to achieve college scholarships. Once we have ensured
that they are suitable prospects academically, the Education
Officer will, having fostered relationships with various colleges,
pursue the best possible avenues for the player’s further
education.
Opportunities will be substantially enhanced when the club
starts inviting schools and colleges to Nassau to play against
our various teams.
For players who are not academically inclined, the NPSEC shall
assist in finding employment opportunities and shall consider
creating conducting vocational training in certain areas.
‘Buster’ Mentoring
‘Buster’ ©
“Buster” is dedicated to helping honest, sincere,
caring, trustworthy and responsible adults to help kids and
youth today for their future tomorrow!"
The details of Buster Mentoring are discussed in greater detail
in ‘The Buster Mentoring Programme’ document.
The essence of the programme is to provide (within two years
of opening) a network of individuals who are prepared to act
as role models, providing guidance and inspiration to young
players who, for whatever reasons are recognised by the Club
as being ‘at risk’.
This is a major project, but one which needs to be conducted
by the Club to prevent our young players from falling through
the cracks.
Such programmes are desperately needed in society as a whole,
although appropriate candidates are in woefully short supply.
It would be a tremendous credit to the NPSEC, should it take
this initiative and will greatly enhance the public’s
perception of the organisation as a whole, while taking a
strong positive stance in the fight against youth delinquency.
Although the mentors themselves may come from outside the
Centre (church groups, PTAs, COB, etc.), the environment created
by the Centre and its membership provides the right kind of
infrastructure to nurture success.
Health
and Nutrition
MEDICAL
There are a few of dentists and General Practitioners on this
island who are prepared to provide free check-ups for children.
They do this in the hope that, should any treatment be necessary,
they will attract the child as a potential patient, often
providing discounted service. It’s a business move on
their part, but also a public service.
The NPSEC shall take advantage of this by facilitating 6-monthly
dental and health checks for all young players involved in
the club.
CLUB MEDICAL OFFICERS
The NPSEC should, on occasion run First-Aid training courses
for its members. Each Club should be in a position to appoint
a medical officer who is able, on site, to tend to the general
injuries picked up by players during training or competition.
This person need not be a doctor, but should have received
First-Aid training and have some knowledge of Sports Medicine.
The Bahamas Football Association, for example, has scheduled
both first aid and sports medicine courses as part of its
in-service training programme and these opportunities should
be exploited by the Centre.
NUTRITION
A large number of young people are undernourished as a result
of poor diet and erratic eating habits. As such, they unable
to perform to their optimum level either mentally and physically.
As a part of each member’s daily training regime, the
Centre will provide one nutritious meal each day, backed up
with vitamin and mineral supplements.
In addition, each member’s family shall be provided with
essential nutritional information.
The
Family
In order to develop the ‘whole’ child, the Club
should, as much as possible encourage parents to become involved.
This is where the ‘Clubhouse Concept’ is key. While
the child is training or playing in competitive games, parents
should be encouraged to be present. The Club will be able
to provide:
• Playground - A safe place for small children to play without
the parents worrying
• A Laundromat – A parent might choose to was the weekly
load while watching the child play or train
• A Multi-gym – A parent could choose a work-out
• A Sports Bar – Or watch the game/news/chat in a bar
which overlooks the field
• A Restaurant – The family may choose to eat together
after training
• Fitness Classes for women – A one hour work out while
waiting
• A Cinema – Or a movie in the rerun cinema
• A walking/jogging track – Or go for a run or walk
around the bush trail
Ultimately, and if there is a demand, the Centre shall also
be prepared to provide adult education courses.
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