Edwin Allen's Nikita Tracey (left) and Manchester High's Natoya Goule (right) battle around the bend in the girls' 4x400m at the Penn Relays last year.- FILE photos

The schools in the central region are feeling the economic pinch as a result of the downturn in bauxite and sugar production, but preparations are still in high gear for the upcoming Boys' and Girls' Athletic Championships, scheduled for April 1-4.

Despite having to scale down on some aspects of their programme, defending girls champions Holmwood Technical High School, former champions Vere Technical, Manchester High and Edwin Allen High schools are all in full-preparation mode.

Michael Dyke, coach of Edwin Allen's girls.

difficult challenge

Holmwood Technical, who have won the coveted title six years in a row, may, however, find it difficult to continue funding its sports programme if major sponsor, Windalco, should scale down operations, as planned in March.

Maurice Wilson, coach of Holmwood Technical, in an interview with The Gleaner, says the future of their schools' athletic programme looks bleak.

According to Wilson, the bauxite company not only assists with equipment and finances for the track team, it also helps with tuition costs for some of their most prominent athletes. He added that their assistance went beyond high school, as some past students also got help to attend tertiary institutions.

"It is already difficult for us to try and fund the travelling expenses and accommodation of the team. If this were to happen, we would have to scale down the programme dramatically. It would be a big setback for us," Wilson said.

Holmwood, who have produced a number of top-flight athletes competing on the local and international circuit, could see a 70 per cent drop in sponsorship money if Windalco should close its doors.

serious difficulties

Wilson stated that students who, lived in areas, which were also assisted by the bauxite company, would also face serious difficulties.

The cloud hanging over the sugar industry might also affect their programmes. Wilson said students who were from areas that plant sugar cane, including Trelawny, were already in problems.

But these problems, he said, were cushioned by the help they were getting from Windalco.

"If they (sugar companies) should scale down or pull out, then it would be double trouble for us," Wilson said.

Vere Technical, winners of the girls' title on 22 occasions, are also in the same boat. Coach Rahnsomn Edwards stated that preparations were going well but they had to streamline a number of their competitions.

"We have gone through the various stages and are now coming towards the competition phase. We started the season slowly, but we are getting into top gear," Edwards said.

economic crisis

The economic crisis, he said, would greatly impact their pre-parations as there were individuals affiliated with the bauxite companies who had adopted top-class athletes.

"It will affect our sports programme here because the bauxite companies sponsor some of our primary meets, including the Kirkvine Development and the Jamalco Development meets. These meets may become a thing of the past if the bauxite companies scale down," he said.

Edwards stated that the school's sports programme was also in dire need of support from corporate Jamaica.

"Our old students' association plays a vital role in terms of our sponsorship, but we are still in need of assistance. With the global economic crisis, this may prove even more difficult," he added.

Former girls champions, Manchester High, who won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, have also been cutting back on their expenditure but are still continuing with their preparations.

"We have had to be cutting back in order for the programme to last for the year. Our programme is extensive - not only athletics but includes football, basketball, cricket and netball. We have to be careful with our expenditure to give everybody a slice of the pie," said Jerry Holness, coach at Manchester High School.

The team, he said, was still in high spirits, although they also had to cut back the number of meets in which they participated last year.

Maurice Wilson, coach of Holmwood's girls.

different meets

"On most weekends, there are dual meets going on all over the island. We used to split the teams and send them to different meets, but this year, we haven't gone to any double meets on any given day. We have to concentrate on one meet," he said.

Michael Dyke, coach at Edwin Allen, stated that his team was also feeling the pinch. Individuals within the bauxite companies assisted athletes so if they should scale down, it would create a negative impact.

"The programme would be drastically reduced because if we do not have any financial support, then it would be difficult to maintain," Dyke said.

Despite the global economic crunch, the preparations are still in high gear and they are still looking forward to the various meets and championships.

"We are fully sponsored in terms of our gear, by Nike, and there are local entities who have been providing us with assistance. So far, we have received support from Chas E. Ramson, with their Foska Oats products, towards the team's nutrition. The school has also been bearing most of the costs to date," he said.

Dyke indicated that it was going to be a lot more difficult now that they were preparing for the Boys' and Girls' Championships and the Penn Relays, but they were keeping their fingers crossed.