… thanks GBA and GOA for exposure

HE IS the fourth local coach to have benefited from a programme of this nature, after three of his colleagues, Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Technical Director Terrence Poole, Carl Franklyn and Clifton Moore, completed similar studies a few years ago.
In September of this year, the GBA through the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) selected Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) coach Sebert Blake to attend three months of diligent studies at the Semmelweis University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Strategic and International Directorate in Budapest Hungary, where he acquired a Diploma in Sports Science and Boxing Specifics.
According to the soft-spoken Blake, he arrived in Hungary two weeks after the course commenced but still managed to top the field, sharing it with a Slovenian coach with whom he acquired the maximum 40 points.
The course content has been carefully selected to meet the needs of coaches working with generally young, developing athletes as well as with advanced athletes of elite sport and Blake explained that he was required to complete theoretical, practical and technical components of the programme.
“I got the maximum marks in all specialist areas including general conditioning, sports pedagogy, sports physiology, sports psychology, sports therapy, sports theory and sports sociology, because I dedicated myself to studying and doing so real hard, knowing that I joined the classes late,” said Blake.
He said all the participants were involved in practical coaching exercises in leading sports clubs in Hungary, since progress in the training programme requires active coaching to implement the knowledge gained in the coaching course and they were supervised by the senior lecturer and/or his/her assistants of the particular sport.
He added, “Additionally, participants were required to submit a researched study report on one of several topics provided by the facilitators and I chose to research issues relating to modern boxing training and delivered an impressive document which gained me 500 points, which is equivalent to a pass of excellence.
“I compared techniques and strategies employed by my local colleagues with those just experienced and feel that while there ought to be adjustments in applications of the local coaches, some of those very (local) strategies and implementations should be retained as they are better suited for our situation.”
“The Hungarians concentrate heavily on techniques, anaerobic, conditioning and fitness aspects of the preparation. In contrast, local boxing coaches focus heavily on strategies and I believe that both areas could complement each other and I plan speaking with my colleagues to examine ways of employing these techniques towards the development of our boxers locally,” Blake said.
He admits that some of the applications will not be relevant to a Guyanese situation and posits that local coaches will have to examine the best way forward while taking the unique circumstances into consideration, including altitude, climatic conditions and nutrition.
Quizzed on how soon he plans to implement the ideas learnt in Hungary in Guyana, Blake said he has already begun doing so, since his arrival back home.
“I started immediately on my arrival back home; for as soon as I settled in, I made my way to the gym and began working. I know many people would be looking to see the progress I made while I was in Hungary and I am eager to display it as well.
My aim is to produce an Olympic champion for Guyana but I want to let people know that these things take time. It is not going to happen overnight because Poole, Moore, Franklyn or I went on the course, since we have to get the boxers to adapt to the training” said Blake.
He added, “My aim is the 2020 Olympics, since I feel the 2016 Olympics would be too short a period for us to adequately get the boxers to prepare. We cannot look at hindsight in this situation, but rather down the road for whilst getting an Olympic medal for Guyana is one thing the ability to garner more for the country is my ultimate goal.”
President of the Guyana Olympics Association (GOA), K A Juman-Yassin, was instrumental in the acquisition of the initiative and Blake said he is grateful to the GOA boss for affording him the opportunity and to the GBA for selecting him.
Meanwhile, GBA president Steve Ninvalle congratulated Blake on his achievement and urged him to impart what he has learnt for the betterment of the sport, adding he was grateful to the GOA president for his intervention that made Blake’s participation possible.
Ninvalle said that his executives will continue to explore ways of enhancing the fraternity even as they stay committed to attaining the coveted Olympic gold medal.

(By Calvin Roberts)