A win for coaches: Athletes Insurance Plan expanded

Sport Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange has announced that the Athletes Insurance Plan will be extended to include coaches.

The move comes almost four weeks after Hurricane Melissa slammed into western Jamaica, with coaches among the hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans counting the costs left in the category-five hurricane’s wake.

Speaking at the Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association (JATAFCA) 2025 Long Service Awards Ceremony at Alhambra Inn in Kingston on Saturday night, Grange disclosed that talks are already under way.

“We also recognise that many coaches here tonight suffered significant losses during Hurricane Melissa, or many coaches in the western end of the island suffered significant losses. Damage to equipment, facilities and in some cases personal homes has underscored a clear truth, those who safeguard the well-being of our athletes must also be safeguarded.

“The need for a dedicated insurance mechanism for coaches is now undeniable. Preliminary discussions I must tell you tonight have started. We have the Athletes Insurance Plan and I would like to extend that insurance to cover you the coaches. And so tonight I can tell you my intention is clear, to put in place a structure that protects the very individuals who have helped uphold Jamaica strong excellence for decades.”

President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle, told The Gleaner that the local governing body is partnering with World Athletics to also provide assistance to coaches who have been impacted by Melissa.

Learning never stops

Meanwhile keynote speaker at the Awards Ceremony, Professor Kamilah Hylton of the University of Technology, stressed the importance of unearthing fresh knowledge:

“It’s important then that as coaches you must consistently and continuously be studying the space. There is not one day that you say to your athletes you know what, you good, you don’t have to learn anything else. The day you tell your athletes that, that is the day you can pack it up. So just like your athletes, your growth must be continuous because when the coach stops learning the athletes stop growing. There is tremendous power in the learning coach. In fact the data have shown that when they looked at great coaches across any sporting disciplines one characteristic was consistently common, the (most successful) coaches held the belief first and foremost that learning never stops,” Professor Hylton said.

Fifteen coaches received silver, gold, platinum and lifetime achievement awards for between 20 to 40 years of service to Jamaica’s track and field while others were handed their diplomas having completed World Athletics Level 2 coaching certification.

Gayle told The Gleaner the local governing body has recommended JATAFCA President David Riley to serve on World Athletics Coaches Committee, while Michael Vassell and Megan Copeland-Wilson are now World Athletics Level 2 certified lecturers.

And Tom Brumlik, who guided Jamaica’s National 800-metre record-holder Navasky Anderson to becoming the first Jamaican man to reach the 800m final at a World Championship, received the Hector-Smith Master Coach Award.

“As a coach the only thing I would like to say is all I can provide for an athlete is a platform and it’s up to the athlete to execute and Navasky, leading into Tokyo, spoke his performances into existence. Every athlete has a super power and Navasky’s is his confidence. I appreciate his confidence in me, but most of all I appreciate his confidence in himself and that is what makes him such a great athlete.”

And Anderson also cited the importance of the coaches’ hard work to the success of Jamaica’s track and field programme:

“I admire all the coaches here tonight. I admire all my coaches because I know the dedication and hard work my coaches put into all that comes out on the track. Whenever an athlete wins on the track, the coaches also win on the track. I love running, I will continue to inspire, continue the journey that I am on. (The time) 1:42 that’s just where I am at right now, but that’s not gonna stop me as 1:40 is just a number and I believe that I can do it. I will continue to chase my dream and I will never let anything stop me.”