Garth Rattray LAST THURSDAY'S Gleaner story titled, 'No jeans to be worn by netball volunteers' spoke of the intent to enforce strict dress codes for all volunteers participating in the upcoming International Netball Federation's World Netball Championships scheduled to be held on the grounds of the National Stadium this week.
The statement that the "over 300 volunteers, most of them females, will be uniformly dressed for the occasion" sounds impressive but neglects to reveal that although Polo and T-shirts have been sponsored, the male volunteers were expected to somehow provide their own "black tailored pants and black walking shoes" and that the female volunteers were also expected to provide their own 'uniforms' and to turn up "modestly dressed in skirts and walking shoes". In any event, sneakers and not walking shoes are best suited for medical personnel covering these events.
NOT HIGH-PROFILE
Netball is not as high-profile as cricket, football or track and field therefore one must concede that sponsorship may be difficult to come by. Like all our other sporting disciplines, netball depends heavily on volunteers to provide the requisite support for major events.
These professionals have worked without acclaim for years. The Ministry of Health liaises with bodies like the Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine among others and expect that Doctors, Physical Therapists (PT's), Nurses, Emergency Medical Technicians, Pharmacists and sometimes Nutritionists will involve themselves in the various meets.
One year ago Jamaica hosted the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF)/
Coca-Cola World Junior Championships in Athletics. This event attracted top athletes from around the globe. The large number of volunteers required committees and sub-committees to co-ordinate their varied activities and responsibilities. They made their way to shuttle parks or directly to the stadium on a daily basis. These kind people gave of their knowledge, training, time and effort selflessly. They worked on and off the field and in prearranged medical posts sometimes until past midnight.
But last year's meet had its own problems with uniforms. Some medical personnel were issued T-shirts, shorts and sneakers. I thought that it was infra dig for mature professionals to be forced into shorts. However they acquiesced and donned the juvenile-looking outfits out of love for our athletes. After a few days, officials of the IAAF noticed that people attired in shorts (meant for ushers and others of that ilk) were in fact administering to the sick and injured. It was only then that the faux pas was revealed.
To add insult to injury, these professionals were told to go home and find long black pants befitting their status at the games. Volunteers should never be forced to provide their own 'uniforms'.
Jamaican athletes rely heavily on their raw talent, volunteers to provide medical care and individual coaches who instruct them in everything from training techniques to weight-lifting, proper rest and nutrition. They are often from poor homes and must survive the hardship of rigorous training without ongoing therapy and care. We are only seeing the cream of the crop, those who have triumphed in a system that does little to encourage or facilitate their growth.
FAR MORE RESPECT
We need to treat our volunteers with far more respect. If there is a dress code then uniforms must be provided. The "you're on your own" attitude towards athletics is disheartening. It is indicative of the depth of commitment to the individual athlete yet we expect high performance from them. Can you imagine how much better our young people would do if they were provided with the special attention that all athletes need?
Dr. Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice.
