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LIP service is something that most governments and sports ministries pay to the development of sport especially at schools.
These are institutions manned by people with behavioural sciences to better understand the growing child. They have more contact time at elementary level to be with a budding child and their influence can make or break their career paths.
Schools sport is where your Benjani Mwaruwari, Peter Ndlovu, Bruce Grobbelaar, Madinda Ndlovu, Willard Khumalo, Fabian Zulu and Alois Bunjira began their journeys of a thousand miles. Just like the Kirsty Coventry, Nick Price, Adrian Garvey, Byron Black and many more outstanding sportspersons, it was at junior school where intent was shown.
In aalmost all the instances there was little of government aid to help them take off. There was no national association to fund and put them through a defined development programme that would deliver in the late teens or early 20s.
It took the sacrifice of family, individuals and friends for most to get to the top. If Don Black had not mentored his children Byron, Wayne and Cara at home, it is unlikely they would have found another avenue to nurture them to greatness.
So much of Zimbabwean sport success has all been perseverance by the athlete, his coach and club with little support if none at all by government or the corporate sector.
A fortnight ago the Zimbabwe National Youth Games were successfully held in Bulawayo. These brought together budding talent from all the 10 provinces – the Under-20s – providing associations with a big pool to look at the potential at their disposal.
A few days after the national championships a team representing the country comprising primary and secondary school children talented in basketball, netball, soccer and volleyball left for Namibia. The 150-member team did not have any corporate or government support to talk about. It was through the schools system that the trip was funded.
It therefore comes as no surprise that they were on the road for 41 hours on their way to Namibia travelling through Zambia and Namibia national game parks packed like sardines.
Their counterparts from Botswana and Lesotho arrived in government buses. They have sports wings funded by the fiscus and they have well laid down development plans centred on the education sector which has the children to be developed.
Despite that lack of support, Zimbabwean teams did the nation proud by winning three gold medals and seven silver. If the kids had been afforded financial and material support as well as adequate time for preparations they could have upstaged Botswana.
The athletes showed that the future looks bright for Zimbabwean sport. What is needed is for the corporate sector and government to realise the importance of sport to the society.
It is now an industry deserving support because it has huge prospects of growing. This could only be real if more money is ploughed into schools sport as it is where professional clubs pick gems like Peter Ndlovu, Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiat, Victor Olonga, Marvin Bonde and Edson Sibanda.
The need for an independent sports ministry is growing by the day. There is need for schools sport to be financed and for it to dovetail into association activity with both playing a part unlike the prevailing situation where schools sport is not benefiting.
It’s sad to picture a school teacher travelling 1 800km by road only for someone to make mega bucks in a year or two without giving back to the school that identified and nurtured those children.
Time is ripe for schools’ sport to take its rightful place in Zimbabwe. National school games should be used for the selection of national association junior teams. Both Nash and Naph are surprised that in most instances national Under-17 teams consist of players who are no longer within the school system. These should be children at school and the net effect is that deserving athletes are not developed as age cheats take their slots.
Unity between schools and associations guided by a government willingness is what sport needs.
Schools sports associations in Zimbabwe should now have a fulltime secretariat. Leaving the running to partners who are headmasters with schools to run is not the best approach.
The employees will look for sponsorship and organise all trips and related issues. They will help document all talent for associations to use when selecting national teams.
Without schools involvement in the development of sport, Zimbabwe will not achieve much.
Our call is for more resources into schools sport and a well funded sports ministry that will be compelled to expose children to international competition.
Online Reporter