The man who has done it all in local track and field is stepping down because he couldn't do enough.

Stan Douglas, a life long supporter of Island athletics, confirmed yesterday he was resigning after two years as president of the Bermuda Track and Field Association.

Douglas, a former sprinter, track coach and BTFA vice president, will leave the post after the November 15 BTFA elections.

But he is not leaving quietly.

Yesterday, Douglas expressed frustration at his inability to implement his "vision'' for the sport and lashed out at the apathy of both participants and parents.

"In Bermuda, the attitude is `let someone else do it','' he said. "No-one wants the responsibility.'' "Not enough people give back (to the sport), frankly.'' Seeking to organise a broader base of involvement, Douglas said he instead found himself doing all the work. Looking to expand educational opportunities for talented youths abroad, he said he was stonewalled. And hoping to bring together the divisive factions of track and field, he said he found little interest.

"Leadership,'' he said, "is having people to lead.'' Without naming names, Douglas said his beliefs "were not shared'' and that "some people are extremely happy'' he was stepping down.

After four years as a BTFA vice president, Douglas took over as president in 1994 on an "interim'' basis. After a progressive first year, he "just did not have the support'' to carry out his vision in the second term.

"I haven't been able to build the necessary team,'' he conceded.

Douglas saw the Island through the Atlanta Olympics and it was after his work in getting the team of Troy Douglas, Brian Wellman and Devon Bean ready for the Games that he said he finally made up his mind.

"When it begins to affect your work and when it begins to affect your family life, then it's time to go,'' he said.

A successor will be named after the November 15 BTFA elections but Douglas did not sound confident of this bringing any changes. But the Bank of Butterfield executive said he hoped to remain involved in track and field and offer whatever assistance he could to the new administration.

"The love I have for this sport does not allow me to carry baggage against those who do not support me,'' he said.

Douglas said he remained committed to developing track and field at the grass roots level, urging competitors to use their ability to make something of themselves.

"We're so focussed on major festivals that we forget how to get there.'' He said Bermuda was stocked with athletic talent and that "the future is good'' but the Island needs competition and exposure to see it develop. "Too often, the sport is used a means to an end,'' he said.

Douglas, who chopped a full second off his 100-metre time (down to a personal best 10.8 seconds) while attending school in Canada, then attended coaching clinics in the Caribbean before returning to the Island, feels parents have to take on a larger role. "They should be asking, `What can I do to enhance the experience for my child?' '' he said.

Stan Douglas