Dear Sir,

Over the past ten years in Bermuda there has been plenty of confusion surrounding the BTFA and track and field clubs and every year it's getting worse.

I go to the stadium occasionally because I have a ten-year-old son who likes athletics and I am deeply disturbed at the foolishness I keep seeing and hearing.

I read every article last year in the newspaper regarding the chaos between Mid-Island Striders and the BTFA and I have spoken to club members who share the same ill feeling towards the BTFA. I have asked people why they don't speak out and they express fear of victimisation which I think is a lame excuse.

Also, I have heard many athletes say they are not training under national coach Gerry Swan. I know there are children in this country who don't like rules and they must be disciplined if necessary. However, it's disturbing that you can hardly find an athlete, parent, coach or administrator who has a positive word to say about the BTFA or the national programme.

The BTFA say that if athletes don't train with Mr. Swan they are ineligible to represent Bermuda. That is utter foolishness. If athletes are comfortable with their club coaches and not with Mr. Swan, why can't they train with their coaches and, if they make the qualifying standards, then gather together a few weeks before a meet to bond as a team?

This is not football or basketball where teamwork is necessary. Athletics is an individual sport so you don't need to be in a national squad until shortly before a competition.

How are clubs supposed to develop if, whenever they identify a talented athlete, Mr. Swan and the BTFA say ‘come train with us or you cannot make the national team' and stop the top athletes from representing the very clubs and schools where their ability was nurtured?

I have also heard the BTFA stating that club coaches are not qualified but isn't it part of the BTFA's responsibility to help coaches enhance their qualifications? Why does Mr. Swan not share his experience?

I understand that he goes on several coaching courses and even lectures overseas. Why is he the only one getting exposed to these opportunities and is he national coach for life?

Mr. Swan should encourage other coaches to come to the National Sports Centre on afternoons to assist him. He can remain in charge with the other coaches, as they have repeatedly suggested, working alongside him. He cannot train long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin, hurdles, distance runners and sprinters at the same time.

For last year's Carifta, some of Bermuda's former top athletes like Nicky Saunders helped with coaching so why does Mr. Swan refuse seasoned coaches the chance to do the same? Heaven forbid Gerry Swan drops dead tomorrow. Are we to believe that would be the end of Bermuda's track and field programme and that nobody else is competent to carry it on?

I believe the reason that the BTFA does not want anyone else included is because they want to continue taking every trip themselves. Let's ask Mr. Swan and Mrs. Simmons how many trips have they taken out of Bermuda in the last five years with teams. The answer would probably be too many to count because they travel to every Carifta Games, CAC Games (junior and senior), Pan-Am Games (junior and senior), Commonwealth Games, World Championships (junior and senior) and the Olympic Games.

Why can't Clarence Smith, Bill Euler, Cal Simons or another coach get an opportunity to attend one of these meets to get experience?

Even if Mr. Swan travels as the head coach he can have an assistant or they could be the team manager. Why does Judy Simmons have to go everywhere? I heard Mrs. Simmons was in Florida and France with cross-country runner Jay Donawa.

The BTFA insist they never send athletes anywhere unaccompanied but she is not a coach - so why her? What does Judy Simmons know about cross-country? They were just some more trips for her. These people seem to be running a dictatorship!

How did Judith Simmons get so much control in track and field? I was an athlete for a short period under Clive Longe and I never heard of Mrs. Simmons being an athlete, a coach or administrator until she became president. She started at the top and obviously has no appreciation for athletes or coaches who start from scratch - but clearly she specialises in booking airline tickets.

I spoke to foreign coaches who were here for last year's Carifta Games and it was interesting to learn that in other regional countries there is a pool of coaches and they take turns going to different competitions. They start out at the junior level and work their way up to the Olympics.

What was also surprising - considering how the BTFA are always going on about IAAF certification - is that some of these coaches are not IAAF certified and it doesn't matter.

Another thing that disturbs me is the fact that the BTFA should have called elections since December and have dragged it out until the maximum 15 months. Your newspaper indicated the annual general meeting is to be held on March 31 - I guess we will see if that happens.

I'm also waiting to see if Mrs. Simmons steps down as she said she would and who replaces her. I hope it's not Gerry Swan!

The truth is that the entire BTFA hierarchy needs sweeping from office as the current directors are apparently of the same mindset as Mrs. Simmons and Mr. Swan.

Regardless of the AGM's outcome, I share shadow minister Jon Brunson's opinion that Government must jump in and save athletics for our children and grandchildren. I am calling on the Sports Minister, the Education Minister and the Premier, if necessary, to deal with this issue urgently. I would also like to see school principals stand up for their students who are being affected by the BTFA's policies.

We are losing too many of our best athletes and we need to know why. Ask them and they will tell you they love track and field but not the terms and conditions they are subjected to.

Also young athletes complain that once they join the national programme they are prevented from playing other sports like cricket, football, basketball and netball. It's crazy to tell a child at 13 or 14 that they are not to do anything else all year. I can understand when meets like Carifta are approaching that they must concentrate on those and not risk injuries but not for a whole year!

It hurts me to see Bermuda's wonder girl Deanne Lightbourn not competing this year. She is just 14 and already has Carifta and CAC medals. Lovintz Tota, a World Juniors qualifier last year, also looks likely to disappear from national duty because he has returned to Mid-Island Striders and his regular coach Mr. Euler. There are many more examples like them.

If this were cricket or football, I'm sure the entire country would be in an uproar. Track and field can take Bermuda places it has never been before.

The Minister of Tourism is looking for ways to improve that industry and is doing all sorts of things. But doesn't Dr. Ewart Brown realise that we have athletes who can potentially represent Bermuda at the Olympics and be ambassadors for this country?

What greater advertising would this Island require than to have athletes reaching Olympic heights and to witness our flag flying proudly? I have seen small nations like St. Kitts through Kim Collins and Namibia with Frankie Fredericks reap invaluable mileage from their competitors' international success.

As Mr. Euler said in The Royal Gazette, we have a dozen or more athletes who, with proper training and guidance, can qualify for the 2008 Olympics. Will we allow them to be driven from track and field too?

For our children's and country's sake, we must challenge Government to save track and field from these sports terrorists even if it means boycotting athletics.

The BTFA is not a secret society owned by Judy Simmons or Gerry Swan. It's the athletics national governing body which belongs to us, the people of Bermuda, and it's high time we took it back.

FRUSTRATED ATHLETICS FAN