Esther Maynard, technical delegate for the Carifta Games, is currently on the Island to assist with preparations for this year’s regional youth track and field championships to be held at the National Sports Centre.During her whirlwind visit the first woman from the English speaking Caribbean to be elected to the IAAF technical committee will make various assessments as well as conduct a course to ensure local officials meet IAAF standards.“I am here as technical delegate to check on the technical arrangements for the Carifta Games. Basically it’s looking at the equipment, the facilities and the plans as we are going through them for the officials and anything that will have an impact technically on the games,” Maynard said.“I am also a lecturer for the IAAF certification programme for officials so I am currently conducting a course (Technical Officials Education Certification Level One Course) for the officials here in Bermuda in preparation for Carifta.”The Barbados native said the response from those currently enrolled in the course has been positive.“They are all keen and working well and the course is a combination of learning the rules, the interpretation and application,” she added. “The nice thing about this course is that there are so many athletes that were Carifta Athletes that are back doing the course.“There are quite a few of them, people like Debbie Jones, Brian Wellman and Sonia (Smith) who used to throw the javelin. Obviously because they know me they feel comfortable with me and I have established a good working relationship with the whole group.”There are as many as 24 participants enrolled in the IAAF certified course which concludes tomorrow.Maynard, who has been involved in athletics in Barbados for four decades, said the ongoing course entails both classroom work and simulated drills.“It’s a pretty in-depth course and we put them through a mock of an event where they have to know where their officials are placed and what the rules they are looking for,” she added.The Barbados Olympic Association committee member said those who successfully complete the course will not receive their certificates until they have met other IAAF requirements.“The course will be completed by the end of the week but the IAAF has a rule that you don’t get your certificate until you have officiated a minimum of three times during the next year and you have to officiate in different areas,” she added. “People might have their preferences but you have to become competent in all of the areas.”Those that successfully complete the level one course have the option of enrolling in the level two course which Maynard said can be even more rewarding.“If you get level two certification then you become a area technical official,” said added. “You can become a senior official internationally in the region and instead of just doing the event you work with the top management of each event. There’s the chief judge, a referee and then you are then the international official.“It takes five -years to get to that stage because basically you need to become competent in all of the event areas. Your assignment one day could be supervising track and the next day it might be supervising the pole volt or throwing event, so you have to be competent in all of the areas on officiating.”The 2012 Carifta Games take place April 7-9 at the NSC.