A draft policy designed to provide a road map for the development of sport in Bermuda has been drawn up by the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation.

The 69-page document, entitled Bermuda National Sports Policy: Sporting Success our Vision and Beyond was presented to the Island’s sports stakeholders at a conference held at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Saturday.

Wayne Scott, the Sports Minister, said his ministry had worked closely with the national sports governing bodies and general public when piecing together the draft policy.

He added that the document had not yet been set in stone and believed there was still plenty of work to be done before it was finalised.

“This sports policy has been talked about for a while,” Scott said. “I don’t think we’ve ever really had a national sports policy that clearly outlined what we’re trying to do as a country.

“It really has been a collaborative effort between the Government and national sports governing bodies in developing it into a cohesive outline.

“Certainly, we appreciate that there’s plenty of massaging to be done as we go forward. The plan is to have this policy in place by the next fiscal year, so we can at least start heading in the right direction.”

The main objectives of the policy are to ensure that “sport is more widely enjoyed and available” while creating an environment where “world-class performance is achieved and sustained”.

It also focuses on the need to recognise and nurture talent as well as the importance of continuing to attract world-class events to Bermuda. Among the challenges facing Bermuda sport, according to the document, are a shortage of coaches and an unstructured approach to their development, a decline in participation at certain youth levels and a lack of collaboration between schools, clubs, governing bodies and athletes.

The document reads: “The policy framework is centred around four national priorities: to deliver well-trained people, build strong organisations, develop quality facilities and develop athlete road maps.

“These are the building blocks to enable fulfillment of the two main outcomes linked to our vision; i.e. increased participation and improved performance.”

Scott is also keen for there to be a more cohesive link between the Island’s national sports governing bodies in terms of sharing their knowledge and resources.

“I really want to see us focus on youth development and take care of our athletes,” he said. “It’s important we utilise our resources effectively.

“A lot of [national sports governing bodies] are focusing on what they need to do for their athletes, but everybody kind of functions on their own.

“Sometimes [the national sports governing bodies] repeat the same process 50 times, which is not really a good use of resources. Government has to play a big role in all of this.

“We provide a lot of funding to the sports, so let’s try to make sure we’re all aiming at the right target and trying to get to the same place.”

Among the speakers at Saturday’s conference were Olympian Debbie Hunter, from the Bermuda Sport Anti-Doping Authority, who delivered a presentation entitled People Get Ready, A Code Change Is Coming.

Katura Horton-Perinchief, an Olympic diver, and Brenda Dale, both from Women in Sport, also spoke about the importance of increasing female participation in sport and addressing the reasons why many stop competing in their late teens.