Basketball/Sports in Belize – Short Term Euphoria with Chronic Issues

Like addicts who need their next high, Belizeans are desperately looking for something that will give them a patriotic fix. With crime at an all time high, the economy in reverse, the judiciary under attack, our infrastructure in decay, and little or no social programs for anyone, one can see why our people become so excited when one of our national teams seems to have a chance. When it comes to basketball Belizeans seem to be willing to accept short-term euphoria, even if the money spent or wasted provides no returns for the economic or social development in Belize.

It gives me indigestion when I see the government and its departments investing in a basketball team that is primarily made up of players who do not live in Belize? I also wonder how much Marques Johnson was paid to experiment on our national team! If you have a problem with my position, then ask yourself the following questions: Do any of these foreign players come back to hold summer camps in Belize. Even when Milton Palacio was in the NBA his investment in Belize was minimal. Have any of the other players initiated any program(s) that could help our young men and women learn the game of basketball? Has the money invested over the years generated any returns? Will basketball in Belize see any improvement locally with the almost half million dollars invested to go to Cancun and the Dominican Republic? How do the decision makers in sports decide that they will invest approximately half a million dollars in basketball for two events and nothing in for example, boxing? Is this really money well spent when we don’t even have a decent basketball court to play on?

The cold, harsh reality is that sporting activities in Belize are not taken seriously by most decision makers or investors, and leading the pack is the Government. The only people who truly have a passion for sports are those who participate in a specific discipline. Don’t get me wrong, I have a passion for basketball and sports in general. However I do not believe that we have looked seriously into the strategic development of sports and especially basketball in Belize. I also do not think that we have looked at sports as a possible and real option for investment where the returns can be either profits or decent well-rounded citizens.

The reality is that we would have been better off investing the millions we have spent in basketball over the years into programs that could help to develop our children from a very young age. No disrespect to Paul Thompson, Julian Murillo, Mark Usher, Gilbert Gordon, Ian Mariano, Basil Brannon and all the others who are trying their best to keep basketball alive and at an acceptable level.  These people are to be commended for the work they are doing and with little help from the government. I also believe that it would be more prudent to invest in the disciplines that focus on individuals rather than teams. Due to the size of our population and the lack of resources we should have a better chance of finding one individual who could compete regionally and internationally in some discipline instead of trying to put together an entire team that hopefully can be competitive. Look at track and field for example; our young people have competed admirably with little or no resources.

For far too long now sports in Belize have not been given the resources or the support from the Government. With the exception of the late 90’s when Belize won the Caricom Games in basket ball, no sporting activity has developed in order for us to compete, even regionally.  What the Government fails to realize is that sports is one of the few galvanizing forces in the country. No matter if you are UDP or PUP, Catholic or Anglican, Hispanic or Creole; Belizeans will support our national teams when they are good or even decent.

Sport’s role in nation-building is multi-faceted: a victory in a major international sporting event is of national importance. Other than sports, we have nothing in Belize to unite us. We are divided on the Belize/Guatemala issue. We are divided on the Battle of Saint George’s Caye and Independence. And to tell you the truth, we are pretty much divided on everything else. If sports is the only galvanizing force in Belize, then why does the Government not provide the resources necessary for our athletes to be able to compete?

The positive influence of sports on all aspects of human life – including its contribution to health, socialization, self- confidence, leadership skills, nation building and mutual understanding across divisions of race, culture, gender, class and political lines- means that its importance should never be ignored in any development strategy by any government. It is about time that we invest the necessary resources in our athletes. Our people need more than just short-term euphoria

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