Photo: Twin sisters Keisha and Treshia Thorpe organizers of the inaugural staging of the U.S. Elite International Track & Field’s (USEITF) Scholarship and Athletic Convention held in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday.
The inaugural staging of the U.S. Elite International Track & Field’s (USEITF) Scholarship and Athletic Convention held in Kingston, Jamaica at the Jamaica conference center on Saturday has been hailed as a success by its organizers.
The main objective of this Athletics convention and College fair was to enlighten and share information with aspiring student athletes who seek to acquire a college education in the USA.
The central focus was making these young athletes aware of the existing opportunities in moving forward and offering them valuable information to guide their transition for those who are desirous of plying such a route.
The US Elite team through its chief operators, Keisha and Treshia Thorpe have been offering a very good liaison program, guiding and mentoring young athletes across the United States, Europe,and Caribbean countries who want to study and continue to build on their sporting career through the NCAA/NAIA system.
The conference got on its way with student and parental representatives from some of the top sporting high schools across the corporate area, and as wide spread as the western side of the island.
Students in attendance came from reigning Boys Champions from the ISSA Boys and Girls championship, Calabar, runners up Kingston college, Jamaica College, Mona high, St Andrews High for girls and St Jago High.
Students from the GC Foster and Excelsior Community colleges were also in attendance.
The central focus from most of the local speakers, which included the likes of Coach Lorna Vernon, Olympian Vilma Charlton, graduates from US collegiate system Annakay Edwards and Dwayne Extol, was that of the importance of balancing athletics and academics in a effort to access scholarships opportunities.
The International speakers on the day of the conference included Neema Connor, Director of Compliance and Senior Woman Administration for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Benedict College Head Track & Field Coach Frank Hyland and Dr. Courtney Griffin, executive director of enrollment management at Tuskegee University.
Connor, in her address to the student athletes, focused on the process of becoming academically eligible to matriculate and compete as a student athlete, along with some of the rules and regulations governing international student athletes entering and those already in the system.
Coach Hyland shed light on transitioning as a student athlete and what it takes to fulfill the process. He also spoke about the expectations of student athletes from a coaches and sport director perspective.
Dr.Griffin was keen on ensuring aspiring student athletes understand the importance of charting the correct enrollment process, choosing carefully the institution as well as the area of study and being aware of the expectations as both a student and athlete in the USA.
Missing from the conference was key note speaker and patron, Ms Inez Turner, who had several travel arrangements issues/ difficulties and such was unable to get to the conference in time.
Not withstanding the absence of the main guest speaker, students and other guest inside the conference room were graced by the presence of Olympian and sporting pioneer Dennis Johnson, who in his few minutes of address, made it clear to the students that education is of utmost importance, even more so than making a dollars on the track and field circuit.
Overall it was a successful staging of the convention which ended with a college fair, with several American based Universities, including Tuskegee, Benedict college, University of Maryland, Howard university,Winston Salem university and University of district of Columbia, which provided students with valuable information to assist in their future both as an athlete and achieving a tertiary education.
The organizers are already planning for the 2016 staging, as they seek to help students involved in sports to strive for greatness, while daring to be the difference where ever they go.
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