Why the refusal to coach a schoolchild and member of a swim club?

Dear Editor,

Amy Grant, Girls 13-14 National Long Course and Short Course Freestyle and Butterfly Champion returned on Monday,September 14 to the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal after five weeks off swimming due to illness. She swam on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with Isabel Couso Fals, the coach from Cuba who is in Guyana via the government to coach swimming in schools and help the swimmers from the swim clubs.

On Thursday I received a call from Colin Beaton, the President of Amy’s club, Silver Shark. I was told by Mr Beaton that the coaches are refusing to coach Amy and so when I go to the pool I should expect that. I asked who the coaches were, since an official letter should have been sent to him stating on what grounds the coaches were refusing to coach her, but he did not say who they were. He also stated that the matter has to be sorted out and that he can’t leave it like that because Amy is a member of Silver Shark Swim Club. However, he added that he had to wait for someone to come back from overseas and the situation would be dealt with.

Later that afternoon when I arrived at the pool with Amy I went to Amy’s coach Isabel, who was sitting with Ms Elke Rodrigues, GASA’s Vice-President of Administration/ Fund Raising, and Orca’s Swim Club representative and coach, Sean Baksh. I asked Isabel twice if she had refused to coach Amy and she shook her head from side to side which I interpreted as a no. Then I asked Sean if he said so and he replied with a yes.

Since I was already at the pool, I approached Ms Stephanie Fraser of Dorado Speed Swim Club and asked for Amy to train with her for the afternoon and she gave her approval.

Two weeks ago Amy and her mother met Isabel on Regent Street and she told them that swimming was going to resume on the 1st September. Amy’s mom told her Amy is not well and was waiting on the doctor’s approval to get back into the water.

Ms Fals came from Cuba through the Guyana’s Government to train schoolchildren, and she was also asked to assist the members of the swim clubs. Amy is coached by Ms Isabel and her mother. Since Amy is not coached by Sean Baksh and Ms Fals came to assist with swimming via the government, Amy’s parents would like to know from the Minister of Sport how it is possible that Amy, who is both a schoolchild and a club member isn’t privileged to benefit from Ms Fals’ expertise.

Only two weeks ago the story of Amy challenging GASA on the Girls 13 to 14 50m Short Course Butterfly record was in the news. The record was held by Noelle Smith with a time of 33.74 and Amy surpassed it with a time of 33.56. Since then Amy has been faced with adversities, and GASA has not responded to a letter which was sent by the mother of Amy regarding the 50 m butterfly record since July.

Sean Baksh is not Silver Sharks’ coach and he does not coach Amy. There is no National swim squad and GASA does not have a head coach. How then is it possible for Mr Baksh to stop Amy from training with Ms Fals?

The Minister of Sport being the representative of the Ministry that brought Ms Isabel to Guyana, and GASA being the federation of swimming in Guyana need to shed some light on this matter.

Yours faithfully,

Rudy Grant