Ben Smith: “… Coaches who genuinely care won’t turn their backs. They dig in, they listen, they mentor, guide and sometimes they help fix what’s broken.”

Statement by Shadow Sports Minister Ben Smith:
Young Black males in Bermuda are in crisis. There is simply no other way to put it and it’s way past time we take our heads out of the sand and face the truth. 

Gun violence is not a distant problem. Even if you have not had to identify your son’s gun riddled body or break down when your child is lowered into the ground prematurely, these murdered men are not strangers. They are our children’s friends, our teachers’ students, teammates from all sports, neighbours and childhood friends. This crisis touches us all.

No one is exempted from being affected by gun violence, but there are some members of the community who have the privilege of distancing themselves from it.

We have had prayer vigils, marches, convoys and members of the community who have spoken passionately about the need to change the trajectory of the Black male’s future. The Government has created a National Violence Reduction Strategy. 

And yet the violence continues. Bluntly put, we are not doing enough.

Although one may feel that only a grandiose solution can fix this problem, there are still grassroots actions that can make a difference in the community you live in.

One of the most powerful is simple. Become a coach.

Our young boys need role models. Our young men need guidance. They need someone who believes in them, challenges them, and helps them see a path beyond the streets.

When I was growing up, I loved all kinds of sports—I ran track and played tennis. I played golf and boxed, did karate and rugby but the sport I loved the most was swimming.

Mr Martin Allen was my first swim coach at Sharks Swim Club. He was the Head Coach from 1981 to 2001, and I had the honour of taking the reins from him upon his retirement.

He had a great influence not only on my athletic career but my character. He was a teacher and coach and he created a family environment with his club. 

Other men, besides my father, who had a positive impact on my life through sports are Gareth Davis, Arnold Manders, Richard Goodwin and John Beard. Each of them from different walks of life, but all poured into me as a coach in one form or the other.

As the national swim coach for Bermuda, I endeavour to be like these men—to make a difference, one action at a time. Any coach will tell you, the best guidance is often given off the field, because our youth have to face so much when they leave the realm of sports and return to their everyday lives.

Good coaches have the ability to not only focus on training and competition but teach lessons about life.

For many in our community, life is not so rosy. But coaches who genuinely care won’t turn their backs. They dig in, they listen, they mentor, guide and sometimes they help fix what’s broken.

That is why I implore–if you love sport and want to make a difference, step forward. Become a coach. Join a club. Invest in the next generation. Every hour spent on a field,a court, in a gym or in a pool a young man is not lost on our streets.

This crisis is real. This solution is real. It begins with each of us. Let’s help our community.