The lack of opportunity for the youth of Belize has been recognized for quite a while, yet results from efforts to deal with this problem are struggling and lack support. Whilst the economy of Belize shows little capacity to offer much, sport has an almost inexhaustible ability to bridge the gap between education and employment. In fact, sport can and frequently does open doors to successful careers, for those who grasp what’s on offer.
*Guided and directed youth can have significant impact on the success of communities, as well as on the future of the youth themselves
*Using sport, as the basis for engaging with youth at community level, is a recognized model for promoting healthy lifestyle and producing successful adults and leaders of the future
*Youth engagement with sport results is more demand for community facilities, which in turn, creates better and a stronger awareness and sense of community
Rugby Belize recently announced plans to establish community-based rugby union clubs right across the country, to provide opportunities for youth and young people to engage in sport. As a result of that initial announcement, plans are afoot to set up (initially) five such clubs in Belmopan, Belize City, Hattieville, Orange Walk and San Pedro. To advance these plans, Rugby Belize is now moving towards establishing a national governing authority for the sport.
The Belize Rugby Board will be the driving force behind further growth and development of rugby in Belize. It will be comprised of volunteers who are prepared to give up a little of their time to help develop, manage and promote the sport as it aims to offer a range a rugby activities at every level within the society of Belize.
The Board will work in conjunction with the National Sports Council, to ensure compliance with rugby laws and other aspects of safety and fairness, and will also, eventually, work to secure international recognition to enable Belize to compete regionally and further afield.
Rugby Belize Founder, Tony Gillings, “We have already received significant interest from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica and other places who wish to invite teams from Belize to compete. In these countries, rugby has been well established for many years and they have a lot to offer in terms of competition experience and support for players. But,” he says “We need to get the back-office organization established to enable participation in competitions, plan for training, coaching and ultimately to promote and encourage player development at national level. To do this we need volunteers”.
Anybody interested in joining the Belize Rugby Board or finding our more should contact Tony via www.rugbybelize.com.
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