VOICES MAGAZINE, Issue 5

VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | October - November 2017 30 E ighty coaches received Certificates of Completion for Advanced Level One and Advanced Level Two courses. Approximately 700 football coaches from across the island have been certified since the inception of the JMMB/JFF/UTech Coaching Course of Study in 2009. Beckford: Congratulations on your Order of Jamaica for outstanding contribution to track and field. Can you say what this national honour means to you? Francis: It is a significant event. It means to me what everybody would expect. It’s somewhat significant when your country decides that it appreciates what you spend time doing. I’m thrilled to have been a recipient. As I have said elsewhere, it gives me a certain kind of renewal and additional motivation to continue to go through what we have to go through to achieve. Beckford: We saw the release which announced that you have stepped down as Head Coach at MVP Track and Field Club. Will you continue to serve as UTech Track and Field Coach to student athletes for the foreseeable future? Francis: I stepped down as Technical Director. I will continue to work with the UTech athletes and with a lot of other athletes. A lot of this manoeuvring [the MVP management change] is essential because of the changes in allegiance with UTech and with MVP in terms of sponsors. I did not make that change personally, so of course I still coach the UTech athletes who for the most part are in development and will continue to coach a certain amount of athletes who still compete for MVP. But there are others who I can’t be associated with. A lot of the decision-making has always been joint and the fact that Paul Francis has now taken over that role [Head Coach, MVP Track and Field Club), I don’t think we will see much downside at all. Beckford: Can you please elaborate on why you are unable to be associated with some athletes as a coach? Francis: I am limited as a consultant coach for Nike in the persons to whom I can offer technical assistance and so therefore that would be prohibitive for a significant amount of people who train with MVP. So therefore since I can’t be equally concerned about everybody, then it’s best for me to step aside and allow those who can be concerned with everybody to do so. JMMB/JFF/UTECH Coaching Course Graduation Graduates of the JMMB/JFF/UTech Advanced Levels 1 and 2 Coaching course course pose with their Certificates of Completion at their Graduation Ceremony held on Monday, August 28, 2017 at the Jamaica Football Federation in New Kingston. Members of the participating institutions sharing in the occasion, seated from left, are Mr. Orville Byfield, Acting Head, Caribbean School of Sport Sciences, Mr. Bruce Gaynor, JP, Interim President, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Mrs. Patricia Sutherland, Chairman, JMMB/ Joan Duncan Foundation, Prof. Stephen Vasciannie, CD, President, UTech, Ja., Mrs. Kim Mair, Chief Executive Officer, JMMB/ Joan Duncan Foundation, Mr. Wendel Downswell, Director of Football, JFF, Prof. Colin Gyles, Deputy President, UTech, Ja. and Mr. Patrick Williams, Vice Dean, Faculty of Science and Sport, UTech, Ja. International Success 3 SUCCESS IN MOTION Olympics – Rio 2016:  UTech, Jamaica/MVP athletes (12) constituted 20% of the Jamaican delegation  UTech, Jamaica/MVP athletes won 63% of Jamaica’s medals 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China :  UTech, Jamaica/MVP athletes copped 4 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze totaling 8 of Jamaica’s 12 Medals Olympics – London 2012:  UTech, Jamaica/MVP athletes (12) contributed 5 of Jamaica’s 12 Medals Penn Relays: UTech, Jamaica has won over 12 Championship of America Plaques since 1975 and counting! The UTech Knights has become a name to look out for at the Penn Relays. A Conversation with Coach Stephen Francis... cont’d from page 32