By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

HAVING passed through the programme as a former discus and hammer thrower, Acacia Astwood said she’s pleased to be able to give back as a coach with the Blue Chip Athletics Throwers Club.

Astwood, now back home after completing her college education on an athletic scholarship, said Blue Chip Athletics, headed by coach Corrington Maycock, is eager to find the next diamonds in the rough.

The club will be holding a one day Open House clinic for discus, shot put, javelin and hammer throwers on Saturday, May 31 from 9am to 11:30am at their home base at Queen’s College. “We are looking for persons who have the experience in the four throwing disciplines, but want to better their craft, we’re looking for persons with good work ethic, disciplined, have good character and are coachable,” Astwood said.

“There’s no fee to participate. It’s free of charge. We’re just asking for the participants to show up at least 15 minutes ahead of time in workout/athletic attire and bring some water for the day.”

The club is coming off another successful year with some of their members leading the way in the success of Team Bahamas at the CARIFTA Games in Trinidad & Tobago over the Easter holiday weekend. “We had a very good season this year with some really good performances at CARIFTA, so we’re trying to see how we can improve and get our throwers even better for next year,” said Astwood, a former CARIFTA standout. “We know that there are more athletes out there, so we are inviting those persons, especially the male athletes, who have an interest in throwing the four events, to come out and participate in the camp.”

As one of the instructors, along with LaQuell Harris, another former CARIFTA medalist, Astwood said she spent two years training under coach Maycock, her mentor, which changed her life forever.

“I was able to go off to school on a scholarship and now I have not only completed my bachelor’s degree, but I also got my masters as well,” said Astwood, who earned her bachelor’s in kenisholoty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her masters in business administration at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

The St Anne’s High School graduate who won a bronze in the under-18 girls discus at the 2017 CARIFTA Games in Curacao before she ended up fourth in 2018, the start of her collegiate career that ended in 2023 with her switching her focus on the hammer throw.

Now that she’s done, when Astwood is not coaching with Blue Chips Athletic, she’s working on trying to complete her doctorate degree as a Physical Therapist.

But for now, the concentration is on the club’s Open House next Saturday where Astwood said they hope to discover more outstanding athletes that rose to the occasion at CARIFTA.

“I think we had some very good performances at CARIFTA and I was especially proud of Annae Mackey, who broke two junior national records,” said Astwood, whose junior national record was broken by Mackey. 

“We have Taysha Stubbs and Dior-Rae Scott, who are both heading off to school on athletic scholarships, so we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do when they come back next year with some of their athletes we hope will make the team.”

As for Mackey’s record breaking feat, Astwood said she knew sooner or later she would accomplish it. She’s just happy that she was able to assist in her developmental process.

Once they can find some more athletes to work with, Astwood said she doesn’t see why other national records can’t fall with more and more athletes attaining CARIFTA successes and obtaining athletic scholarships to colleges and universities abroad, especially in the United States.

Next Saturday’s open house is a step in the right direction.