Caymanians will be prioritised in the sport of swimming moving forward, says Steve Broadbelt, president of the Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association.
Broadbelt says that priority will be evident once Cayman’s proposed swimming facility is built and will be key to the project’s success.
“If we cannot get more Caymanians in swimming, then this 50-metre pool project has failed,” Broadbelt told the Compass.
The hull of the 50-metre pool that will be installed inside the multi-million-dollar aquatic centre is currently in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is expected to be shipped to Cayman in the coming months.
Broadbelt’s position on the long-awaited facility comes as swimming is being considered for a promotion to the national sport, a decision that has drawn mixed reactions.
Some believe that sports like athletics, football, basketball and boxing cater more to local athletes, while swimming favours foreigners with exceptions like Caymanian Jordan Crooks as a national minority.
Broadbelt sympathises with different sides of the debate but notes Caymanians and expats must come together in order for competitive swimming in Cayman to thrive.
“Having people from all over the world is not a negative. It is a positive thing because it raises the level and, in a way, it has helped out Caymanian swimmers,” Broadbelt said. “So, it has played a role, and it will continue to play a role.”
He recognises there is a need, however, for more Caymanian swimmers, particularly from government schools and says a plan to address the gap is ongoing.
Pushing to aid underprivileged swimmers
“The main thing is to get these kids swimming,” he said, noting that CIASA currently pays 100% of entry fees for on-island local swim meets and also covers the cost of entry fees for all local sea swims for John Gray swimmers.
In addition, Broadbelt said the association has a “hardship fund” that is used to help pay flights fees for Caymanian athletes to attend overseas swim meets.
“We had a swimmer that needed some assistance, and we used this hardship fund to help cover some expenses that they wouldn’t have been able to,” he said, adding, “John Gray Swim Club, they were faced with entry fee issues, and I said we have this hardship fund … and that is what it is getting used for right now … if anyone can’t swim because of the cost, they should come to me, and I’ll do everything I can to help.”
In addition to John Gray athletes, a small team from the Layman Scott school in Cayman Brac has remained a part of CIASA domestic meets. There are also efforts to get Clifton Hunter High School students more involved.
Missing pieces pending
Broadbelt sees “hidden talent” in government schools and says “rightfully” exploiting that is the only option to change the perception of swimming within the broader community.
“I have an eight-year project,” he said. “I expect to see a large contingent of swimmers from out the government schools,” noting that defeating the Bahamas once and for all and winning CARIFTA is a part of that project.
But he understands having the 50-metre pool aquatic centre and more Caymanians are the two main pieces of the puzzle for his project to work.
“Our Caymanian swimmers are faster than any expatriate swimmer on island,” Broadbelt said, adding that no expat swimmer is faster than Caymanian siblings Jordan and Jillian Crooks.
“The benefit of investing in Caymanian swimmers is that they are not going to leave,” he said. “They are going to be here from the CARIFTA age groups straight up.
“But also, it’s about having more athletes representing us at a higher level, not just a once-in-a-generation athlete that pops up. So, it’s about having the likes of Jordan Crooks, like Heather Roffey and the Fraser brothers happening more often.”
But these plans, from a local training perspective, will only take shape once the proposed swimming facility is functioning, according to Broadbelt.
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