Keep Upgrading

Two major sporting events were held in St. Maarten this past weekend, and both organizing bodies deserve credit.

The St. Maarten Little League Baseball and Softball Association successfully hosted the Latin American and Caribbean Baseball Tournament, while the Reason for Hope Foundation staged the first Bring Ya Best Invitational Basketball Tournament. Both events attracted solid crowds, brought regional athletes to the island and gave local young people something positive to be part of.

The organizers did their part. They planned, raised funds, welcomed teams, managed schedules and kept the events moving. But both tournaments also highlighted the same problem: our sporting (speaking in terms of professional broadcasting facilities and options) are not properly equipped to present international events at the standard they deserve.

The L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium and the Little League Stadium need professional sound systems and proper video and broadcasting facilities for third parties to use. Anyone who follows major sporting events in Aruba and Curaçao can see the difference. Clear announcements, reliable sound, score graphics, several camera angles and strong online coverage make an event feel bigger, better organized and more important.

This is not a complaint against the associations. They are already carrying enough. The authorities responsible for these venues must make the investment because how these events are shown to the outside world is important. People share and re-share international events. Families abroad want to watch. Sponsors want their brands seen properly. Athletes want footage they can share with coaches and schools. St. Maarten also wants to be taken seriously as a place that can host regional competition.

Streaming from a phone and depending on sound equipment that cuts out or cannot properly cover the venue is no longer good enough. It takes away from the work on the court and field. The crowds came. The athletes performed. The organizers delivered. Now the facilities need to catch up. We see the work that the National Sports Institute is diligently doing. Keep working at it.

‍