Sports on the Rock

By Dustin P. Prudhomme

One might ask what one can expect as far as sports in the Caribbean. With beautiful beaches, historic sites, crystal blue water, and picture perfect hiking trails, one can only imagine what sports are available to residents of the Caribbean. Two sports many people overlook in the Caribbean are Scuba Diving and Cricket. Last month’s article was written on the different types of Scuba Diving within America’s Paradise, United States Virgin Islands. What sports are there to play in the Caribbean? How can sports support the local economy or allow for a company to profit from a strong sports program throughout the islands?

When someone thinks of sports they quickly think of games between two teams or two competitors that maintain a score to decide a winner at the end. Last month we spoke about Scuba Diving. While Scuba is not a competitive sport, it does offer self rewards that allow divers to see things that they never would above the water. The Caribbean has great diving locations throughout, but what other sports are offered on the rock?

The biggest draw for most Caribbean islands is the Cricket Games. What is Cricket? Well Cricket is about eight hundred years old and is believed to be first played by Prince Edward in the fourteenth century. It was not until the seventeenth century that Cricket became a professional sport. Two teams of eleven players bowl a large leather ball and use a large flat bat to hit the ball as hard as possible and run as many times back and forth between the two bases until the ball is back. Cricket is primarily an outdoor sport and each inning can last hours with refreshment breaks in between. Cricket drives the market in the Caribbean with a strong economic value. It is sponsored by many businesses and professional organizations. The major Cricket organizations in the Caribbean are: International Cricket Council, United States Cricket Association, and the newest Westin Indian Softball Association.

With Cricket being one of the largest sports within the Caribbean, one must look to see what else is there for people to while looking for something to play with. While large organized sporting events are not like they are in the United States Mainland, they have many leagues that startup on many of the Caribbean Islands. These startups provide for both business and islanders to get involved in their communities. This involvement allows for team spirit at work within the community in which the company does business. Only a handful of local talent has made it professional in the world of sports that many people have come to know in the United States. These leagues allow for sports enthusiasts to try their skills.

In addition to allowing employees of a local company to try their skills, it also allows the local businesses to sponsor their teams, promote their business, and support a good cause within the community. This past year while living on the island, my company sponsored both a softball and flag football team. With nearly five percent of the staff becoming team members, the team truly represented what the company spirit is. It also allowed for fellow employees to cheer on their team, which builds team spirit in the workplace. For a minimum investment, the company was able to support a great cause and also build engagement within their rank and file employees.

In looking at one of the growing professional sports within the islands, we also looked at the ways companies can grow by supporting sports within their community. As Cricket brings in millions of dollars per year as an economic impact to many Caribbean communities, it also provides the youth a goal to strive for. We also looked at sponsored teams as not only a morale booster within the company, but also as a strong way to improve the engagement of your team. These sponsorships keep the tradition of sports alive within our communities whether or not we can actually play the game still. So get your glove, bat, ball, or cleats as the Caribbean is ready to be a fun place to work and live.

(Dustin P. Prudhomme is a contributor to Island Vibes Magazine and writes about Caribbean culture, business, sports, and entertainment. For comments, please feel free to contact him at dustin@islandvibesmag.com.)