Not rocket science: Sport managers shocked TT miss NACAC meet due to vaccine card

The National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) has blamed "an administrative oversight" for national junior athletes – all Tobagonians – being unable to attend the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC) Under-13 and Under-15 Age Group Championships in Nicaragua, which gets under way from July 5-6.

However, the NAAA, in a media release on July 4, said the oversight was not on its part or TT manager Kelsey Toussaint-Reid but the host nation's local organising committee (LOC).

Months of training went down the drain for eight TT athletes as Copa Airlines refused to allow them to board their flight to Nicaragua on July 4. The situation left the athletes and their parents extremely emotional and upset. Team manager Kelsey Toussaint-Reid is the parent of one of the athletes.

THA education secretary Zorisha Hackett, in a Facebook comment, called for a "thorough investigation" into the matter.

According to a source close to the team, TT were supposed to leave around 3.45 am, but they were told that a yellow-fever vaccine certificate was required to board.

A yellow-fever vaccine certificate is not required for all visitors to Nicaragua, but visitors from high-risk countries are required to show the certificate.

A simple search to the HealthyTravel and fitfortravel websites, show TT listed as one of the countries requiring a yellow-fever vaccine certificate to enter Nicaragua.

The NAAA said everything was done before the trip to make the travel experience a smooth one. The release said the LOC in Nicaragua admitted they were at fault.

"Following immediate discussions with the LOC, it was confirmed that an error was made in classifying TT in a travel category that did not require a vaccination for entry into Nicaragua. While we acknowledge that international travel typically requires personal verification, team travel for competitions of this nature is heavily guided by the LOC’s instructions, as provided in the official manual."

The release said the TT athletes and officials are all vaccinated, but did not have their international vaccination cards on them. A letter from the LOC was presented to airport authorities showing that vaccinations were not required for entry into Nicaragua, but Copa Airlines were operating under different instructions.

The NAAA said it tried to make alternative arrangements, but no available flights were available to arrive in time for "for a fair and proper start to the competition."

The NAAA said it was "deeply saddened by the unfortunate circumstances.

"We are fully aware of the dedication, sacrifice, and preparation made by the athletes, their families, coaches, and support staff. It is particularly heartbreaking that these young athletes, who had earned their place through hard work and determination, were prevented from representing their country on the regional stage."

Four officials were expected to travel with the athletes including three coaches and one manager.

Sport managers: It's not rocket science

Newsday sought the expertise of local sport managers to find out about the process of getting a team ready to travel overseas,

When athletes travel to another country a lot of work has to be done to ensure all is in place. It starts from making sure all the athletes have a valid passport, arranging accommodation, special dietary needs of athletes and knowing what is required to enter a country.

It is generally the responsibility of the team manager, along with the local body responsible for the sport, to make sure all athletes have the necessary travel documents.

A manager of a national team,speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "Almost all the destinations we go to via Copa Airlines, it is almost mandatory that whoever going on the flight must have that yellow-fever vaccine."

He said a collaborative effort is needed to keep everyone in the loop.

"Our (team) doctor will always send a message or the manager would always make sure that (all the athletes have their documents) a week before the trip. A message goes out to everybody that if you don't have your yellow-vaccine card, make sure you check the doctor...Copa (Airlines) don't mix matters with that at all. They are not giving you no bligh. They would stop you by the check-in desk and tell you, you can't travel."

In another interview with Newsday, a prominent local manager described the situation as "very unfortunate."

He said he takes his responsibility very seriously and when he is in charge of a team, he knows – down to the minute – when meals are supposed to come for players.

He said when a team is travelling overseas, the first thing is to find out if a visa is required. He said the second item on the agenda is to find out what are the requirements to enter the country.

He said the onus is on the manager and the sporting body to communicate with the tournament hosts and find out. He said doing your own research is also important.

"This is standard. It's not rocket science," he said.

He lamented the children had to go through this as for many of them, it may have been their first time abroad and first time representing the national team.

"You buy tickets, get the correct size uniforms for everyone, and you do not do the thing that you should have done first," he said.

He said getting the yellow-fever vaccine is a very easy process. He said a call should have been made to someone from the Ministry of Health.

A third person with extensive management experience said, "The team manager position is a specialist position similar to the coaching staff and it should be treated as such. The trend nowadays is that the manager is usually one of the parents travelling with their child or an executive member who is rewarded with a tour."

He said the work begins months before a team travels to compete. "The manager of a team should be selected with the same time period as the coaching staff as it should be a long-term position and not only for a tournament. Once selected early, they can attend training, seek sponsorship, do media promotion and most importantly, familiarise themselves with the athletes."

Highlighting more of what a manager needs to focus on prior to a team's travel, he said, "As a manager, one of the most challenging jobs is the booking of flights and accommodation...You do some research on the host team such as immigration information such as pre-immigration forms, health requirements such as vaccines et cetera."

He said a lot of times in TT, especially in sports that aren't very popular, "a manager is selected with short notice by the association and it is usually someone who is helping out the situation and volunteering their time with little prior knowledge."

(With reporting by Stephon Nicholas).

TT team: Gloria Henry, Shania Baynes (girls Under-13); Jeremiah Hector, Azzirion Williams (boys Under-13); Daija Reid, Ryanna Regis (girls Under-15); Jafari Edwards, Kerlon Henry (boys Under-15).