CUTHBERT Modeste, the recently acclaimed Track and Field Coach of the Year at the St Lucia Athletics Association’s awards has vowed to continue to help young people realize their dreams.
“I want to get the kids out of the ghetto”, Modeste told me after the announcement of his award was met with rapturous applause.
He said: “The awards ceremony was a good one. I enjoyed it. It was well organized and well put together. The athletes who received the top awards, they all deserve it”.
About his own individual accolade, Modeste said: “I don’t feel any how. I am just doing what I am supposed to be doing and that is to develop the young athletes. My objective in life is to see the kids elevate from the ghetto and see they get a good life or try to mix sports and education together to see they get a scholarship. Giving me the award doesn’t really boost me up. Award or no award I will still do my best because I love helping the young people out.
How long had he been in the coaching business? He replied: “ I was the one who brought juveniles in competitive track and field in St. Lucia, because when the Association saw the number of children I had taken to the national individual track and field championships, better known at the time as the M&C Games, they took a decision to bring in a category for the juvenile athletes. So I can say it is about 25 years.
At the national level in his earlier years on the track Modeste competed in the 800 metres and 1500 metres against the likes of Bernard Henry and the late John George.
In terms of sponsorship for his club, Survivors, Modeste said: “It is very challenging to get sponsorship but I don’t make that a problem. I do my best, I go around and beg. Take any little thing for the kids – it could be small as it is, I appreciate it. Once I help the kids to get out of the ghetto or away from trouble I am happy. What pleases me most is when they come on the field to train. Rain or shine we are always at the Mindoo Phillip Park”.
Some of the athletes making it big from the Survivors club thus far are MakebaAlcide, JeannelleScheper and Julien Alfred.
Modeste was overwhelmed at the time of this interview. He said: “I have eight athletes presently on scholarship overseas, all from Survivors, and there is more to come”
Great story!…well written and uplifting!
I couldn’t of gotten a better coach. Because of him I won the 800m and 1500m inter secondary school meet in 2000 for ccss and it couldn’t of be posible if it wasn’t for him.