Sports

Team Manager: “There’s A Lot Of Planning, Preparation And Coordination”

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Team Bahamas is heading to Barbados for the 2025 Goodwill Games, with early arrivals and practice sessions helping athletes acclimate, while managers ensure parents trust the team’s care and safety.

Published

12 months ago

August 13, 2025

Sasha Lightbourne

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The team is aiming for a three-peat come Friday, the 2025 Goodwill Games kick off, and Team Bahamas is fired up and ready.

An early 6 a.m. start saw team members, parents, supporters, coaches, and Bahamas Aquatics Federation officials gather at Lynden Pindling International Airport.

Team Bahamas traveled in style on a chartered BahamasAir flight to Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados.

Before departure, team manager Bernadette Jolly-Robinson spoke about the preparation involved.

Bernadette Jolly-Robinson – Manager, Team Bahamas
“There’s a lot of planning, preparation, coordination literally with the host country because we’re going to Barbados this year to compete and we have to organize transportation, hotel, we have a tour planned for the team, we have to organize training schedules when the kids are able to practice at the pool and then we get prepared for competition on Friday.”

She also noted the challenge for first-time parents, who must adjust to the team’s travel dynamics.

Bernadette Jolly-Robinson – Manager, Team Bahamas
“We have parents who don’t know how the team travels and how they act because once we get to Barbados we become responsible for the kids and the parents are no longer involved so it’s very scary for them. We have to get them to trust us and know that we know what we’re doing, the kids will be safe, we’ll make sure that they’re taken care of, but we keep in communication with the parents.”

Arriving early in Barbados is crucial for performance, according to assistant coach Ashton Knowles.

Ashton Knowles – Asst. Coach, Team Bahamas
“First, you want to get accustomed to a new environment so you want them to be as comfortable as possible. When you look at the pool, you want to make sure the depth and the dive is the same or you get comfortable with that and turns. So really, it’s just about getting used to the pool, getting used to the environment so they can feel as comfortable as possible.”

Once landed, the team went straight to Barbados’ Aquatic Center in St. Michael, with more practices scheduled tomorrow, full details will air in tomorrow’s newscast.