Julia Broome has been accepted to participate in the Executive Masters in Sport Organisations Management (MEMOS) XXV Programme, which runs from August 2022 to September 2023.
MEMOS seeks to develop the knowledge of professionals working in national or international sports bodies in order to enhance the management of their organisations. Broome’s 25 years of experience in sports and sports management made her an excellent candidate for the programme.
As Chairperson of the Youth and Junior Commission, she is responsible for the development of volleyball for young children. She is also the Barbados Female Youth Volleyball team manager. She has been an executive member of the Barbados Volleyball Association since 2019, when she was elected as Assistant Secretary-Treasurer.
She was first introduced to the Barbados Volleyball Association by playing on the Barbados Female Junior Volleyball Team from 1997 to 1999. Broome is also a founding member of Warrens Sports Club, which was integral in organising and hosting the inaugural Warrens Beach Classic and National Primary Schools’ Invitational Volleyball Championships. These two ventures sought to promote the development of volleyball in Barbados.
Through the MEMOS Programme, participants will pursue several modules that focus on specific aspects of sports management, including strategic management and governance, performance and risk management, financial management, human resources management, leadership and change management. Participants will also conduct an individual project designed to improve the management of their organisation.
She is ecstatic about the opportunity and has set her sights on being the top student in this cohort. Moreover, she intends to use the knowledge gained to become more involved in the administration of sports in Barbados.
“I have a love for young people. I have a love for sports. I see that sports can open many doors and present many opportunities for young people who wouldn’t otherwise have these opportunities. I want to see young people achieve. I want to see sports in Barbados move to the next level. I know we do very, very well across the board in almost all sporting disciplines at the youth and junior level, but for some reason, we haven’t been able to break that barrier when it comes to seniors and adults on the international stage,” Broome said.
Reflecting on her MEMOS Project, she explained that her goal is to explore the use of technology to enhance the management of sports and national teams in Barbados.
“We are in the final stages of producing a youth and junior policy on volleyball for the island, and in this, we saw that there is a void in the use of technology, in the preparation of teams and even in the teaching of the sport of volleyball as a whole. So that’s what my project is going to be. I’m going to use it in the preparation of the youth and junior teams; however, I want it to transcend into the preparation of any person learning to play volleyball, whether you are eight years old or 30 years old. I want to see how technology, including things like ball machines and blocking machines, which make a coach’s job much easier, can enhance our level of play and what we ultimately produce when we go to championships to represent the island. I am hoping that this allows me to help all federations in Barbados to take sports to the next level,” she stated.
The Youth and Junior Commission Chair is honoured to have been recommended by the Barbados Olympic Association Inc. for the MEMOS Programme and the accompanying Olympic Solidarity Scholarship. She looks forward to going to Switzerland this September for her first in-person session.