The National Olympic Academy (NOA) of Barbados recently hosted a graduation ceremony for participants of two important key training programmes – the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level 1 and the Sports Administrators Course. This ceremony celebrated the completion of weeks of rigorous training aimed at enhancing the foundation of sport in Barbados.
A total of 48 participants, 25 from the three-day NCCP Level 1 course held in February 2025 and 23 from the month-long Sports Administrators Course hosted by the NOA in March 2025, graduated during the ceremony held at the Barbados Olympic Association Inc.’s headquarters. Presenting the certificates were BOA President Sandra Osborne, Vice President Cameron Burke, and Dr. June Caddle and Allan Herbert, both members of the Education Commission.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Sasha Sutherland, Board Director of the Barbados Olympic Association Inc. (BOA) and Chair of the Education Commission, lauded the graduates not just for their personal achievements but for the role they now play in shaping the nation’s sporting future.
“We are celebrating their individual achievements, but we’re also celebrating a powerful investment in the future of sport in Barbados,” she stated. “Graduates, you stand today as ambassadors of progress and excellence. Whether you’re a coach, preparing athletes to rise beyond their known limits, or a sport administrator ensuring the system behind those athletes is ethical, efficient and empowering, you are now part of a vital force that sustains the Olympic movement.”
The NCCP Level 1 course, held by the BOA in partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada, from February 7–9, offered a structured, internationally recognised pathway for emerging coaches to develop essential skills for athlete development. Since 1974, the NCCP has trained more than two million coaches globally, including several in Barbados, reinforcing the importance of foundational coaching principles that contribute to improved athlete performance.
Meanwhile, the Sports Administrators Course, which ran from March 4 to 29, was designed to strengthen the operational capacity of the National Federations. Dr. Sutherland stressed that the programme was not merely about certification but reflects the BOA’s deep commitment to the professionalisation of sports management across Barbados.
Dr. Sutherland also spoke about the important role each graduate plays in shaping a strong sports environment that values skill and character. She further explained that success in sport does not happen by luck; rather, it is built through consistent hard work, strong leadership, and systems that support growth on and off the field.
Reflecting on their efforts to improve local coaching standards and sports administration in Barbados, the NOA Director, Janelle Denny, thanked Olympic Solidarity, the International Olympic Committee’s global development arm, for the continued financial support it provides to the NOA’s various training programmes.
“In addition to Olympic Solidarity, we must also acknowledge to Mr. Wayne Parro, Director of International Programs at Coaching Association of Canada, for leading the NCCP training and for mentoring a group of local learning facilitators, through a train-the-trainer model, which is vital for the programme’s long-term success,” Denny added.
The NOA’s next training programme will be NCCP Level 2, scheduled for June 26 to 29, 2025.