The Summer Camp held at Capoons Bay has paved the way for the field to host a fully-fledged Track Meet on January 11, 2014. Photo: VINO/File

The BVIAA 2014 season gets underway on Friday with the First Development Meet of the year on the A.O. Shirley Ground at 5.30 p.m. Photo: VINO/File

The BVIAA will be introducing a new category, the U18's, to bring it in line with the IAAF divisions. Photo: VINO/File

Missing from this year’s event will be the rivalry between Jonel Lacey, who has now gone to school in Jamaica and Shiain Vandenberg. Photo: VINO/File

The season will actually get underway this Friday, January 10, 2014 at 5.30 p.m. with a schedule of events to target U15, U18, and U20 and Open male and female athletes. The competition will include 100m; 400m Hurdles and 800m on the track whilst the Field Events will include Triple Jump and Shot Put.

On Saturday, January 11, the Association will hold its second development meet at 1:00 p.m. in Capoons Bay, targeting U9-U13 athletes. Events will include: 1200m for U13, 200m for U9, U11 & U13; Shot Put for U13; 60m for U9, U11 & U13 and 600m for U11 & U13.

Although a ground breaking idea and one no doubt stemming from the success of the Summer Camp held at the same venue last year, some Coaches and Parents have expressed concern about the suitability of running on the field.

Whilst no doubt the organizers have ensured the safety of the surface and Capoons Bay is one of the best, if not the best field available to any sport, the size of the track for the longer distances has been brought into the reckoning, especially, for example the 1200m, which will require almost dizzying amounts of laps.

Other competitions in January are scheduled for January 17 on the A.O. Shirley Grounds targeting U15-Open and January 18 on Virgin Gorda, featuring U9-U13’s.

There are plans to install a track on the recently cleared bottom section of the Recreation Ground on Virgin Gorda to avoid the sloped surface that is used by both football and cricket, but once again concerns have been raised about the viability of entering the Meet, given the cost of travel to and fro.

It is an age old dilemma and once faced by all sports when it comes to sporting events being staged on the Sister Island. Apparently it is always ok to expect Virgin Gorda to travel to Tortola, but the same trip somehow becomes harder for those based on Tortola to make the reverse effort.

One thing for sure is that a Meet should take place on Virgin Gorda, if for no other reason than the efforts of the Coaches, Athletes and Parents to continue developing their youths who deserve the opportunity.

There will be other competitions on January 24 and January 31, 2014.

The domestic season runs through to June 7, 2014 with the 2nd BVI Twilight Invitational and will also see the Association hosting the Leeward Islands Jr. Championships.

The new season will also see the BVIAA, like its regional counterparts, adopting the U18 Division in keeping in line with the IAAF mandate and dropping the U17 Division in all its events. From this year’s April 19-21 Carifta Games in Martinique, the U18 Division comes into effect. The CAC Jr. Championships adopted the format in 2012.

So expect a busy year of newly established records!