DABA explores implementation of insurance for athletes

The Dominica Amateur Basketball Association (DABA) is exploring the implementation of insurance for athletes and is currently engaged in conversations with various insurance providers.

DABA held a press conference to update the public on its plans and objectives for the upcoming years.

“We are now exploring the implementation of insurance for athletes and we are currently engaged in conversations with various insurance providers and we will go through the process of assessing the proposals from each of these entities so we can select a package we can sustain, understanding of financial limitations but still prioritize our athletes,” DABA President, Peter Ricketts stated.

The next plan is the protection of referees within DABA. Ricketts revealed that persons are apprehensive of taking up the mantel of referee because of lack of safety. He noted that during games, when fans get emotional about decisions made, referees get verbally and even physically abused.

“We have been in communication with the sports division…to see how we can improve our relations with the federation and schools understanding that this is where many of our potential athletes get exposed to basketball for the first time,” he added.

“We had a national consultation to put together a strategic plan. One of our objectives is to harmonize our strategic plan with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and we attended a two-day FIBA plus workshop in the US to assist small developing national federations to help them get structured.”

He noted that at an AGM DABA spoke to the fact that they needed the support from FIBA and added that the federation was able to deliver and from that workshop, they were able to better modify their plan and now have a full road map operational plan.

“We have a vision to globalize our talents by creating an environment for basketball and stakeholders. For us to understand that vision, it speaks to the importance of governance which is one of our top priorities and it is my responsibility to ensure that we put together the various structures in place.”

“If we want to produce athletes that can compete on an international level we have to ensure that we capture these athletes from as early as five years old and onwards. One of the new models that FIBA has exposed us to was there are two pyramids for the development of athletes. The grass root and professional pyramid. The grass root includes the largest pool of potential athletes and as they grow they will go through talent identification and understand which athletes will be invested in to go the professional route,” he noted.

Ricketts stated that DABA addressed the issue of capacity of both technical–such as referees, coaches, and players–and the operational standpoint.

He said that the heavy lifting of the entire association has been left up to the executive and now they have identified what the needs are such as working with stakeholders, and FIBA, and have put out a request for persons interested in refereeing as well as volunteers.

They have thus far received tremendous feedback with regard to persons coming out to support basketball operations.