By DEANGELO FERGUSON, Guardian Summer Student

With the imminence of a new semester for the College- soon to be University - of The Bahamas (COB), their athletics department has plans to make The Bahamas international contenders in all sports that they offer. Bradley Cooper, track and field coach for the institution and former Commonwealth Games champion, said that they are about to launch a full track and field team with girls and boys.

Additionally, continuing from last year, they have a men's and a women's basketball team which they are both presently grooming for tournaments in Florida and New York. A tennis team has also been established. Roberts said that their aim for the year is to let Bahamians and international schools know that "the College of The Bahamas is alive and is trying to compete to show the public that it is possible to compete at home and still receive a degree while at home."

They plan to start a tertiary league organised between the New Providence colleges and the schools in Freeport, Grand Bahama to further advance sporting play. COB currently offers sporting disciplines such as men and women's basketball, soccer, track and field, and tennis. They hope to add volleyball, and darts and domino tournaments this year.

Most US universities have American Football as one of the sports they play but COB hasn't established a league to play in as yet. Cooper said that they are interested but will need approximately 5-10 coaches who need to be paid. There is also the issue of equipment and supplies along with insurance. They hope to upgrade the facilities that they have in order to be able to train the athletes intensely. They plan to build a wellness center on campus which will include a weight room and be open to aerobics sessions. He said that parents must encourage their children to participate in sports in college, just as they encourage them to do in high school. He said that many parents turn the cold shoulder toward their children in college when dealing with sports because they feel that their child should be strictly interested in academics.

Cooper said that if we hope to be a contending nation in sports for our region, we have to develop the total child who will maintain good grades while at the same time excel in sports. Cooper said the past year in review, they have experienced quite a few challenges such as funding and re-establishing themselves in determining which division the university will be able to play in. They have established a female soccer squad and got them into league play for the first time.

Despite the delay surrounding the naming of a president for the institution, Cooper still believes that the three-year time frame that was once given for all of the programs to be up and running, won't be affected in any way. The only delay, he stated, might be that of finance.

"In most schools it takes 1.5 million dollars to run the sports program and we at the College of The Bahamas don't have that", he said.

Cooper said that they are presently in discussions to obtain a local or international sponsor to help with the financial load. He noted that they have dedicated workers who will be important elements in the successful running of the program. He said those include workers such as Sean Bastian who is the men's basketball coach, Dr. Linda Davis who is the women's coach, and himself who is the tennis coach. Another coach is Paul Makan who coaches soccer.

Cooper, also the track and field coach, hopes to sshow some light to the athletes because of his international experience.

"Patience, training and discipline are the three keys to being the best athlete you can be," he said. "Discipline with your training, eating, and with life on the whole is what we will bring to the program."

Cooper is confident that he can install these elements within the athletes at the institution. He said that "everybody remembers me from track but do not remember my coaching days". He had started coaching upon his graduation from college, he was the coach for five years at the Government High School, during which time they won two championships.

Cooper has coached many national squads such as World Senior squads, World Indoors squads and junior and senior Central American and Caribbean teams. Athletes such as new sprint national record holder Derek Atkins, Aaron Cleare, and Troy McIntosh have all been coached by Cooper.