 The St. Lucia Sports Academy held its Food Sports Summit on Saturday, December 11. The summit engaged 95 young athletes from 13 primary schools across the island. The event began with an address to the participants by guest-beguided professional athlete Albert Reynolds. He provided insight into the requirements necessary to achieve a professional sporting career. The participants were assessed in various sporting disciplines including football, cricket and athletics. Andy Biel is the assistant program director at the St. Lucia Sports Academy. We had coach Bayloss working with our cricketers, coach Dwight Francis working with our footballers, myself, acting director Victor Cornerbert and track and field coach Yusef Estevez assisting with the track and field events as well. Also on staff today we had Makiba Alcide, our physio who is out there assisting the coaches as well. Another component of this was the ability to use our Form 4 and Form 5 students who are currently going through our coaching program, that's the Caribbean Coaching Certification Program here on campus, that's a program supported by the St. Lucia Olympic Committee. Many PE teachers at the both primary and secondary school level have attained that over recent years and that's our way in-house here at the academy of having our own coaching development program. The kids get the theory within the classroom and today gave them a chance to have practical experience while working with these grade six students, some of whom, many of whom we hope will join us come next September. From a national athlete and chairman of Rycene, Lucia Venus Sherry highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between sports and education. Sports and education, it's the best marriage. You can be the best athlete, if you don't have the right grades, you don't get to go anywhere. So you can just say, oh I'm the best sprinter, oh I'm the best football player, I will get a scholarship, no. Because every college, every university in the US, in Canada, in Europe, they care about your grades. That's why it's a perfect marriage. You can't relax on this one and think that one will carry you through. You can't relax on the other and think that one will carry you through. So you have to take both school and sports extremely serious. The faculty of the St Lucia Sports Academy expressed gratitude to key partners and sponsors of the summit for aiding in making the event a success. From the Government Information Service, Hermione Mark reporting.