Last week, The Anguillian devoted its editorial to commend the golfers and the promoters of rugby football on the island for their initiatives towards the introduction of new sporting activities for the social and educational development of our young people. The point was made that in the case of golf, the sport was being taken to the children of Anguilla, thus seemingly relieving the discriminatory notion that it was only for the rich and famous and for persons in the echelons of society to the exclusion of the ordinary island folk.

This week, we wish to recognise the efforts of other contributors to youth and social development. Of much interest is the fact that the two indigenous banks, the Caribbean Commercial Bank and the National Bank of Anguilla, have this week shown a much-appreciated and continuing involvement in the lives of the island’s children. CCB has launched its 2006 sponsorship of the female football tournament, now attracting much excitement among the youth and adult population and at the same time developing the skills of the youngsters. Now the National Bank has launched a new product, its Career Enhancer Loan Combo, in support of the education of school children with other financial benefits and has outlined its services to them.

Both banks should be highly commended for their vision and continuing contributions to national life as leading corporate citizens of Anguilla, benefiting greatly from the financial transactions of the citizenry. By their actions they have joined in showing concern for the future of Anguilla because without well-rounded, disciplined and skilled young people, the outlook for the island and its leadership would be very bleak.

Another big thank you is owed to the Anguilla Tennis Academy and its founder, Michelle Lake. Their most recent act has been to bring in Zina Garrison, one of the top tennis champions and international record holders in the United States, to run some junior clinics for young players of the sport. A recent press release from the Academy states that one of its mandates is “to provide the best quality instruction to the children” of Anguilla. That is a plausible undertaking.

In an article in this week’s edition of The Anguillian, Dame Bernice Lake, who one mistakenly thinks is too busy for matters of sport, but who, in earlier days was an outstanding sports personality, wrote an interesting historical narrative on tennis. In commending the work of the Anguilla Tennis Academy, she penned that tennis is seen “as an avenue for personal as well as career development for the young in our community; escape routes from the traps of delinquency which would destroy our youths; and ultimately it is an agent for the cohesive, cultural and economic advancement of Anguilla as a whole.” Well said!

It is on this note that we must thank all the contributing corporate citizens, including the telecommunications companies, other groups, agencies and individuals in Anguilla who are giving of their time, effort and money to promotingyouth development and discipline through sports. Kudos to everyone.

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