Clichés can be sometimes daunting and redundant, but I have always felt that clichés are actually always used because what they say and mean are completely practical. Currently, these words are being written from Pawling, New York, where Louis Price, Mitchelle Lake, and I are currently engaged in running a youth development camp for children.

So “great minds think alike” is the cliché that comes to mind as I have the distinct privilege of working with two of Anguilla’s current pioneers in youth development. Of course, Mitchelle Lake, is the founder of the Anguilla Tennis Academy and has been making great strides for the past eleven years introducing tennis to the children at little or no cost. He is also in the process of completing a world class, state of the art tennis facility that with have no rival in all of the Caribbean. Louis Price is the owner and operator of the Highway Gym and is one of Anguilla’s frontrunners in personal health and well being. He is also the focus of this week’s article and he was able to sit with me and answer a few questions about a new initiative for youth in Anguilla.

At this moment, Mr. Price is finishing the construction of a new recreation centre. The reason behind this, according to him, is “so that more youth and adults are able to use the aerobic class facilities as a useful tool for stress relief, personal responsibility for physical well being, and daily lectures on the importance of a positive attitude.” This facility will be multi-faceted as it will reach the adults and children in many ways. First and foremost, the “court” is multi-purpose as it can be used for indoor football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, and many more sports. More specifically, the youth programs will be centred on a program called “Camp Fitness.” The mission statement of this new initiative is as follows: Camp fitness aims at directing and harnessing children’s energies into positive channels such as organized sports, fitness classes, and tutoring sessions to facilitate and enhance their social development. This mission statement ties in directly with Mr. Price’s overall philosophy and mission statement that has guided him for the past two decades: To motivate, educate and enhance my fellow man’s awareness of their temples so that their spirits can perform God’s purpose in their lives enabling them to do what they were born to do. Mr. Price has a strong vision for the future of his development program and in his “Declaration of My Vision” he states: “I declare for myself and my community a successful, prosperous recreational centre being a vehicle of positive transformation for my world. I declare myself, my community and all communities, whole and complete. There is nothing to do except be.”

In this program, the main focus is getting young people off the streets, corners, and places they should not be because they are bored. He wants to put them in a positive Christian based environment that is a safe home. From that safe home those with physical talent can start young enough to maybe enter into the professional sports arena or get scholarships. For those lacking in physical development, he will be able to build up coordination and dexterity so that there is no emotional problem for them as adults. If I had to choose one adjective to describe this new program and Louis Price, I would indubitably say “positive.” Camp Fitness is a positive program with a positive leader who sees no obstacles nor limits to what can be achieved with this new recreation centre that will be complete by early November. I encourage all to get involved with this exciting new endeavour and I wish Mr. Price and all his participants the best of luck.

As always, if you know of anyone who is doing great things for the youth in Anguilla, please e-mail at jallen@caribcable.com.

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