Anguilla’s growth and development before and since its revolution was made possible by the many pioneers that dedicated their lives to the betterment of the island and its people. Even today, this island nation has current heroes and pioneers trying to make a positive impact. Louis Price is one of these people deserving of some recognition for the strides he has been making for the past seven years with his dream to build Anguilla’s first recreational facility.

JC Recreational Centre floor and gym

Most people know Mr. Price as Anguilla’s premier authority on fitness, health, and massage therapy. Yet, he is also a devout Christian and family man with three sons of which he is very proud. His personal mission and career statement has been the guiding principle for his practice: “to motivate, educate and enhance my fellow man’s awareness of their temples (bodies) so that, with it, they can do whatever they want.”

The JC Recreational Centre, located at South Hill, is Mr. Price’s newest addition to the many services he has provided over the years. He was previously located at the Highway Gym in George Hill and found that the space was not sufficient in terms of the fitness classes he wanted to conduct. He also recollected when he first began doing classes at Pam Webster’s house while being outside and enjoying the breeze and viewing the stars at night.

Elected members of the Interact Club

It was this same concept that drove him to create an outside venue with a roof to keep out the rain and sun. A recreational centre is defined as “a place to play games.” Yet, besides games, the JCRC also has a fully equipped gym, massage therapy room, lounge area, office, bathroom and shower facilities. With its wide open spaces, the possibilities are limitless. With the specially designed floor, the centre will potentially be able to accommodate basketball, volleyball, netball, badminton, football and tennis.

When asked why it was named the JC Recreational Centre, Mr. Price responded, “JC stands for many things. The first people to believe in my vision were John and Cathy and the last people to help me financially were Joe and Carol. Because of the many miracles I have experienced from conception to implementation, it was obvious that Jesus Christ had a large role to play as well and therefore JC just stayed with me.” The JCRC officially opened on July 1, 2007 and patrons have already begun to take notice. The main reason behind this project was that Mr. Price needed a larger space to conduct his many classes but he also knew that he would not need it all day. With such a big space, he wanted to make it available for people to use it when he was not in need. There is no, nor has there ever been a recreational centre in Anguilla for children. Children, according to Mr. Price, need a safe place to play, a haven where they can feel free to grow and enjoy their youth.

The JCRC’s mission statement is, “the JC Recreational Centre aims to direct and harness children’s energies into positive channels such as organized sports, fitness classes and tutoring sessions to facilitate and enhance their social development.” There are two fitness classes a week for children. Children can participate in a class on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. as well as another on Saturday at 10 am. Saturday’s class is more game oriented. A USD $16 dollar a month donation where possible is asked, but not mandatory. The fee works out to 2 dollars a class per month which is simply a token fee for children and parents to take responsibility for what they are doing with their time and money. The overall guiding theme of the classes are to promote discipline through a physical outlet.

Fitness classes for adults are available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at both 5:30 am and 6:00 pm. Pilates classes are also available on Tuesday and Thursday and are taught by a very efficient instructor. The gym itself is open Monday through Saturday from 5 am to 9 pm and Sunday from 9 am to 9 pm. Presently, there are 35 adults enrolled in the fitness classes and there is space for 100. Louis encourages people to come out with their running shoes and try it out. Louis Price and Associates is the other component that deals with massage therapy and although Mr. Price himself cannot accept any new patients, he has a staff of five associates who all meet his high standards.

In planning for the future, Mr. Price spoke about the government’s plans to build a multi-sport complex and aqua centre. The government presently has acquired the land and is in the initial stages of setting up the infrastructure. Yet, Mr. Price is vehement about the fact that at this moment in time, there is nothing in place for the youth and he fears that this generation will be skipped. Therefore, he wants the JCRC to work in the interim. He wants the Centre to be fully equipped eventually and also hopes to see all the primary school children using the facility. He feels strongly that talent in Anguilla is lost because there is never enough training and resources and therefore talented children end up working in some hotel and never fully maximize their potential on the world stage.

In conclusion, Mr. Price is a driven individual whose positive attitude is contagious. His willingness to help his fellow man and children, combined with his years of expert training, makes him one of Anguilla’s current pioneers. In his final remarks, he wanted to add, “I have really enjoyed networking with the Anguilla Tennis Academy in putting aside any ego variables in the common desire to impact positively the lives of children. The ATA has networked with me on so many levels to help me move forward in my dream. We need to network and share resources and share common ideas because it is the children that get the win at the end of the day.”

-Jason Allen

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