Outstanding national badminton player Gavin Robinson has developed tremendously over the past couple months since joining George Brown College in Toronto where he signed up to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
The talented 19-year-old has already begun to chart his way at George Brown College where he has so far been recognised for his contribution to athletics.
Robinson is back on home soil doing online classes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and in an interview with Barbados TODAY, Robinson, a sophomore explained that since joining the Canadian- based institution he had made tremendous progress individually and had become a better athlete.
“My game has developed a lot, mentally developed as well I would say. I’m still training as hard but I’ve learnt a lot of different things. Also, playing in the circuit up there, sometimes you meet guys that are in their 20s and they give you a lot of advice because I’m still young. For instance, I learnt how to save energy on the court because I’m fast but I can burn a lot of energy if I’m moving fast all the time. And that advice helped me to develop all round,” he said.
Robinson also expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be able to study mechanical engineering while gaining great exposure at George Brown College.
“The experience has been very good. You see so many different people and training attitudes. It is a pretty fantastic experience. I would recommend anybody. I have a very good relationship with my badminton coaches, my athletic coordinators and my lecturers. We go to tournaments once or twice a month, you sleep there at the hotel which allows me to interact closely with the coaches. And with my down to earth personality, it works well,” he said.
Robinson added that the decision to return home was not easy but he opted to be with family in the end. “It was a lot of contemplation because I coach badminton up there as well as train. But then they had to close all badminton clubs and school. So, basically, I was there doing online classes and staying at home. Plus it’s Canada, you don’t want to be running outside in the cold because it was still ending off in the winter. And I wasn’t exercising as much so I made the decision to come back home,” he said.
Robinson noted that he was unsure whether to pursue coaching full time once he completed College. But he explained that for the time being he was enjoying the experience.
Robinson was adamant that when he completed his studies he intended to return to Barbados and offer his expertise in the area of green energy, an area he was extremely passionate about.
Robinson joined a six-member Barbados team to compete at the Jamaica International Badminton Championship where he earned bronze in doubles with partner Shae Martin.
Robinson has performed well on the junior level for Barbados but is hoping to one day establish himself in the big league by capturing the maiden senior men’s championship.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
