Barbadian recruiter/coach providing opportunities

For the past thirty-two years, Henry Miller has been providing athletic opportunities for talented individuals who do not have the financial means to further their athletic careers.

Through his charity Believing in God Given Ability (BIGGA) Miller is seeking to provide scholarships to local athletes who have the drive, desire and academics to become college athletes in their respective disciplines.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY from his Maxwell, Christ Church apartment, Miller said that he decided to start BIGGA as a way of breaking some of the hardships talented athletes face due to the lack of funding and infrastructure.

“I have been doing this for over 30 years in the United States and other parts of the world as well as Barbados. In the past, I would have helped Henry Richards, Marlon Bascombe, Mike Richards, John Jones, Sherlan Griffith, and Richard Flemming just to name a few. But in Barbados, I have always found it challenging because the Government sees sports as a joke, and I pray for one day when the Government of Barbados recognizes the value and money to be associated with sports that could move this country and its citizens forward. My programme is one such catalyst as it seeks to provide athletes who are in the lower social strata of society with the opportunity to obtain a scholarship and further their education not just through sports. Because if a child has the academics to qualify for a scholarship, I would try to assist them in whatever ways I can whether it is a full scholarship or partial scholarship as I am trying to make college education available for kids,” he said.

Miller who was the former coach of South Hampton University and now international coach and recruiter for Division 1-3 Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball said that in the last year his charity Believing in God Given Ability has provided scholarships to eight Barbadian athletes: Tyreke Harewood, Adriel Brathwaite, Carl Thorpe Jr, Kemar Benn, Malik Clarke, Prius Walrond and Kyrone Alexander who are all studying in the United States and doing exceedingly well in their respective disciplines. To this end, he believes that should the Government of Barbados and or the private sector provide the infrastructure or funding, they would have more persons qualifying for the Olympic Games.

“Investment in sports is something that needs to be had because the island has approximately 290,000 persons and we have produced Ryan Brathwaite, Obadele Thompson, John Jones, Sada Williams, Akela Jones and many more. Imagine what the country could do if it had some infrastructure. There is so much talent in this country, but we have no infrastructure, so we need private and or the Government to have a serious look at sports,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Miller remains committed and since being in Barbados for the past two weeks he has already obtained Tatyana Walrond and Kiserian Adams scholarships to McCook Community College and Baton Rouge Community College respectively and is hoping to provide a few more scholarships as he is set to leave the island in the next four weeks.

“I am here to help as many children as I can, there is no specific number. Last year with the help of [Former Minister of Sports] Dwight Sutherland we were able to send eight kids off on scholarships. My mission as always is to break the cycle of generational poverty on the island. The most rewarding thing for me is not to watch my students’ become members of the NBA like Charles Jones, Jamal Tinsley and Quincy Douby but it is to see these students go on to become executives and outstanding citizens and be able to give back to their community and their country,” he said.

The former Combermere student said that he is eager to work with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment to continue to provide scholarships for deserving athletes in Barbados so that the country and the people of Barbados can be proud of these young men and women who through their God-given ability are able to carve a new path in their lives. Interested athletes can reach out to Henry Miller at biggascouting@yahoo.com 

(Write Right PR Services)