By Anmar Goodridge-Boyce
Barbadian two-time CARIFTA Games champion Jerrard Mason has landed a dream job in track and field overseas.
The 27-year-old former middle-distance king is now an athletics coach at the Minot State University in North Dakota.
An upbeat Mason confirmed the news to Barbados TODAY earlier this week after leaving the island to begin the new and exciting journey in the United States.
Mason, a past student of the 2019 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships winners at Harrison College said he is extremely grateful for the opportunity to work and further his education simultaneously.
“First of all, I’d like to thank Greggmar Swift and the whole Minot State University family for entrusting me with this wonderful opportunity. I’m excited because I’ll be able to do a double masters in Sport Management and Business Management while gaining experience in the NCAA coaching system, which has always been my dream after my track career,” Mason said in a telephone interview.
“It’s a huge step to where I see myself. I’d like to thank Gabriel Burnett for helping me to get the ball running in my coaching career with the Quantum Leap track and field program and Kodia Leacock for guiding me and moulding me into the type of coach that best suits me. As I said, my dream has been to coach collegiately so this is huge. It is definitely a foot in the door,” Mason added.
He said “the feeling is indescribable” and outlined his goals to reach the very top of the coaching ladder and become one of the world’s greats.
“I thank God for opening doors for me and making this possible. I will work hard to make my name known the same way as coaches like Glen Mills, Vincent Anderson and Carl Lewis.”
Mason, who represented Barbados at several junior meets and is a reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) and BSSAC record holder hopes he can help make a positive impact on the lives of young Barbadian athletes.
“I feel like during my senior career I wasn’t given the chance to show my world-class capabilities. I’m not the only one who has suffered over the years and it’s sad that a lot of athletes have to bow out because of a lack of funding and facilities but maybe with Sada, Shane and Jonathan reaching the heights that they have, they’ll give others a chance.
“I’m very proud of them (Sada, Shane and Jonathan) and I hope the others such as Kyle Gale, and Rasheeme Griffith are given a chance when the time comes. I believe they are the future,” he said.
