Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – The Sint Maarten Aquatic Federation (SMAF) held its final team-building session on Sunday, November 1, bringing together athletes and delegation officials as the national swim team prepares to depart for St. Lucia on November 5 for the OECS Swimming Championships.
This session followed two weeks of joint training involving athletes from Sint Maarten’s three swim clubs. Beyond preparing for competition, SMAF wanted to strengthen team spirit, communication and the sense of responsibility that comes with representing Sint Maarten.
The first part of the session was facilitated by psychologist Dr. Tameka Lambert, who guided the athletes through an interactive session on the Code of Conduct. Drawing on her experiences as a current athlete and former college volleyball player, Dr. Lambert shared practical insights into teamwork, discipline and individual responsibility.
Through role-playing scenarios, questions and moments of individual and group reflection, participants explored the importance of respecting rules, supporting one another and understanding how their actions can affect the entire team. Particular attention was given to the importance of clear rules and expectations when travelling with a large group of young athletes, as well as the responsibility that comes with representing Sint Maarten abroad.
The second part consisted of physical team-building activities organized by Supersplash Swim Team (SSST), under the leadership of its President, Guillaume Richards, and in the presence of coach and owner Mariette Schrijvers. Through various interactive activities, athletes and delegation officials participated together, strengthening communication, trust and teamwork in a fun and engaging environment.
The involvement of SSST highlighted the cooperation among all three swim clubs. With the national coaches coming from Dolphins Swim Team (DST) and Carib Swim Team (CST), and SSST contributing to the team-building activities, each club played a role in preparing the delegation. Although the athletes represented different clubs, they will compete as one national team representing Sint Maarten.
The team building activity concluded with the athletes consuming prepared smoothies, which reinforced the lessons that were learnt in the recent sports nutrition workshop about healthy food choices and proper nutrition. This provided a fitting conclusion to the team’s final get-together before departure.
The team-building session and refreshments were made possible through the support of the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), Claret Connor, recognizing the importance of investing not only in the physical performance of young athletes, but also in their mental well-being and ability to work together as a team.
The delegation of 26 athletes, two coaches and two delegation leaders will depart on November 5 for the OECS Swimming Championships, taking place November 6–8. This marks the largest swimming delegation to represent St. Maarten in a single championship.
