New GSAL–GNG Proposal Targets Long-Standing Gaps in School Sports

 

Proposed GSAL Could Reshape the Future of School Sports in Grenada

by Michael Bascombe

Grenadians are encouraged to play an active role in the island’s national development, not only through participation but also by contributing ideas, frameworks and innovative projects. One such proposal—rooted in proven international practice and adapted to local realities—is now gaining renewed attention in sporting circles.

A Grenadian, who is himself a product of the highly structured Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) system in New York, has been sharing a similar concept with stakeholders in Grenada. Mr Axel Joseph, who first discussed the idea on the TalkSports programme nearly two years ago, has started to advance the conversation with various stakeholders.

At the heart of the proposal is the establishment of the Grenada Schools Athletic League (GSAL)—a structured, data-driven, and development-oriented school sports league. In its initial phase, GSAL would involve seven sporting disciplines: Basketball, Chess, Cricket, Football, Netball, Track & Field, and Volleyball. Competitions would be organised across Under-13, Under-15, and Under-18 age categories, with an emphasis on proper scheduling, standardised rules, and athlete welfare.

Beyond competition, GSAL is designed to introduce modern sporting management practices into school sports. These include rankings, performance statistics, eligibility monitoring, and clearly defined development pathways. Importantly, GSAL would also serve as a feeder system into a proposed Grenada National Games (GNG)—a multi-sport event to be staged every two years, showcasing talent emerging from schools and communities across the island.

The proposal outlines clear roles and responsibilities for key institutions.

The Ministry of Sports would provide national policy direction and governance oversight, coordinate with the Sports Council, Federations and GSAL, support national talent development pathways, manage facilities and event readiness, facilitate commercial partnerships and sponsorships, and ensure monitoring and evaluation of sports programmes.

The Ministry of Education would play a critical role by aligning GSAL and GNG schedules with examination periods, supporting the participation of all secondary schools, ensuring athlete eligibility and academic compliance, enforcing safeguarding and child protection standards, overseeing medical requirements, and coordinating with the Grenada Secondary Schools Principals’ Games Association (GSSPGA).

The Principals' Association would be responsible for registering schools, enforcing eligibility and discipline, ensuring academic alignment, and holding representation on the GSAL Council—thereby strengthening ownership at the school level.

National Federations would provide technical oversight, including rules, officials, referees, and coaching standards, utilise GSAL results for youth national team selection, and sit on GSAL technical committees to ensure alignment with regional and international standards.

The importance of this proposal cannot be overstated. School sports in Grenada are evolving, but they are also facing growing challenges—fragmented competitions, inconsistent scheduling, limited data, uneven access to facilities, and weak links between schools and national programmes. A structured league such as GSAL, supported by an inclusive national showcase like the GNG, offers a pathway to address long-standing structural deficiencies while preparing young athletes for higher levels of competition.

TalkSports gives unconditional and full support to this initiative, noting that Grenada’s National Sports Policy explicitly encourages innovation, collaboration, and stakeholder-driven solutions. The GSAL and GNG concept represents exactly the type of forward-thinking framework needed to modernise school sports, strengthen talent identification, and ensure that sport continues to play its rightful role in youth development, education, and nation-building.

The proposal for the Grenada Schools Athletic League and the National Games represents a shift from "playing games" to "building an industry." It treats the student-athlete as a valuable national asset.