GREAT BAY--Last Friday, the Foresee Foundation successfully launched its first workshop of 2026 in collaboration with the Sint Maarten Sports Federation (SMSF) and Stichting Expertise Centrum Ervaringsgericht Onderwijs (EGO). The workshop brought together professionals from sport, education and policy to explore how sport and physical activity on St. Maarten can be strengthened in a sustainable and inclusive way.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Maaike Heerschop, researcher at the Mulier Instituut, who is responsible for the analysis of the Child Monitor. This large-scale health survey was recently conducted across almost all primary schools on St. Maarten. During her presentation, Heerschop shared key insights into children’s lifestyle behaviors, including physical activity, sleep and nutrition, and connected these findings to sport participation and talent development.
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Broad representation from the sports field
Participants included physical education teachers, coaches, trainers and sports administrators. This broad mix of professionals led to rich discussions and meaningful exchanges between research, daily practice and policy perspectives.
Broad-based sport versus elite sport
A central theme of the workshop was the balance between a broad-based sport approach and a more selective elite sport focus. Participants emphasized the importance of creating a sports environment that enables as many children as possible to participate in sport and physical activity, rather than concentrating primarily on a small group of young athletes with potential elite careers.
Drawing on international research, Heerschop highlighted that talent development is a long-term and non-linear process, strongly influenced by a child’s environment. Factors such as daily movement, adequate sleep, healthy nutrition, school demands, and social safety play a decisive role. “Health and well-being are not side issues, but essential conditions for sustainable sport development,” was one of the key messages.
Call for joint follow-up actions
The workshop concluded with a joint reflection on concrete next steps for St. Maarten. Participants discussed which improvements to the local sport and movement environment are realistic and achievable, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between schools, sports organizations and policymakers. The organizing partners look back on a successful start and see this workshop as a strong foundation for continued knowledge sharing and cooperation throughout 2026.
https://tribune-site.webflow.io//articles/strengthening-sport-on-st-maarten-sports-development-workshop-series-continues-in-2026
