INTRODUCTIONDRUGS IN SPORTSTHE EFFECT OF IMPROVEMENTS IN DRUG TESTING ON TRACK AND FIELD ALTHLETES IN JAMAICA

In August 2013 all Jamaicans turned to the staging of the World Athletic Championship. Jamaican pride and celebration extended throughout towns and cities as athletes such as Shelly- Ann Fraser- Price and Usain Bolt carried home Gold. Just before this staging, however, Jamaicans had also shown outrage and disappointment in the positive drug tests of their own highly decorated athletes; nationally and internationally. Three athletes still in the media for positive drug tests were a shocking start to these games but none- the- less the eligible athletes carried on the baton.

Athletes such as Veronica Campbell-Brown, Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson provided international critics, with a bias, ground for judgment of Jamaican track and field success. Disappointment spread throughout the Jamaican population and also through me. This is the reason for choosing this topic in particular for my portfolio. Many questions are now raised as to the performance of Jamaican athletes. Many critics would like to know whether this success is due to natural ability, poor testing facilities in Jamaica or the work of some master scientist who is proficient in the art of camouflage.

Preface

This short story was chosen to portray this piece entitled The Winning Loss, authentic Jamaicans usually enjoy a good story which they can relate to and can sit back, read and enjoy. This story will show that through hard work, determination and perseverance sports can bring you true success and will give you a lot of opportunities to represent your country all over the world. I was inspired to write this story because I want to explore the of impact drug abuse have on our youths and enlighten my peers on how drug abuse can affect the sport. Its intended for all sport loving fans especially for the youths who wish to pursue a career in a professional sport not to turn down the path of using drug to enhance their performances. It is also intended to draw the attention of non-loving sports fans to so that they can be aware of the challenges and critics faced by the Jamaican athletic system. An appropriate place for this story would be in the newspaper, international forum and in various high schools and on the internet for easy accessibility. This story is purely fictional.

Reflective piece

The Winning Lost

It is the second jump at 2.10m and the green and black of my school was waving directly across from the high jump apron, which I was now at. The competition had been easy up to this point and would only get harder. The London College student, Michael, was in his purple and white bodysuit and had just cleared the height. The pressure was now on me. This pressure now only added to my guilt especially since I was now slated to make another jump. I had to focus as I ran up to the bar and, Yes!, I made the jump. As the bar rose to the next height so did my anxiety. I looked at the other athletes so proudly displaying their school colours and more than likely not carrying the burden that I am. The coach assured me nothing would happen; nothing was wrong. This would ensure my future he said but I dont know if my heart will survive that long.The athletes dropped out one by one but luckily I still remained. The cheers were getting louder from the stands where the green and black flags were now caressing the air above the National Stadium. The green and black sea of people in the stands was now echoing TORONTO COLLEGE!. TORONTO! pierced my mind and I knew I had to win. If they ever found out I would be a pariah in the school and probably banned from athletics forever. I could not continue to think this because I am left in the competition with the London College athletes.2.14m, 2.16m, and 2.19m and Michael and I were the only ones left in the competition. I should not be nervous since I have the advantage but I could not help but think that it was an unfair one. I was scheduled to jump again. I did not clear it and my heart becomes my enemy. I have two more tries but I am more nervous now than ever. This was not helped because Michael had cleared it in the one jump. It would be hilarious if I found out Michael and I was in the same boat because he was doing unusually well. Ironically Coach Blue signaled to me at that moment. A wah do yuh bwoi, dont waste mi efforts enuhFOCUS man!. All I could say is Ye man, Coach although what I really needed was reassurance; some form of justification. The screams of the purple and white supporters were deafening since they were closer to area of the high jump. Not only once did I hear them chanting DROP!, DROP!, DROP!, while I was jumping. They dont really matter though because they would hate me either way. It was my supporters that I couldnt bear to disappoint. It was my supporters who were sincerely cheering me on.My Coach told me to relax and make sure I dont Mash up di school chance.. and that is what I am going to do. I plugged in my headphones and began listening to some Sizzla. They couldnt Keep a good man down and that is what I am. I went into the attempt at the height with this in mind. I was fully charged. When I took off the headphones the roars swam through my ears. I was ready. Seas of different colours and different pitches of vuvuzellas were sounding throughout the stadium. This is what I am here for and I am going to win. I am going to win for my family, my coach, my school and myself!My new focus was novelty and I thought no more of my deviance. I was there to win this championship. I got ready for the next jump and did not look at Michael who was warming up. I had seen him earlier talking to his coach and for a second I could swear they were staring at me. Did they know? I thought, of course not that they could not know.I went in for the jump and the crowd began clapping at a slow pace. As I approached the bar the clapping increased in tempo; I was feeling the energy of the crowd and my surroundings. AAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!.... , echoed around the stadium. I had made the jump! I could not contain myself. Everything was working out perfectly!The purple and whites of London College were not looking as esthetic. They had a controlled focus on their faces but I was beaming with too much energy to care. He then went to make the jump. His supporters mimicked the clapping rhythm that I had just a second ago received. He ran up to the bar and went into the air for the jump. He dropped the bar! I WON! I WON! I was running all over the place; jumping and screaming. I got hugs and congratulations from all angles but I couldnt tell from whom. All I remember hearing was someone telling me I made it pass the CARIFTA trials and I was so happy; for a moment. At this point I realized I wasnt caught in Jamaica, but CARIFTA might not be so easy to fool- I should not have taken the performance enhancing drugs.

Analytical Piece I chose to analyze my reflective piece entitled "The Winning Loss". The main register used in this reflective piece was an informal one, as the dialogues between Romeo and his wife Marie took place in a casual setting. The word choices used by these two characters were general and mainly comprised of mesolect of the speech continuum. This was assisted by the use of non verbal communications, examples taken from the piece as follows (As he looked down and shook his head with elation), (I could see the warm smile on her wrinkled face), (I just nod my head and laughed) etc. With respect to Dialectal variation used in this piece is concerned, the way in which Mr. Reid which was Romeo's coach spoke is closest to basilect of the continuum because he uses mainly Creole which suggests his lack of secondary education, of the lower class and consequently of African descent. His speech contained Creole structures such as the omission of verbs , the replacement of (th) and the use of dem to pluralize as used in the example ( A yu de big man weh mash up de race dem a primary champs). Romeo's grandmother uses Creole also and replaces Er ending words with (a) in cash pot numb(a). Romeo shows a pejorative attitude towards Creole due to the evidence taken from the story (I was so surprise that a person could speak worse than my grandmother. I couldn't even understand most of what he was saying). The communicative behaviors were revealed through vocalics, gestures and different facial expression which were used throughout the story. The use of proxemics was evident (I suddenly noticed all the guys on the team started to malice me. I just kept to myself). This story demonstrated the use of Registers, Dialectal variation, Attitudes to language and the use of Communicative behaviours.