 The International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS), in partnership with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), unveiled the first-ever IAYS Research and Development Center during a special ceremony in mid March at the Petrotrin Staff Club in Pointe-a-Pierre in Trinidad.
The center will undertake research to know and understand the value of sports, as well as monitor children involved in sports around the world to assess its impact on their lives.
Pictured are: Kenneth Butcher (seated at left), executive manager of the Academy of Sports and Leisure Studies at the University of Trinidad and Tobago and Fred Engh (seated), president of the IAYS; and (standing from left) Brian Lara, retired world champion cricket batsman; Mark Mungal, IAYS Caribbean Regional Representative; and Andrea Brache, administrative officer for the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
“The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee feels that the development of sport must start at the primary level and it must be developed through research studies,” Romany said. “This partnership is one of the main things that contributes to the sustainability of sport.”
Also attending the launch was Fred Engh, founder and president of the IAYS.
“We are extremely pleased to be partnering with the University of Trinidad and Tobago,” Engh said. “We look forward to working together to enhance the field of Sport and Development that – most importantly – will lead to positive youth sports experiences for children worldwide.”
The Research and Development Center, which will be staffed by IAYS and UTT representatives, will be involved in a variety of youth sports-related projects.
The Center’s staff will also focus on creating sport and development programs that are backed by research and evaluated by practitioners.
“It is very easy for those that have participated in sports and had enjoyable experiences to talk about the benefits of being involved in them,” said Mark Mungal, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE). “However, it is not as easy to provide proven researched data. The field of sport and development has a lot to gain from this partnership.”
Besides impacting youth sports programming worldwide, the center will enhance the learning experiences of UTT students, who will have a greater opportunity to connect theory to practice while analyzing sport and development initiatives around the world.
The IAYS is committed to helping all children throughout the world have the opportunity to gain the benefits of sports. Since its inception in 2003 it has made significant progress building the value of sports for children worldwide, most notably through its Game On! Youth Sports program. Game On! was created by the IAYS to address issues that hinder sports programming for children while giving them the opportunity to participate in sports and experience a healthier lifestyle, with less chance of choosing negative activities to occupy their free time.
The IAYS has impacted the lives of more than 68,000 children through Game On! around the world. The program has been highly successful throughout Africa, India, Latin America and the Caribbean. | 
