On Saturday 26th June 2021, Spartans TT Sports Club will host an online Mental Health discussion with Sport and Exercise Psychologist, Alexandria Olton. While initially planned for members of their club, it will instead air via YouTube and Facebook Live with the support of bmobile, as technology partner, to benefit all members of the public.

Garvin Warwick, Athletic Director and Founder of Spartans TT, strongly believes in the need for parents and children to pay greater attention to aspects of mental health as the country continues various lockdown measures to suppress the covid-19 spread. He pointed out that, "We understand that mental health is not something openly discussed in many homes with young people. We therefore sought the expertise of a Sport and Exercise Psychologist to help bridge that gap for youth to see the link between sport, activity and mental health and well-being," he added.

Gerard Cooper, General Manager Shared Services for TSTT, noted that, "When we saw this opportunity to provide technological support for an important discussion such as this, we immediately embraced it. Mental health is a critical aspect of health particularly at this time for our country when we are in a pandemic and a State of Emergency with curfew measures in place," he added. "While it may be difficult to stay motivated and active, we hope everyone does find a way to do both - and if you need support, regardless of your age or health, then this discussion will be valuable for you too."

Alexandria Olton is a qualified Sport and Exercise Psychologist, the Director of Mindology, Trinidad, and a newspaper columnist. Alexandria works primarily with athletic and sporting populations of varying ages and competitive levels, including national and international elite and Olympic athletes. The discussion, titled Stop The Press: Dealing with Lockdown, will be moderated by Ty Warwick, Maya Richards and Saleen Allen, who are all U17 Basketballers and Holy Name Convent students. They are also part of the Spartan Club's digital marketing team. According to Warrick, persons who have questions on the topic can connect via the club's website or social media pages to ask their questions anonymously (if they prefer) so that the subject can better meet their expectations this weekend.


Spartans initially started as a basketball academy in 2012 with just a handful of players but today hosts up to 200 players, participants and parents in their annual gala event. They are also behind one of the largest basketball youth tournaments in the Caribbean. However, in the years since their founding, their focus has moved from being centralised on what is happening on the court to what happens off it as well. Their holistic development approach allows them to assist their members in improving aspects of their academic lives and focus on other elements like public speaking, chores and responsibilities and dress etiquette. Warrick added, "It's not just about the game of basketball; it's ultimately about the game called life. The 'Stop the Press' series will also feature other speakers in the coming weeks, covering different topics.

The session will take place on YouTube and Facebook Live at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday 26 June 2021. Interested persons can sign up via SpartansTT.com or contact 725-2323.