Five young Barbadians are set to gain invaluable experience off the field through the Barbados Royals’ Super Royals Internship Programme, an initiative described as a vital stepping stone for local youth to build careers not yet widely viable at home.
During a press launch earlier this week, the Royals announced that applications are open for the 2025 cohort, with three of the new interns sharing their hopes for the months ahead.
Sanäa Yearwood, a 2025 Queen’s College graduate, said she was eager to step into the media world. “It feels really good. I am really excited about the opportunity and getting going. Everyone is very uplifting and seems to push us further, so I am grateful for the opportunity,” Yearwood said.
“The Ministry of Youth trained me to be a speaker. I plan to study Mass Communication here. I am looking forward to seeing more media professionals in their element and getting to interact with the cricketers.”
Timothy Thompson, an alumnus of The Foundation School, has his sights set firmly on sports management. Now in his final year of a Sports Science degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill Campus, he believes the internship will help cement his future in the sporting industry.
“I’m looking forward to being around the team and being able to be a part of the decision-making process,” said Thompson, who has previous experience with the CPL marketing internship and the Prime Minister’s Cup. “It is a good opportunity to grow my career overall as a sportsperson who is into sports management and marketing. I also write blogs on the West Indies cricket teams, and I’m a certified umpire, so I am just trying to build my profile going forward.”
For Nathan Goddard McCarthy, the internship is the next step in what he hopes will be a flourishing career in sports media and content creation. The founder of the Instagram page Natesportstalk, which recently marked its first anniversary with over 4,800 followers, Goddard McCarthy, has already dabbled in sports journalism, covering this year’s CARIFTA Games in Trinidad.
“For all of the hard work that I have put into sports, coming from my background as a track athlete and a cricketer, it is just amazing to see how far I have gotten,” he said. “I just appreciate what the Royals and Taahir Bulbulia, especially, are doing for the youth. Coming out of UWI, having studied Sports Science, there were not many opportunities unless you went into sports journalism, coaching or management.”
He added that he was particularly excited to strengthen his photography and interview skills: “This is just amazing to be a part of it. Given that my strength is photography, I am open to doing more interviews, interacting with players, fans and people around the ground more. I’m looking forward to getting more experience around professionals in sports. It’s one thing to watch it, but I want to be engrossed in it.”
The impact of the internship is already being felt by last year’s batch. Shonnai Smith, who graduated from UWI Cave Hill with a Bachelor’s in Sports Science last year, described the programme as “eye-opening.”
“You come in and have expectations, but they exceed them,” Smith said. “When I first started, it was just posting content from a fan’s perspective on my page during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then I had to go on the radio and Morning Barbados. Every year is a different experience, and you’re excited about what comes next. This year, I’m looking forward to having more interactions with the players and doing more interviews.”
Photographer Zuhair Jada, another past intern, echoed the sentiment: “As we have heard earlier on, there are not many opportunities here in sport, in the business side or the creative side, so getting to intern with a franchise like the Barbados Royals was a massive opportunity. It was a great experience. You get to touch base with professionals, and it’s something I wouldn’t trade anything for.”
The Barbados Royals will begin their campaign away from home against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons on Saturday, August 16, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. The home leg kicks off on Thursday, September 4, when they host the Guyana Amazon Warriors. This will be followed by contests against the Antigua & Barbuda Falcons (September 5), defending champions Saint Lucia Kings (September 7), and the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots (September 11). The Royals will round out their Kensington Oval fixtures with a marquee clash against the Trinbago Knight Riders on Friday, September 12. (JC)
