Netball Shots

World U21 Netball Cook Islands

2009-08-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

The World U21 Netball Championships are on the beautiful Pacific Island of Rarotonga. One of the fifteen islands that make up the Cook Islands, it is populated with some of the warmest people I have met anywhere in the world.

For my update on how the three Caribbean countries are doing in the world tournament, click on the below link.

http://netballshots.prmrinc.net/

Barbados Hosts Scotland, England and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

2009-06-16T03:38:00.000-07:00

Join me on Netball Shots new location for the most up-to-date coverage on the Barbados Goodwill Series featuring Scotland, England, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and host Barbados.

Click for link.

CNA Jean Pierre Youth U 16 Tournament Highlights

2009-04-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

For all your highlights of the U16 Tournament in Jamaica go to www.netballshots.prmrinc.net.

Netball Shots has Moved

2009-03-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers

Thanks you for your support of my blog over the last year. Please note that I have integrated all my blogs under my company name for branding purposes. All comments will now be at

http://netballshots.prmrinc.net/

Looking forward to you comments.

Following the link to get the latest on the Australia vs. Jamaica under 21 series.

SunShine Girls Gloom

2009-03-01T04:52:00.000-08:00

England knocked all the sunshine out of Jamaica, white washing them in their three match series.

The England Captain on the Sky blog said that "It has been a great week for us, winning 3-0 in The Co-operative International Netball Test Series against Jamaica. " She said that Jamaica had improve but so had they.

It will be the u21s turn to bring some glory back to Jamaica in their series later this month against Australia.

BNA 2008 League Results

2009-01-11T03:08:00.000-08:00

As we prepare for the 2009 netball seasons across the Caribbean, the Barbados Netball Association has released the 2008 results, with promotions and demotions. According to Julie Phillips it is recommended that the senior division and the Jennifer King zone be amalgamated to become the Division 1 and the next division will be Intermediate 1.

Having not taken in much of the Junior league action one thing that struck me was the demotion of Structural Systems Silver Raiders in two lower divisions despite winning the coveted Division one title. This is really an anomaly as teams who win the first division usually have pretty decent lower divisions as well. Structural Sytems therefore do not look sustainable in terms of future dominance.

On a positive note it would be great to see Spooners Hill playing in the primer division again given that its best player is also one of Barbados national team's first line shooters, Lydia Bishop and she needs to be playing a better level of competition.

Congrats to Brydens who had a fantastic all round year in both the league and out of season competition. You have to hand it to Brydens' Management their teams look better managed than most both on and off the field and the discipline from the sidelines as an umpire was very high.

Clubs being promoted

Div. 3/Marva Sealy - Spooners Hill, Brydens V8 Splash and Pine Hill St. Barnabas.

Div.4/Carolyn Sinckler - Pine Hill, Brydens and Barbados Lumber Co. UAC

Div.5/Linda Paul - Banks Spurs and Arawak Cement Braves

Div.6/Clevedon Mayers- Central Bank Sports Club and Bathsheba

Div.7/Aubrey Grant - Pine Hill St. Barnabas and NSC Stars

Div8./Briggs Clarke- Horizon Ballers and UAC

Demotions

Div. 3/Marva Sealy - Unity Stars and Structural Systems Silver Raiders
Div.4/Carolyn Sinckler - Banks Spurs and Pine Medical
Div.5/Linda Paul - DG United and Structural Systems Silver Raiders

Full results at the following link

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd9z2d7w_66pjztjscd

Good Going The co-operative

2009-01-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

As a Public Relations Consultant who has been on both sides of the sponsorship table I understand all the planning, negotiating, budgeting and goodwill that goes into to winning and giving sponsorships.

The doom and gloom of the global economic forecast will make this already challenging task from both ends of the table more difficult. In sports then we have to 'big-up' companies like The co-operative who are sponsoring the three match series between Jamaica and England.

Thank you on behalf of the Netball Fraternity The co-operative!

Jamaica Off the Block for 2009

2009-01-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

The Jamaica National Netball Team is reportedly off to Newscastle to "boot camp" to acclimatised for a three match series against England next month.

President of the JNA Marva Bernard is reported in the Gleaner as saying that some of the girls have never experienced the type of cold that an English winter presents and that the camp in Newcastle would help with the preparation.

She said "It is also going to be a lot of concentration, mind preparation and not much netball is going to be played. It is all going to be about physical and mental-fitness preparation in very cold conditions and this will also be a time for the girls to bond together."

Hallelujah! I give Jamaica 100% for this. You are the flagship of Caribbean Netball take yourself seriously. Although Netball is an amateur sport the big countries operate very professionally and we must too as well in the Caribbean if we are going to be competitive.

The first match will be played on the January 23, the second on the 25 and the third is set for two days later. No venue has yet been announced for the matches.

Jamaica is ranked after England even though they defeated them in the last World Championships. I am routing for Jamaica to take back their ranking. Good luck Sunshine Girls.

I leave you with this quote from Bernard which I think that I will place permanently on this blog:

“In order to beat the best we have to play the best continuously, because you can't beat the best by playing teams that are weaker than you, then you will run the risk of lowering your standards,"

You say netball - you say Jans! St. Kitts/Nevis' Netball Icon

2009-01-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

I found this story and could not resist copying it to my blog as it highlights one of our Caribbean Netball Icons. I heard a lot of Jans when I was coming up in netball. It is a real pity that netball has fallen off so much, but this is the case throughout the Caribbean as Keith Joseph bemoans in his Olympism Column on the state of netball in St. Vincent. Jans hold the same status as a Ballantyne of St. Vincent, Harper-Hall of Barbados, Lystra Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago, and Yvette of Antigua.

This Curtis Morton Sn. Commentary is taken from the website
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/oped/oped.php?news_id=12761&start=0&category_id=6

Curtis Morton has been a sports journalist on Nevis for two decades. He has been instrumental in initiating a female cricket league and sports awards
on Nevis.

Everybody who knows anything about sports on the island of Nevis knows that once you mention the sport of netball, the automatic name of choice would be “Jans”!

Jeanette Grell-Hull affectionately referred to as Jans is as vivacious and as refreshing to look at, as any teenager. Her youthful athletic outlook belies the fact that this is a woman who is already drawing on her Social Security pension. She was born on the 17th April 1946.

Surprisingly, this netball enthusiast only got involved with the game of netball at age twenty-five. That is when she organized the first netball team on the island. The team was called Sneakers. In those days, there were no established courts and so the team practiced on primitively-marked courts, firstly at the Charlestown Secondary school grounds and then at Grove Park. The makeshift courts were mainly marked with diesel.

At Grove Park, the netballers were an endangered species because as they practiced close to the hill at the Eastern end of the ground, they were sometimes struck by the cricket balls, sent in their general direction from the cricketers who were utilising the main playing area of Grove Park.

Jans not only played the game but was also instrumental in the marking of the court, ably assisted by Millicent Wade in most instances. Former Nevis off-spinner and well-known mechanic, Harold Walters, eventually donated two poles, skillfully using tyre rims as the base.

In April of 1972, a group of individuals came together to form the Nevis Netball Association. At the helm of this group was Jans’ mother, Cicely Grell-Hull. She was elected president and Jans served on the Association as one of the founding members.

The first organised netball tournament was held that same year with just three teams competing: CSS, Mountain Rockers and Sneakers, which had players like Jans, Lyra Richards and Joyce O’Connor. The CSS team won the very exciting tournament as they boasted of two of the best shooters ever known in Nevis: Joya Clarke and Bernadette Bartlette.

That same year in August, the Caribbean Netball championship came to nearby St Kitts and, despite the inexperience of the players, the Nevis Netball Association registered and sent a team. Jans was unable to play due to a broken hand. The Nevis team placed in the cellar position out of the nine competing teams, but gained tremendous experience.

In 1973, Jans represented Nevis as the goal shooter in the Caribbean tournament held in Trinidad. Nevis placed last but in a winning cause versus Montserrat, as the seconds ticked away, Jans scored the crucial goal to win that encounter.

1979 was a big year for netball on Nevis. In preparation for the world tournament, a combined St Kitts and Nevis team had to be selected. Fifteen players from each island were chosen for practice and trials. However, all of the practice sessions were held in St Kitts. The ferry service was far from adequate but a determined Jans and Cresentia O’Flaherty stuck to the task and travelled via fishing boats in many instances to meet the scheduled appointments. Eventually they were the only two players selected from Nevis. However, during the tournament, they were never allowed to play on the team at the same time.

Jans recalls an incident during that tournament. St Kitts-Nevis was engaging Ireland and. she was the goal shooter in the match. The captain asked her to fake an injury so that the other top shooter from St Kitts, Gillian Musgrave could finish the game. Jans continued playing, totally ignoring the captain. All the while, Gillian Musgrave was warming up at courtside. St Kitts-Nevis beat Ireland by one goal. Guess who shot the winning goal? Jeanette Grell-Hull! Her coach later complimented her for her excellent play under pressure.

All this time, local tournaments on Nevis were still being played on shabbily marked grass courts. However, an incident occurred that would change the netball experience on the island in a permanent way. A team from Molineaux in St Kitts, visited to play against a team from Nevis. Rain fell and washed out the primitive markings and halted the match. Then Premier of St Kitts-Nevis, Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw, was so upset when he got the report, that he commissioned a hard court to be built at the site where the Players Pavilion now stands at the Nevis Netball Complex. This was promptly surrounded with used galvanize and coconut branches and a local tournament which involved no fewer than 13 teams was held.

Meanwhile, the administrators of the game made great strides at regional meetings to get an adjustment to the Caribbean Netball Association constitution. The previous reference to ‘country’ was amended to read: “country, island or state”. This meant that Nevis could participate in regional tournaments as a single entity. However, whenever Nevis’s turn came to host the Caribbean Netball Tournament, they always had to refuse due to the lack of proper facilities.

That was to change in 1983, however, when Myrna Walwyn as president of the local Association, accompanied by her secretary Jeanette Grell-Hull, accepted the offer to host the Caribbean tournament, pending the provision of appropriate facilities.

The ambitious move paid off. The netball executive successfully lobbied the members of the Nevis Island Assembly, more specifically through Premier Simeon Daniel and then Permanent Secretary to the Premier, Joseph Parry (now Premier of Nevis). The result was a state of the art netball complex funded mainly by money provided by the St Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board. Nevis was able to host the Caribbean Netball Championship in 1985 and placed 4th or 5th defeating Antigua and Montserrat on the way.

Jans played netball for 13 consecutive years, retiring after the 1985 Caribbean tournament on Nevis. For those 13 years she also served on the Nevis netball executive holding virtually all positions except for that of president. However, on retiring from regional netball in 1985, Jans promptly took up the mantle of president of the local association, a position she held from 1986 to 2006 with a brief four-year break to deal with her business.

During that break, the government of the day made a special request of her to return to revive the sport on the island. A challenge she willingly accepted.

In 2004, Jans worked overtime to ensure that Nevis hosted yet another Caribbean Championships. She even led out with the painting of the Netball Complex, ably assisted by local sports enthusiasts ‘Ranking’ and ‘Cauli-weed’. She recalls on many occasions, leaving the Complex, in the early hours of the morning.

Jans would encourage any female to get involved with netball. “It provides an avenue for exercise and fitness. It teaches team work and discipline and will make the individual well-rounded” she stated proudly.

Jans is not satisfied with the present state of netball on the island, or with the condition of the Netball Complex.

“I will be back,” she declared ominously.

Happy Netball Year

2009-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

I am back after a wonderful break in December. I love December - its my birth month and of course it is Christmas. Although I had lots to blog about - the Barbados Workers Union League Winners for example, BNA elections etc. I was in a total holiday mood, and since most of my work is done on the computer, even my beloved blog was considered work. But now I am back to the grind.

What have we missed?

Congratulations to Brydens V8 Splash for winning the Div One and Two titles in the Barbados Workers Union League. Veronica Harris who was rooming with me last year in Antigua at the Under 16 tournament when I started this blog, must be very proud of her team. Send me your photos and I will put them up for your. The Juniors division was won by Almond Sports Club who also won the Junior Knock-Out. The Senior Knock-Out was won by Ellerton Sports Club.

OF The BNA

Well their administration woes continued as they did not fill all the vacant board positions. A meeting called on old year's night or New Year's Eve depending on where you live in the Caribbean did not muster a quorum (I don't think they really expected a quorum on this day when most women are sorting out hair, clothes, make-up etc, to look gorgeous the night).
Today's Nation Newspaper reports that this meeting is now to be held on January 20 at 5:30 pm at the National Stadium Lounge. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

Caribbean Games
Some major tournaments will be coming up this year including the Inaugural Caribbean Games in Trinidad and Tobago, July 12-19. We will keep our ears to the ground on this one.

Happy New Year
Thanks to everyone who read my blog in 2008, sent notes of encouragement or gave me kudos in person. Knowing that the blog is being read is a great inspiration. Have a blessed, prosperous and happy 2009.

My Views On the Jamaica Tri-Series

2008-11-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

My friends have been asking me why I haven't commented on the games in Jamaica. Well I haven't because I really have mixed feeling about the tournament and although this is my blog and my views, I still try not to be overly biased (even if I appear to be).

Since you forced me here are my thought. I consider myself a CARICOM national. Maybe this is because I was fortunate to go to university in Jamaica and live with some of the best minds in the Caribbean on the Mona Campus. So I get really pissed off when I see Caribbean people not using their collective wisdom, not collaborating and being played (literally and figuratively) for fools.

Here are some of the questions that I have. Before Barbados took the excursion in South Africa did they think of playing Trinidad and Jamaica beforehand to prepare? Did they consider that their ranking would be at stake?

I read that Trinidad was optimistic about their performance in Jamaica. From where did this optimism come? What has Trinidad done in the line of preparing for competition since the Caribbean Tournament?

Did they consider that their own ranking would be at stake? Did they stop over in Barbados on their way to Jamaica to get some practice matches? Well everyone knows by now the outcome of the tournament.

I read that the spectator turn out was poor. What level of promotion did Jamaica do?

In my estimation the only team benefiting from the tri-series was South Africa. Even Jamaica although they appear to be the victors, were losers -the spectator turn out was poor and in the final match South Africa matched them up to the third quarter and then faded.

Of course Jamaica has been tooting that they are playing a number of under 21s in preparation for next year's world championships but you can bet your bottom dollar that South Africa must be as well.

As a matter of fact the South African coach is reported to have said that the tri-series was "mission accomplished" they had intended to reach the final and to move up in the world ranking and they did both.

Congrats South Africa. However there is no pleasure in this tournament for me as a CARICOM national.

The only positive thing coming out of the tournament for us in the Caribbean is that we have two new IUAs.

Joel and Dave love you guys and I am very happy for you. You both deserve it!

(Pictures above are of Joel Young-Strong (Trinidad) and Dave Brown (Jamaica), the Caribbean's newest international umpires).

Log Edited for Clarification( For persons reading the original version of this post. Testing (IUA) can be done at different time frames. This was not my prior understanding. )

Becoming An IUA

2008-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

Deborah Lynch Theobalds sent me this clarification on IUA recently:

Pam
I read your blog and felt that I should clear up some misunderstandings. There are no grades for an IUA, the grades are for TID'S working towards becoming an IUA.

The tiers are as follows:

Tier 1. IUA Endorsed Umpires mentored by IUC

Tier 2. Unendorsed IUA Umpires who are in training under the mentoring of an IUC Member (s) and who may reach a standard which qualifies them for further testing.

Tier 3. National Badge holders who have been identified as exceptionally talented and regularly working with IUC towards screening

Tier 4. National Badge holders who are talent identified for further training .

Barbados Drop In Ranking

2008-11-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks to their dismal adventure in South Africa, Barbados has dropped one place in the world ranking. This should be in a lesson in preparation.

We need to take the sport and the country we represent to heart rather than our own personal agendas.

Is there going to be any level of accountability for this, or is it just one of those things that goes unquestioned?

Caribbean Umpires Have A Shot At IU Badge

2008-11-11T19:01:00.000-08:00

From my understanding Jewel Young Strong, and Dave Brown will have a shot at attaining their international umpire's badge during the tri series in Jamaica this week. Both of them are excellent umpires and I wish them all the best.

Pity I could not have joined you but I will be serving a higher purpose working with the Diabetes Global Village in Barbados this Week.

Good Luck Guys!

Gosh it is about time someone else from the region got the crown jewel. ( It's been about five year now since Chris got his badge, the last Caribbean umpire to qualify).

As a very prominent netball administrator is quoted as saying "Ya mean that our umpires can't even qualify as a grade three international umpire?"

Yes there are grades. Will have Deborah Lynch explain the system some time later.

Also check out my health blog www.caribbeanwellness.blogspot.com this is where I will be this week.

South Africa Has A Good Chance Against Trinidad

2008-11-06T04:11:00.000-08:00

The South African teams leaves for Jamaica today for the tri-series (Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa) and Sports 24 reports that the Bajan Coach, Harriet Waithe said after her team's series against South Africa that she believed the Proteas had a good chance against Trinidad and Tobago.

From umpiring the final game Jamaica vs Trinidad in the AFNA Championships this year. I would say that if South Africa only have a "good chance" at beating Trinidad then they have no hope of beating Jamaica at home.

Click on the picture for the entire story.

St. Kitts Business League Gets Going

2008-11-06T04:03:00.000-08:00

The St. Kitts Sun reports that ten teams are competing in the 2008 St. Kitts Business Netball League, which started last Saturday in Netball City.

Competing Organisations: Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), St. Kitts/Nevis Anguilla National Bank (NB), Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, Kajola, St. Kitts/Nevis Development Bank, Cable & Wireless, Government Mix, Reeds Data Services and the Customs Department.

Click on the photo for the St. Kitts Sun Article.

Of Barbados, South Africa and Jamaica

2008-11-02T08:52:00.000-08:00

While I took some time off for my PRSA International Conference in Detriot you all would have heard else where of Barbados being blanked in their three match series in South Africa.

The South Africans of course used them for their style of play as a warm up to their triangular series in Jamaica this month against Jamaica and Trinidad. I hope Barbados would have made some use of the opportunity and learnt something as well. I also hope to see at least 8 of the players that were in the squad going forward to next year's tournaments. Barbados need some continuity for growth.

It has been reported that Jamaica's National coach Connie Francis sees this month's triangular series in her hometown which runs from Nov 10 to 13 as an opportunity to improve her country's world ranking.

Jamaica finished 3rd at last year's world championships in New Zealand, and are ranked 4th behind Australia, New Zealand and England.

South Africa will probably field the same team they used at home against Barbados which included:
Liezel Wium (Captain)Precious Mthembu (Vice-Captain)Mary NgwenyTsakane MbeweRefiloe MochakaNontle GwavuErin BurgerSimone van HeerdenAnnemarie FrostZukelwa CwabaClaudia BassonZanele MdodaneAmanda MynhardtKgomotso ItlhabanyengBongiwe Msomi

What's Good For Africa!!

2008-10-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

As reported by SABC News
http://www.sabcnews.com/sport/other/0,2172,174666,00.html

" Netball South Africa has roped in one of the world's leading authorities on the game to turn around the fortunes of the national team. A former coach of the New Zealand team, Lyn Gunson, is attending the National Netball Championships in Tshwane this week.

Netball is one of the biggest participant sports in South Africa. Yet the Proteas are struggling at number six on the world rankings. They lost to Malawi at the world championships last year.

Gunson says South Africa has a lot of talent and will be able to yet again become one of the top three netball playing nations. Gunson conducted a workshop for provincial coaches before the start of the championships and will also spend some time with the coach of the national team, Karin Strauss."

Barbados and a number of other islands could do with this kind of help!!!

Barbados Loses First Test to South Africa

2008-10-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

Barbados suffered their first defeat in their three test series against South Africa last night. The SABC news reports that the Proteas beat their opponents 43-34 in the first test in the Spar Challenge series played at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town.

The South African coach was able to give 11 of her 12-member squad playing time. Although South Africa lost possession at times they remained in control throughout the match.

No specifics on the Bajans were given however it would appear that they had a pretty decent third quarter.

Helen of the West Champions

2008-10-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Digicel Elite Strikers are the Helen of the West Champions. They fended off a stiff challenge from X-ceed to win the 2008 Helen of the West Netball club championships this past weekend.

Elite led the first two quarters 15-10, 24-23 at the Beausejour Indoor Facility before X-ceed of St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG), battled into a 37-34 third-quarter advantage.

Elite Strikers then went on 14-6 in the last frame to win with a final score of 48-43.

For Elite Strikers, Glatta Gabriel scored 15 of 20 attempts and Shem Maxwell 33 of 37 attempts. X-ceed’s scoring was led by Tamara Samuel (19/26) and Jasmin Frank (24/29).

In a play-off for third place, St Lucia’s Shamrock beat the Barbados Workers Union 47-35. The Barbadians led at the first quarter 9-8 before Shamrock turned the tables at the remaining intervals 21-13, 34-25.

Barbara Theobalds scored 44 of 48 attempts for Shamrock and Melissa John three of five.

Scoring for BWU were Andrea Puckerin (20/28), Renee Rudder (9/15) and Monique James (6/9).

Netballers Ready to Face Barbados

2008-10-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

21 October 2008
Linda Moreotsene

The Sowetan reports that the South African national netball team is applying the final touches before their first Test match against Barbados tomorrow in Cape Town.

Griqualand West centre court player Liezel Wium was named captain of the team last week, with Precious Mthembu vice captain.

Wium, 31, is experienced and has spent two years playing in New Zealand, one of the world’s top netball countries.

To read the full story go to

http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=867103

Good Luck Mary and the BWU Team!

2008-10-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Best of luck to Mary Vaughn and her Barbados Workers Union Team who are currently in St. Lucia for the Helen of the West (HOW) Tournament. The team travelling robs me of my weekly umpiring exercise but I am very proud of what Mary along with the help of Joan Scantlebury, both of whom I have known since my secondary school days, have accomplished with Barbados' biggest out of season netball tournament.

Star Publising reports that this year's HOW tournament which runs from Oct. 11 - 18 promises to be exciting and competitive. The tournament is being played at the Beausejour Indoor Practice Facility and is the Fifth Annual HOW Festival.

HOW began as a sports tourism initiative between the St Lucia National Netball Association and the St Lucia Tourist Board in 2003. This year, seven teams will compete for the championship purse of US$3000.00: X-Ceed Sports Club from St Vincent & the Grenadines; Barbados Workers Union Club; Army Netball Team and Royal Air Force Netball Team from the UK. St Lucia is represented by Avengers, Digicel Elite Strikers and Shamrock.

Defense Force of Trinidad & Tobago who are co defending champions along with Digicel Elite Strikers, will not be there to defend their title. Another club from Jamaica also opted out due to high travel costs. The format for the tournament will be a seven team round robin followed by a playoff round.

BNA President Off to IFNA Meeting

2008-10-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

President of the Barbados Netball Association Octavia Gibson has racked up a load of frequent flyer miles this year. From Singapore, Argentina, Manchester and the US, Gibson will now be attending the IFNA board meeting in Manchester, England, from October 17 to 19.

Items on the agenda include final decisions on the dates for the World Youth Netball Champions in Cook Islands in 2009; a showcase of the shortened form of netball by the England team; Commonwealth Games 2010; World Netball Competition, Singapore 2011; appointment of panels and committees and the net effect development programmes.

I am all for the miles but at the end of the day Octavia please champion the region's cause. I do not know what Annette achieved in her time and knowing her, she will probably read this blog the second it has been posted so she can enlighten us, however the region is badly in need of an advocate. We have made little to no progress having Molly Rhone from Jamaica as President of IFNA, if I am wrong then Molly please inform Netball Shots of your accomplishments.

All these ladies are great but the region is calling for results. We have gone backward, our individual world ranking speaks for itself. I was proud to be on the Barbados world championship team Scotland that ranked 6th in the world, Jamaica was 5th. Barbados is now struggling at 11th and only Trinidad and Jamaica are on the radar where world ranking is concerned even St. Vincent is struggling. The region needs a major intervention if netball is going to survive. Not only from the perspective of our world ranking but losing sports find it very hard to attract sponsorship and new players, everyone loves a winner. Netball in the region has to chart a winning course.

Bajans Off to South Africa

2008-10-12T10:18:00.000-07:00

Barbados has named it squad for the upcoming SPAR Challenge 3 test series in South Africa from October 22 to 25. It contains three new comers from the last team which came third in the AFNA tournament.

According to a Nation Newspaper report today the squad includes: Laurel Browne, Lisa Puckerin, Nikita Piggott, Kizzy Marville, Sabrina Smith, Shekira Boxill, Dionne Quarless, Natalie Miller, Lydia Bishop, Sherry Martindale, Shakira Springer, Janelle Sealy, Harriet Waithe (senior coach), Sandra Bruce-Small (assistant coach), Sonia Moore (manager) and Andrew Simpson (primary care/physiotherapist)

Newcomers are former Barbados Under-16 captain Shakira Springer, Shekira Boxill and Natalie Miller who have replaced Springer Memorial schoolgirl Jeneice Clarke, captain Don Small and Rhe-Ann Niles who have returned to the United States.

Barbados Netball Association president Octavia Gibson is reported as having said that "this should be a very competitive series since South Africa are ranked ninth and Barbados 11th in the world" and that it was critical for Barbados as they seek to earn a place among the Top 12 nations which will be competing at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The team leaves on Friday afternoon.

This all begs the question. Where did the Barbados Netball Association suddenly find the money. How come Barbados can find the funds to go all the way to South Africa to play one country and could not meet their obligation to Singapore just about two months ago?

Business House Leagues Take Over

2008-10-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

Most of the regular leagues have ended and it is time for the business houses to do there thing. Really these out of season leagues are where all the fun is for some reason.

In Barbados the Workers Union League is in full swing with a number of new teams this year. It will go straight to the end of the year. More on this coming.

In Jamaica Defending champion General Accident extended their 100 percent win record in the Business House Netball Associations Locker Room super league recently and looks sets to take the title again this year according to all reports.

Jamaica is due to see some international action as well later in the year.