OECS Under-23 netballers attend church at start of tournament

Participants in the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Under-23 Netball Competition took a break from the games to worship at the Arnos Vale Covenant Assembly (AVCA) last Sunday.

The five teams, from Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Grenada and host country St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), all donned their national colours as they converged in one place, not to battle for {{more}}a trophy, but to pray and worship.

President of the SVG Netball Association Doris McIntosh, in a brief address, thanked the congregation at the AVCA for allowing them to fellowship with them.

“It was indeed a wonderful worship service…and I just want to say to you all continue to play well.”

During his sermon, associate pastor Paul Duncan listed seven indisputable laws of team work — the law of significance, the law of the big picture, the law of the bad apple, the law of Mount Everest, the law of the chain, the law of the catalyst and the law of the price tag.

Duncan explained that many times the weakling on the team is often misinterpreted and we often get rid of the weakling and leave the rotten apple.

“You strengthen your weakling, with a bad apple you don’t strengthen…there is only one way for bad apples –– out.

“Rotten attitudes ruin the team,” he said.

Duncan also noted that many times, we must lose something in order to fulfil the mission.

“Many times in life we need to lose something to gain something and if that means sometimes you have to get rid of the bad apples to fulfill the mission, then that’s the way….”

Also, he noted that no team can reach its true potential if it fails to pay the price.

“Every man must pay his price on the team…no one could pay my price for me. I must find a way to make my contribution!”

Duncan also reminded the team of unity and team work and reiterated that there is no ‘I’ in team.

He, however, encouraged the teams to work well and even pointed out that it took Jesus three and a half years to get his team to work.

He also pointed out that although Jesus was perfect, he had a team which was not perfect; his team had a bad apple, a weakling and many of his team members could not get along with one another in the beginning.

The associate pastor invoked blessings for the players and wished that they all have a successful tournament.(CM)