Break down that barrier

St Vincent and the Grenadines’ prolonged absence from the top tier of Caribbean Netball needs to be addressed, and addressed soonest.{{more}}

The regression of this country as a force in Netball regionally, becomes more evident with each passing tournament.

The recent Under-16 Tournament, held here last week, was a perfect gauge of where we are in relation to the other territories.

We finished fourth, for the second year running.

In fact, St Vincent and the Grenadines, at the Under-16 level, stands at fifth position, behind Jamaica, Barbados, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago in that order.

This is taking into consideration the fact that Jamaica, who undoubtedly are the regional gurus, for the second year opted out of the annual showcase of young Netball talent.

This same thing may basically hold at the senior Caribbean level, even though a square off among the seniors has not taken place since 2006.

But what should be of concern to local Netball administrators is the inability of our Under-16 players to break down the barriers among their age group.

Since St Vincent and the Grenadines won the tournament back in 1999, there has been a drought.

What then has drastically gone wrong with our young netballers? Or is it wider Netball and societal issues that have negatively impacted on the sport, resulting in the relatively unacceptable returns?

When one looks at the current crop of Under-16 players, their talent is obvious. But the lack of that cutting edge is also obvious; that inner desire to win and most of all, that real passion for the sport.

That sort of attitude was demonstrated during the tournament, and their attitude reflects the general outlook towards sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Backtracking, Netball over the last decade and a half has suffered from an overdose of lethargy; hence, it is easy for anyone who possesses a bit of talent to walk into a national representative outfit.

So, what we see unfolding on the courts is the by-product of what happens or what does not happen behind the scenes.

More headaches are in store for those hoping for a respite, as what passes for the Under-13 primary schools’ competition, is far from encouraging.

Many at the primary school level are just given crash courses in the sport, as there are no sustained or structured attempts at preparing the pre-teens for the transition into the next stage. This situation is self-inflicted, as no emphasis is placed in the system, on students’ motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Additionally, these pre-teens are given the same height poles as used by adults; thus, the football-like results from their matches, such as 0-0, 2-1, 3-2.

Compounding this, students in the main, do not socially gravitate to organized sports, neither do their daily habits promote the natural skills needed for Netball, or any sport for that matter.

Hence, those netballers who survive the primary system and make it to the Under-16 stage are naturally lost at age 17 or 18, as many who do not go to represent the local units just fall by the wayside.

Netball, despite being the dominant female sport here, seems to repel players and has one of the highest attrition rates for all sporting disciplines which are active in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

As the girls get older, they become more conscious of their physical appearance. This also is taking a toll on the sport.

Therefore, if St Vincent and the Grenadines is to stop the rot, then the current holders of positions on the Executive of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association should begin, as of yesterday, to chart a course to this end.

They should take control of the lowest levels of competitive Netball, as well as a restructuring of the entire Netball set-up, to ensure that players of quality are produced at will.