More worrying signs for netball

Last week’s revelations that some players who have served St Vincent and the Grenadines’ netball well in the past, but who are now advanced in age, yet have the willingness and the ability to continue to make themselves available for national representation, throws multiple spins on the sport.

Whilst, undoubtedly, these players have proven that their abilities are above and beyond many who compete against them at the various competitions held here, namely, the National Club Tournament, it still does not put netball in a healthy position.{{more}}

Critically, it can be assessed that there has not been any structured development pathway to ensure that young players are groomed to succeed the seasoned ones.

Also, it is evident that even those players who were members of the last Under-23 outfit, but who do not see it fit to step up to the plate and endeavour to stake a claim at the senior level, is an exhibition of an unprecedented disinterest in netball.

Additionally, could the presence of the seasoned players further put a damper on those who feel threatened by them, and have taken the easy way out by simply not availing themselves for possible selection?

Beyond the players, rarely are new faces coming forward to bring fresh perspectives to netball, as the leadership and volunteer crisis has not evaded the sport.

This has left affiliates with no other choice but to recycle those willing administrators, when they are up for elections every two years.

To be thrown in the mix has been the protracted non–activity of the senior national team, which could have given the younger players no hope that senior netball representation could have come their way; hence, the ECCB/OECS Under-23 tournament could have been assessed as their highest aim.

For most of our netballers, competing in the annual National Club Tournament and revelling in the plethora of area competitions have given them maximum gratification in the sport.

But St Vincent and the Grenadines’ netball’s woes have been compounded by the absence of the once premier event, the Caribbean Netball Association (CNA) senior tournament, coupled with SVG’s sporadic participation in the American Federation of National Associations (AFNA) qualification tournaments.

More exacerbation of our netball has come from the fact that St Vincent and the Grenadines does not possess an indoor facility, therefore would not entice other teams to come here and engage in matches.

When bundled, St Vincent and the Grenadines has lost a lot of ground when compared to other regional countries and is no longer recognized as a netball force.

In fact, the present state shows that St Vincent and the Grenadines neither has a World Ranking nor a rating.

Getting out of the current rot would take much more than talk and wishful thinking, but decisive baby steps before netball can even harbour the thought of learning to walk again.

The challenge is on for the policy makers, the national administrators of netball and all concerned to make something out of netball again.

It, however, must not be entertained that things will be as glittery as they were three and four decades ago when netball was the talk of the town; when the sport made St Vincent and the Grenadines equal among other Caribbean territories.

Whatever means are to be employed to rekindle any life in netball have to take on a whole new approach, as they cannot bring to bear the style of today’s generation, who are less committed to sports and are accustomed to the instantaneous way of doing things.

The challenge is magnified for netball, as unlike most of the other sporting disciplines practised here, it does not readily have a feeder programme, save and except the junior competitions, which are merely undertakings by some area committees.

In additon, the recently revived primary schools’ competition has not taken root as yet to provide that foundation from which to draw new talents.

Significantly, gone are the days when netball was the only female sport; hence, it was a given that gravitation towards the sport became a natural process for young females.

Today, females have choices, as other team sports, such as football, cricket, volleyball and basketball are consuming their attention.

But, in attempting to salvage what is left in netball, those who chose to address the situation have several things going for them, inclusive of a rich history, which is a ready done springboard.

The asset base is fortified by a home for the sport – the Kingstown Netball Centre and most of all, some committed persons who still see the light at the end of the tunnel.