Full-fledged Primary Schools Netball Competition next year

Satisfied that there is sufficient interest in netball at the primary schools’ level, a full-fledged competition is earmarked for 2016.{{more}}

So says chair of the netball sub-committee in schools Natasha Stapleton.

The sport was reintroduced in a festival type format in 2013 and 2014, played on grass fields, but Stapleton told SEARCHLIGHT that is now history.

“We cannot continue to have the festival format… The idea of the festival for the past two years was to get netball back into the primary schools, as it was missing for a while…. Now that we have gotten the interest, we want to give them a full tournament,” Stapleton explained.

She noted that the phasing out process began with this year’s competition, whereby the preliminary rounds were played on grass fields, with the semi-finals, third place play-off and final contested on hard courts.

Stapleton said,” It was a way to get the kids into the feel of the hard court…. We have a full tournament, just like in secondary school, where the schools are zoned.”

Rolling out the intent, Stapleton said: “We have indicated to the schools and Sports Department the plan for 2016 and as such, we expect the personnel who are going into the schools to assist with the preparation of the students.”

She added that although it will be all hard courts, “The same height poles that are being used would also be used for these tournaments.”

Stapleton noted that it was unfortunate that one of the coaches in this year’s festival was at variance with the format.

“When you ask them for feedback…, when we introduced the grass format, I personally went to the various coaches and teachers, asking them for their views and opinions; they said that they had nothing to say,” Stapleton complained.

“How can we develop the sport…, how can we move forward…. how can you structure it better when they refuse to give their comments? Stapleton inquired.(RT)