Local netball season seems caught in a net

This year’s local netball season is pure action and drama both on and off the field.

On Thursday, the Barbados Netball Association (BNA) sent out correspondence informing clubs that all matches left in this year’s season will be played at other locations. The reason given was that the National Sports Council will be conducting work on the facility starting Saturday, May 11.

According to the official correspondence the new locations to host the games are Springer Memorial School: Saturday and Sundays; The St Michael School: Saturday and Sundays; the Glebe Court: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and weekends; Friendship Court: Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Weekends; and Wildey Gymnasium: June 7, 8, 9 and 15, 16. UWI and other venues might be utilised as necessary.

Essentially, netballers have been sent scampering out of the Waterford base in the middle of the season, with matches now to be played at multiple locations.

While we are happy to hear that plans for the long-talked-about refurbishment were delivered to the BNA, informing them of the indefinite closure of the Netball Stadium, how will this sudden shift affect the rest of the season? How will this affect teams? How will it affect spectator attendance?

The domestic netball season is usually held from March to July each year. The Under-21 team is in the critical part of their preparation for the upcoming World Qualifier set for July in Guadeloupe. Selectors met last week to choose the 15 players who will intensify preparation during the next few weeks. The senior national team has resumed training for the upcoming Paradise Cup in August which will be contested against teams from Africa and Europe.

These two teams use the stadium as their practice base three days per week. They now find themselves without a home for training. With CXC exams in full gear, the Wildey Gymnasium will not be available. The Gymnasium’s availability will also be impacted with the start of the Crop Over season as well.

The plans for the refurbishment of the Netball Stadium were touted several years ago. But why would a decision be made to carry out these works during the height of the netball season? Could this not be undertaken during the out-of-season period?

Many are left to ponder what kind of planning went into starting the refurbishment at this time and no plans have been revealed as to how three sports that have their seasons within the same timeframe – volleyball, basketball and netball – will use this one venue.

Weeks ago, coach Alwyn Babb raised concerns about the level of officiating during matches.

Last month, Spooner’s Hill’s Firebirds were called off the Netball Stadium court by coach Babb.

“I have been going to netball for the last two weeks and watched the deteriorating standard of officiating. I spoke to several umpires outside of the games and told them they need to take control of the game as some players were playing dangerously,” he said.

Babb has since resigned as Under-21 head coach.

We also had the unfortunate incident where a spectator got involved in a brawl that led to unrest during a match. The 25-year-old woman was subsequently slapped with four charges which she denied when she appeared in court on Wednesday.

It is apparent that these are some serious times as it relates to netball in Barbados – on and off the field. How does the BNA intend to police some of these locations and the response of home teams and their spectators when passions flare? What is being done about the current state of the game and the implications for young players looking on?

Just last month, the Under-16 national team completed its third consecutive victory after an amazing finals in the 2024 Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Netball Tournament held in Saint Lucia.

While speaking to Barbados TODAY at the airport, coach Cameron Greeenidge disclosed that Netball Ontario had invited the team to a Goodwill Tour in August and he hoped that the money could be found to make the trip a reality.

How do we develop the sport? How can we develop future players with such drama constantly surrounding the game?

Refurbishment of the facilities is one thing, but we also need a refurbishment and rehaul of the current structure and organisational politics which appears to plague the sport.