Honour the victorious teen netballers with financial support

There is nothing that compares to hearing the National Anthem at a regional or international sporting competition. The pride felt by athletes and spectators rooting for victory cannot be fully explained.

In order to relive that moment time and time again, all systems must be in place to ensure that teams representing this country are adequately prepared to deliver medal winning performances.

The under 16 National Netball Team completed its third consecutive victory after an amazing Finals in 2024 Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Netball Tournament, held in St. Lucia. This victory is a timely reminder of the talented sports men and women we have in our country.

It punctuates the quality of our coaches who produced a winning unit at the regional level. Congratulations to all who made this victory possible: Co-captains Deeya Forde-Harte and Tyesha Trotman led by head coach Cameron Greenidge and his team. This could have been easily the fourth victory on the trot but for COVID-19.

But what are the factors that have contributed to this success?

How does this victory motivate the Under-21 team when they do battle with their counterparts in the region as they seek to qualify for World Under-21 Netball in Gibraltar in 2025?

How does this success affect our Senior National Team which has been slipping in the rankings?

Any successful national programme must have structured programmes. The Barbados Netball Association (BNA) hired a technical director to oversee the development of the game. This bold move seems to be producing results. For that we laud them.

Netball has a home dedicated to the sport. Training and competition are held there weekly. A home is important in any developmental programme. Training can be organised without hindrances as it relates to scheduling.

We have heard recently of a promised refurbishment of the Netball Stadium to be transformed into an indoor facility. This is a timely move and must be completed in the shortest time possible as all international competition is held indoors.

In the absence of any plans, will this upgrade include at least a training and treatment rooms, or are we just laying down courts? We are hoping that this promised upgrade will not suffer the same fate as the delayed construction of the National Stadium.

Access to the Wildey Gymnasium for practice has been difficult, especially during the exam period and Crop Over season. This additional indoor facility for netball will go a long way in alleviating such issues.

Issues regarding the transition from outdoor on the asphalt to indoor with board and low air-condition temperatures that have affected the performances of our teams.

We have been told that the venue will be shared by three other sports. We await the discussion on how three sports which share similar seasons will be able to use this venue without any clashes.

We are hoping that the latest netball victory will attract more sponsorship which is needed for tours to improve rankings and gain much needed playing exposure against different styles of netball.

Gone are the days where our only international exposure comes at major world and commonwealth tournaments.

While speaking to the Barbados TODAY team at the airport, Greenidge lamented the lack of competition for the players of that age.

He disclosed that Netball Ontario invited the team to a Goodwill Tour in August and he hopes that the money could be found to make the trip a reality. We hope the same.

We urge Government and corporate Barbados to put their money into the development of these young players who are sports ambassadors for their country. On the heels of this thrilling victory, all must be done to make sure that they are Canada-bound in August.

This victory by the Under-16 Netballers is a reminder that with all the right structures in place, we can celebrate regional and international success.

Coaches are usually forgotten in the celebrations of victory, but they must be respected for the hundreds of volunteer hours they put in for this country to celebrate.

The report card for this Under-16 team went way beyond winning the championships. They also won: Best Uniform Team, Best Goal Average, Best Defensive Team, Most Disciplined, Best Team Spirit, and second in the team shooting competition.

The Under-16 team is on a developmental path that is reaping success. Let us build on it and reap a harvest of regional and international victories.