Really?

"Netball gives nothing other than injuries and a bad reputation!" Those words are echoed repeatedly by someone I know back in Barbados. They are also words that are very true.

The latter seems more true than the former and I can say that in all honesty. To me however it doesn't matter because when the truth has to be told it will be done so.

Some people within the heirarchy of local netball have been of the opinion that most of what I have been blogging the past few months were "inside" information from the BNA.That has never been the case at all.

Let me say this,the computer is helpful and it can also be dangerous. Remember when in fits of anger why we did what we did to get instant results and draw awareness to the ills of others.

What ever happened to the HPDP ??

Several years ago when Mr Alwyn Babb and I conceptualised the High Performance Development Programme it was embraced by the Barbados Netball Association.

One Council member made it clear before the first set of invitees that she had in her possession a document which was similar to that which Mr.Babb and I had conceptualised. As fate would have it, after numerous requests to see such a document were unsuccessful,the BNA allowed our proposal to go ahead.

Plans were made and netballers were invited to be a part of this historic programme. Mr Babb was in charge of the fitness sessions which were held at the National Stadium on Saturday mornings and I was one of several coaches who met at the Netball Stadium to organise and coach the practical side of the game.

It was not surprising that after the success of this programme some individuals got selfish and Mr.Babb and I were literally "SHUT OUT " of any further involvement.

Years later not only it is obvious that the HPDP is no more, but that yearly Caribbean countries are benefitting from several areas of this programme with the exception of Barbados.


Do we not care what has happened to the High Performance Development Programme? Do we not care if our netball improves?

They say netball is global. As 2010 approaches will we be on the GLOBAL stage ??

Game 1

It's raining like crazy here in Toronto which prevented us from going to watch the annual Jamaica Day celebrations. As the name suggests this is all things from the Land of wood and water including football,basketball and of course netball. Last year I was invited to umpire but this year because of my late arrival here in Hogtown ( Toronto), it would've been impossible for me to do so.

Twilight Netball Club plays two games tomorrow ( 26 July) but I am only going to see some of the game which the Division 1 team will be playing.As fate would have it I have been invited to umpire in another game which plays simultaneously as the Division 1.

Umpiring here in Ontario is different to Barbados.Most often that not when umpiring, it seems as though it's a coaching session as most of the players are not aware of the amendments of the rules which govern the sport.

As promised I'll keep you readers up-to-date on tomorrow's games.

Toronto

Today begins a series of articles of my visit to Toronto Canada 2009. During my stay here I am going to be actively involved in netball,not only coaching but umpiring as well for Netball Ontario.

I will be coaching Twilight Netball Club which is arguably the best team in the GTA ( Greater Toronto Area) as they try to repeat as Summer league champions. This year for the first time ever Twilight has two teams in the competition with both teams contenders for their respective titles.

My first coaching stint is this evening ( July 24) at Fairbanks Middle School,located at Eglinton and Dufferin in the West End of Toronto starting at 7-7:30 pm.

I am also blessed to have with me the co-coach/trainer in Spooners Hill Netball Club who will also add to the improvement of this club.

I will be posting some results of games played on Sunday July 26th 2009.

Goodbye,Adios,Ciao............................

By now the entire country would've read yesterday's ( 17 July) Weekend Nation and had some discussion on reporter Sherrylyn Clarke's article : It's time to call it a day.In the reporter's article she 'called' for the resignation of long-standing national players Don Small and Olivia Walcott and gave valid reasons to support what was written.

In an earlier post I had hinted the same after these two performed dismally at the recently held NETFEST. While I would've supported Olivia's inclusion in the national team up to that time,I do not think I can do so anymore after seeing her less than adequate performance during NETFEST. In a country such as ours where players are intimidated by names and umpires openly umpire CLUBS and not games,it was easy to be 'dominant'. Globally that has passed.

When Don Small was literally able to walk off a plane ( as a Facebook account holder put it) and into a NATIONAL team without many practice sessions, it was very wrong. So wrong that it backfired. Why was this allowed and how could the selectors approve of such ? Again in my article I had given the reason and I'll do so again.

The ENTIRE selection panel comprises members of ONE club which coincidentally these two players represent in our local domestic season. The argument by some would be they don't,but if this committee is made public,these individuals are either directly or indirectly associated with this club. They are also past or present members of said club.

Sure the final decision regarding any team/s should be made by the board of the BNA,but I am not sure that in this case any decisions made were made with careful thinking.

Within the U-21 team are several talented players who are at the level where they should be included without question in our senior team,yet we repeatedly go for the tried and tested and lose young talent in the process.


Goodbye,Adios,Ciao..........................

Days of THEIR lives ?

Is it true that there's not going to be any CropOver festivities for the members of the U-21 team this year, even though they will be in Barbados ?

Is it true that somewhere in the east of the island,a home awaits their arrival ?

Will this NONSENSE be the reason some of these girls give up netball AFTER their return from the Cook Islands?

Is dictatorship allowed in Barbados and is it practiced in sports ?

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME !

I have NO CONFIDENCE !!

Wikipedia describes AUTOCRACY as a form of government in which the political power is held by a single,self-appointed ruler.

Having thought that netballers had been removed from tyrannical and dictatorial leadership,apparently they seemed to be heading in that direction come November 2009.

2009 was by far one of the better years to date. Prompt decisions were made in the best interest of the clubs who are the POWER of the BNA and after much effort, all scheduled games were completed. The lone achilles heel was the obvious attempts by some to SABOTAGE what was flowing by not issuing umpires to officiate netball games.

It was widely rumoured that Spooners Hill Netball Club was "running" the Association. If that was the case,SO WHAT? Diversification is good for the soul.

When clubmate,chairperson of the League Committee and Secretary of the BNA took on the task of organizing the 2009 season, I knew that she would meet with resistence from some bigots and idiots who would use her past outspokenness against her. They TRIED and FAILED!

Not only have they not accepted that fact, but they have been able to form another group of individuals who are hoping to bring a NO CONFIDENCE motion against the entire board.

Interestingly enough in this mix-up is the wife of a former West Indies cricketer and Carlton Club member and one long standing manager of a club sponsored by a local distributor.

Support for this 2nd quarter has apparently been promised from the milk sponsored company's club and the lone club with a brewery on their logo.

I have NO CONFIDENCE in this team,DO YOU ??

I was right,wasn't I ?

In my last post I stated the FACT that in the end the final place on the 2009 WYC team would be between Tyna King and Kamillah Burke. Sadly enough I was correct.

What I personally don't understand is this. Did the board of the BNA really agree to what is obviously a case of club moreso than country? I had also questioned the makeup of the Selection Committee and I would do so again. Undoubtedly these individuals have some measure of integrity but in the end .......................

How can it be justified that a choice had to be made between a defensive player and an attacking player ? Doesn't make much sense,does it ?

Why when the "final" twelve names were submitted didn't one of the more level-headed individuals who make up the board of the BNA question and ultimately refute ANY team where this player was not included?

Have we reached the stage where we don't care about the players' feelings anymore and that by making seemingly false promises,it will be all well and good?

As my best friend said," A recipe for disaster!" and I said "When you start wrong,you'll always end wrong!"