Almost three years after being touted as the team to represent Barbados at this year's World Youth Netball Championships, a highly unflattering unofficial national team was taken to a jeweler by Spooners Hill in a senior knockout match tonight ( March 27) at the Netball Stadium.
Expecting some type of glitter , hardness and edginess suggested by the name ( Gems), it was obvious that it was the Phoenix ( dormant bird) that turned up to play and not the NATIONAL U-21 TEAM.The team lacks coaching,has limited understanding of what is required at the highest level and are poor decision makers.
Equally disturbing were the combinations used by the much revered ( HAHAHAHHA!!!) coaches as was evidenced when they used one of the more talented defenses( the former Church Village standout) at WD and a less skillful player at GD. Utter Garbage !
Included in the Phoenix Zirconia ( oops Gems ) team are two senior national players. Refusing to start with the national shooter is another example of poor coaching decisions and maybe a sign of discomfort in the player.
Whatever the reason, the two know-it-alls in charge of the team proved beyond a doubt that Scotland 2013 is going to be as funny as Comedy Fest.
At the end of the night, the jeweler declared Spooners Hill the real GEMS - 54 carats to 36.
I Love It A Great Summary Of The Match
ReplyDeleteAnd this is a perfect example of why we lose young netballers in Babrbados. The people who we suppose to look up too and respect constantly downgrade us and have the most negative comments to make instead of helping us and sharing their knowledge to make us better. You Mr. Greenidge is well known for that
ReplyDeleteFirst thing I will say is use your spellcheck.Secondly, I have never and will never look for anything from this sport. Unlike some of the people you may fraternize with, my involvement has always been recreational. If you look around for someone to help you or share in your progress, I am NOT that person. If you are a member of the Phoenix Gems, any lack of netball understanding should be forwarded to your coaches...when you accept that they are the ones who have caused nothing more than embarrassment...YOU and the others who share your opinions would be better served!!!
ReplyDeleteThe best thing for you to do, Mr. Greenidge, is to sit and analyse the reason/reasons, why you continue to associate yourself with a sport for females. You say that your involvement has always been recreational, yet you do not coach a national team. It is either you are not fit to coach, you do not have the required experience or you are not competent to do so. Kindly man up and think about participating in a sport made for men. You created a blog to bitch about netball at every occasion available. It is evident that you are bored with your life and need some sort of entertainment.
DeleteSo what are you saying? That men should not associated themselves with a sport that is played primarily by women and women should not associate themselves with a sport played primarily by men? Or is there some other not so veiled inference in your comments? Or is that you are just a un-evolved, narrow minded, typical country bumkin that is still stuck in a prehistoric time? I have news for you. The reason that netball is still stuck internationally and regionally while beach volleyball and other sports are becoming popular is because men are not involved in netball as they should, and ignorant people like continue to be the voices for the sport. Like it our not men still by and large are the decision makers and the ones with more money. Your ignorance and that of others will continue to keep the sport in the athletic wilderness.
DeleteWe lose young netballers because the administration's focus is not player development but self interest. The past president and current coaches contributed to the deplorable state of the sport. It is very embarrassing that a national team in training, should lose to any domestic club. When we look at Jamaica, their Under 21 team would slaughter any club team. We need to mirror their style and take pride is showcasing the talent we have at that level. It saddens me when I read comments such as the one posted by ANONYMOUS. To ANONYMOUS, you should look at the positive message that is being communicated and ask yourself, what is your contribution to your development. Also, this is the time for the Association to take a deep dive into what is happenings, try to align their focus with the goal at hand, whatever that goal is and send a competitive team to Scotland. I agree with Mr. Greenidge that his focus is recreation. You need to convey this to Marion and Sonia, they are your mentors. Be the one who finds it courageous to come forward and ask for change.
ReplyDeleteRangers and St.Barnabas Netball Clubs ran netball in Barbados for too long. Be mindful that we have very educated netball heads within our membership apart from the two mentioned above. Silent voices are the most powerful, their are very innovative, creative thinkers, dynamic speakers and full of talent. Let us acknowledge their worth, connect the molecules and focus on preparing a competitive team.
ReplyDeleteSo who put the so put Ranger an Pine Hill there the so call Clubs,we had a BANKER PETEACHER with mindful educated netballer with membership there.An the so call CLUBS voted her out an put back the above the BANKER lift the bar of the B'dos netball all over the world.they were powerful innovative creative thinkers and she was a dynamic speaker. So wht better could we have wanted it and all tht is talking voted her out an now Barbados netball is back in the Dump 3 years now again. We had a President wicked an we have 1 now that can't make the best decision an will crumble when she pressure. We have to be more turthfull within our selfs. The Barbados netball have not done any thing for the past 2 years President so wht are your plans take some of the of the BANKER plans an put with ur an lift the game once again.
DeletePeople should keep a dictionary handy, or use spell check before posting comments. The language and sentence structure in the last post is reflective of Grade 1. I disagree that the past president's focus was netball. It was about self interest for her, that's why she was voted out. If she was what you believe her to be, the membership would've given her another opportunity to continue the good work she was doing.
ReplyDeleteShe was not the change we were looking for. It takes collaboration and a cohesive team for us to be successful. That's my message to you.
@Anonymous March 31 5:08pm
ReplyDeleteHow can you say you have a president now that cannot make decisions and will crumble under pressure? She has just taken over the position and seeking to right the ship that was found almost sunken. I wouldn't agree with the last president being wicked but self serving definitely. The new leader of the BNA is more concerned with the state of affairs in netball in Barbados and making sure their name and reputation is not sullied locally and internationally. For this to happen would definitely be the final nail in the coffin, with failure to have government support or sponsors willing to put funds into the sport. Just consider when you say, will not make decisions, all decisions aren't as easy as that when you have plenty to consider and sometimes need to take the lesser of two evils. Seems everyone on here are talking about Scotland 2013. Does anyone know the details of how Barbados EVENTUALLY got to participate in this upcoming event, as comical as all seem to think it will be. Will all the blow hards and know it alls on here, if not for the same "crumble under pressure" president and her administration we would not even have a team in the tournament. PS. The whole spell check thing is getting old and dull. Plenty of smart people around netball in bdos but a hell of a lot of dumb ones that have nothing but netball are around here too so cut them some slack.