JNA eyes upgrade of coaches

Sean Williams

Friday, February 10, 2012

HEAD of Jamaica's netball, Marva Bernard, says her administration is determined to upgrade the skill levels of coaches as part of efforts to grow the sport across its planks.

The Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) president says the game is being hampered at the grassroots level because "we don't have enough coaches to hone the skills of our young girl".

"We need more qualified coaches and we know that if we get our coaches properly trained we could unearth and develop the talent that's out there," said Bernard at the presentation luncheon of the Digicel/ISSA Schoolgirl Senior and Junior netball leagues at the Terra Nova Hotel yesterday.

Jamaica's netball chief in addressing the gathering of student players of the game, coaches, school teachers and principal and sponsor representative, said her association aims to get at least 240 coaches qualified by December next year.

In collaboration with the University of Technology (UTech), the JNA will have its first coaching course for Level One proficiency starting on February 25.

"We like what football is doing (JFF/UTech Coaching School), and while people say that all we do is copy football, we think it's the right thing to do," Bernard said.

"We have the talent to challenge the likes of Australia and England, but we need good coaches and I urge ISSA to join us in getting their coaches qualified," she said.

Competitions officer of ISSA, George Forbes gave his organisation's assurance that it will aggressively embark on getting its coaches up to mark. "We will definitely be on board with these coaching courses to getting coaches qualified at least Level One," said Forbes.

Bernard added that it is crucial for Jamaica Sunshine Girls to maintain their fourth-place ranking and possibly improve onit, but noted that critical elements of the netball infrastructure must be addressed in a serious and sustained way.

"We don't only need coaches and umpires to be upgraded, but team managers and physiotherapists too... we won't achieve greatness until we fix the foundation," she concluded.

Sports sponsorship manager of Digicel, Paula Pinnock-McLeod, urged the young netballers to look to tap into their potential beyond just the field of play if they want to be successful players and human beings.

"This is not all about playing the game, it's what makes you different and special... it's about your commitment and the ability to go beyond your talent," she said.

"You can be like (Usain) Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser (Digicel-sponsored athletes), but you have to think beyond the court... when you get a scholarship, you want to know that the school is getting more than a netball player, but an academic and a rounded person," Pinnock-McLeod told her captivated audience.

Digicel, the cellphone giant, who also sponsors the Sunshine Girls, is considering to expand its sponsorship of the schoolgirl netball competitions. "We are seriously looking at how much more we can give because I believe you girls deserve as much as boys," said Pinnock-McLeod.

Meanwhile, Holmwood High School received their trophies for winning the rural and all-island titles in the Under-19 senior tournament, while Manchester High were rewarded for claiming the double at the Under-16 junior rank.

Meanwhile, St Andrew High, losers to Holmwood in the senior all-island final, collected their urban championship trophy and the national runners-up spoils, while St Hugh's picked up the junior equivalent.

National player and Holmwood's Nicole Dixon was adjudged the senior category's Most Valuable Player, while Manchester's Sasha Mitchell picked up the corresponding accolade on the junior side. Both received trophies and BlackBerry handsets from Digicel.

Holmwood's Carlene Graham and Manchester Simone Smith, who were named senior and junior Coaches of the Year, also got trophies and BlackBerry cellphones.

In the all-island Junior League final, rural champions Manchester defeated urban champions St Hugh's, 31-27, while senior counterparts Holmwood stopped urban champions St Andrew High, 40-34.

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