MINERAL HEIGHTS, Clarendon — JNA president Marva Bernard says her administration is ready to take on the responsibility of running a semi-professional league, but said if sponsorship is not forthcoming, this vision cannot be realised soon.

“… Semi-pro is the way to go because it’s another form of developing talented players,” said Bernard.

“Once we can get the blueprint going, then I do believe we are ready now for a semi-pro league”.

“… If we can get the sponsorship and the media is involved… that could help us to earn the revenue to pay the players because it is has to be treated like a business… it’s a semi-pro league and it is going to take funding,” she noted.

“But yes, the time is right… netball is poised for great things and if we don’t seize the moment we could be left behind,” Bernard warned.

And while she is not concerned about the pool of talent available locally to fuel such a league, Bernard is worried about the conditions of the playing facilities that are available across the island.

She believes this could be another grey area that will stunt the growth of a semi-professional club netball championship here.

“… It’s raining now and we do want the rain, but then the condition of these courts are not good for the players,” she lamented. “Right now, I’m scared if one of them might slip on that (concrete) court because they are going to hurt themselves.”

As a result, Bernard is eyeing the prospects of developing three indoor facilities at strategic locations across the island.

“We have to do something about the facilities and I know I’m going to hear it takes money, but where there is a will, there is a way.

“In time, I’m hoping that even in the three counties we could have one indoor facility, one sprung floor so that competitions like these can be run inspite of the weather,” Bernard told the Sunday Observer last Sunday at the opening of the Clarendon Netball Association/Jamalco Open League at Mineral Heights.

Currently, the JNA oversees the running of the following leagues — none of which is semi-professional, in the Corporate Area:

Supreme Ventures A League, Western Union B League, Supreme Ventures C League, Burger Paints Super League and the Jamaica National Open League.

However, in Australia and New Zealand — two of Jamaica’s main rivals internationally — there is the ANZ Championship (the first professional netball league in the world) which gives players from those countries and elsewhere the perfect opportunity to play against strong opposition on a weekly basis.

This, Bernard said, contributes to the level of consistency with which these teams (Australia and New Zealand) play, noting that this is the direction in which she would like to take the game locally.

“The ANZ Championships in Australia and New Zealand, which is a new phenomenon in its second year, is an indication of the high-level practice those players are getting even when they’re not playing for their countries.

“(So), this is the type of practice that our players need…,” she emphasised.

Bernard also spoke of plans to unveil a new coaching and technical programme for coaches and umpires, similar to that which is being run by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).