Netball foul play with coach?

By Orville Higgins

There is not a national crisis in netball. Not yet at least, but anybody who listened to my call on sports programme on KLAS since Monday will agree there is a genuine cause for concern. Once again, it concerns Winston Nevers, the hugely popular and embattled coach of Jamalco. It seems we have been here before.

Winston has captured the hearts of the netball public in Jamaica in no uncertain way. Since 2003, he has won all but one Berger Paints Super League titles. He has won the Jamaica National Open League nine times since 1998, including the last three. He has also won titles with Scotiabank and University of Technology, and was also instrumental in helping Edwin Allen to six schoolgirl titles.

Despite this, for one reason or another, there always appears to be something holding back this man from being part of the national set-up. The Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) will be quick to say that part of the reason for him operating outside the national fold, over all these years, has been Winston's own fault. They may well have a point, but the nagging perception persists that the JNA doesn't really want him in the corridors of power.

The latest brouhaha started when Winston admitted to the public in The Gleaner earlier this week that the JNA was offering him a mere $2,000 per session to coach the shooters in the national programmes. Winston lives in May Pen. That is known by everybody in the hierarchy of netball in Jamaica.

Two thousand dollars a session for him to come into Kingston to coach is, therefore, not only inadequate but, some would argue, almost contemptuous. Winston pulled out of the programme. Hounded by the media as to why, he admitted that the remuneration was much too small, and despite writing to the JNA, no better offer was put on the table.

The chain of events after that is revealing. A barrage of public support started to come for him that must have shocked the JNA. On sports programmes and in netball circles, many saw this as merely an attempt by the powers that be to continue to sideline him, but this time offering the $2,000 as a token gesture to prevent public wrath.

This time, it appears the netball public has had enough, and my call-in programme has been inundated all week with talk about what they see as unadulterated injustice.

EMBARRASSING DAMAGE CONTROL

Maybe trying damage control, Maureen Hall, the technical director of netball coaching in Jamaica, came on my show and attempted to explain the situation. Her attempt to offer an explanation had the same effect of throwing gasolene on burning embers!

Maureen appeared to suggest that Winston's phenomenal record at Jamalco had more to do with Jamalco's slew of national players than any great coaching ability on his part. She gave the unmistakeable impression that Jamalco's good "structure" and the company's ability to take care of its players as being the real reason behind its success, all the time appearing to downplay Winston's role as coach.

In fact, the coup de grce came when I asked her directly what she thought of Winston's ability to coach, and she said she didn't want to embarrass the man and, therefore, wasn't prepared to answer! What she (and, perhaps, by extension, the JNA) thought of Winston's coaching abilities was now there for all to hear. The irony is that by saying that, Winston must have been thoroughly embarrassed!

What has happened since is nothing short of high drama. A slew of netballers who Winston coached at Jamalco took to the airwaves to defend him. Some of these players include high-profile national players such as Nicole Aiken Pinnock and Elaine Davis. They all painted a picture of a man who is being victimised and underrated by the powers that be.

Many of the netballers who called my show hinted that a series of players who have stopped playing for the national team in recent times did so because they are unhappy with the treatment handed out to him as well as the attitude of some in the JNA.

How this will play out, I don't know. What I will say is that the JNA needs to listen to these voices. They have some serious soul-searching to do.

Orville Higgins is a sports journalist and talk-show host. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.