Orville Higgins | Netball in Crisis

Netball in Jamaica is in crisis.

There is no other way to say it. There is a stand-off between some of the senior Sunshine Girls and the administrators at Netball Jamaica that does not appear to be heading towards an amicable solution any time soon. The genuine fear is that this impasse between the two ‘factions’ could derail all the good work that the team has done over the last few years, and an uncertain future now looms over the programme.

I have spoken to many of the parties involved, both on air and off, and I have a firm understanding of what the issues are. The team did very badly at the last World Championships. Finishing fifth for a team that was expected to win was unacceptable. It is difficult to believe that there were not some internal issues that affected the team.

President Dr Paula Daley-Morris and the Netball Jamaica hierarchy clearly decided that they had to change their modus operandi. The feeling in netball circles, rightly or wrongly, was that some members of the team had become obnoxious prima donnas and their influence created a toxic environment at the World Championships. Harsh words by then assistant coach Winston Nevers in interviews after the tournament rubbed many of the players the wrong way and deepened the divide between players and management, especially as the association never publicly distanced itself from Nevers’ scathing remarks about lack of discipline in the squad.

Debriefing sessions

The association arranged for two debriefing sessions with the team after the tournament. Only three players showed up each time – two different sets of players. Battle lines were clearly drawn.

The association then decided to hold two trial matches with the clear understanding that future selection depended on those trials. I did not agree with the move. To tell proven senior players that they needed to excel in trials to make the team was not the way to go. That also irked the players, and things were made worse when the association made the mistake of referring to the players as “former” Sunshine Girls in the email inviting them to these trial games. Though Netball Jamaica later apologised, the damage had already been done.

The bottom line is that the players boycotted those two trial games, effectively ruling themselves out of contention for January’s four-nation tournament in England. A squad of 27 is now in training without nine of the 12 players who played at the World Championships. It is unsure whether the rift between both parties will be healed any time soon.

All of this must be hard on Connie Francis. She has just signed on to coach the team and may have to start her tenure with essentially a B team. It is understood that she wants the ‘rebel’ players in her squad but has to wait until things sort themselves out. Why the national netball coach cannot get the players she wants and has to wait for a selection panel to pick them is antiquated and is something the association needs to change.

So things are at a standstill. This whole drama has split the netball public in two. Some feel that management is right to pull rank and show an indisciplined set of girls who is boss. The other school of thought is that Netball Jamaica ‘dissed’ the players and the girls have a right to take the stance they are taking. Maybe the two parties could have handled things a little differently. I’m watching this one with interest.