Recent actions by Netball Jamaica to disband the senior national netball team, and the reaction of national players feeling the repercussions from their failures at the World Cup 2019 in Liverpool, England, are indeed worthy of reflection.
On the one hand, Netball Jamaica has moved to restore order to the sport, primarily at the national level. Many faulted its decision of dissolving the national team and coaching staff and inviting players, all and sundry – regardless of global and national status – to trials, to challenge for a spot on Jamaica’s senior national netball team for the upcoming Quad Series from January 19-26 in England, against the hosts, New Zealand and South Africa.
On the other hand, the players are up in arms, feeling disrespected at being referred to as ‘former’ nationals and being summoned to trial in the same grouping with players of far lower standing. In truth and fact, they believe the best among these players should have been weaned from an earlier trial to earn a spot to challenge them at a later trial for a place on the national team.
This change in the selection procedure by Netball Jamaica is unprecedented. It is safe to assume that it was influenced by what transpired at Netball World Cup 2019. Against that background, while the new position is unprecedented, fair reasoning presents an understandable case.
The Sunshine Girls left these shores highly qualified with their highest world ranking in years at No. 2. Tied to that were expectations that they had a live shot at winning their first-ever World Championships title. Instead, they finished fifth, this after losing critical group-stage matches in back-to-back fashion against South Africa, then England.
Losing the matches was one thing. In sport, losing is part of the territory; it’s possible in all situations. That is the reason why you play the game – no result is guaranteed.
Then there were the stories not mentioned publicly, allegations not refuted, that came through whispers and close associates. Those tell of players not training all the time when scheduled. Those are serious infringements that demand immediate and firm action, especially when matched against failure. There is the matter of those tasked with the responsibility of handling the team – the coaches, head coach Marvette Anderson, and her deputy, Winston Nevers.
Nevers mentioned the different experience as an assistant, and at world level. At times he was emotional and broken to tears, lamenting “indiscipline” that plagued the team on-court – with certain players only looking to pass to certain teammates, and a general breakdown in discipline.
Not surprisingly, both have been removed. They are the ones who pick the team, design strategy, and ought to lead the managing aspect of the team.
Now, the senior players, in what appears a coordinated stance – a mutiny of sorts – have removed themselves from the process in a most disappointing fashion.
I say disappointing because they also had the option to be humble and turn up at the trials and earn a spot on the team in which, in their words, they have invested so much.
I say disappointing, too, because the upcoming Quad Series was the Sunshine Girls’ chance at redemption, to right the wrongs of Netball World Cup 2019, and show their country and the world that they are indeed worthy of greater acclaim than a fifth-place finish.
I say disappointing again because, as one of the players, Khadijah Williams, admitted, they play the sport for love and not money. The bigger side to that is the opportunity one gets from representing one’s country, displaying one’s talent on the international stage. That opens a conundrum of possibilities to really earn something, some serious money to change the circumstances of self and family. Players need to be fully tuned in to this fact and capitalise on it maximally.
In this regard, I would have expected a greater show of leadership by the team’s captain, one of the world’s top shooters, Jhaniele Fowler and one of the best defenders in the world, Shamera Sterling, who number among the Sunshine Girls who are earning big in some of the world’s elite leagues.
Their route to the ANZ Championships Down Under went through the national level, which at some stage included a trial, which, in sports, is par for the course.
However, along with six other players, they chose the confrontational route, saying they were “disrespected” in being referred to as “former players” and defied more than one directive from Netball Jamaica to report for trials to select the national team.
We live in a world where offices at every level, including presidents and prime ministers, are disbanded, dissolved, even Parliament, in times of crisis. No diss intended, but what says a national netball team?
Netball Jamaica is in charge of the sport, so it is very much within its right to make that decision. Largely, I find that matters of respect, claims of disrespect, are littered in irony. And, it’s not so much a situation bearing six of one, half dozen of the other.
Rather, there are much misguided and misrepresented feelings.
As a matter of reasoning, one could also argue that Netball Jamaica’s message could have been clearer, just to eliminate the bitter feel, the disbelief among Jamaica’s star representatives that the Sunshine Girls team had, in fact, been dissolved, disbanded. That, arguably, might have yielded a different response from a group that clearly feels entitled.
This message would probably have implicitly reflected Netball Jamaica’s stance that, quite simply, at this point there is no Sunshine Girls team. This is, in fact, a fresh start and every player, regardless of experience, in this new dispensation, starts on even keel, on a level playing field. Because that is what it is. Hit the nail on the head.
Netball Jamaica had already missed that mark in its dealing with unruly behaviour by senior national players, way ahead of Netball World Cup 2019. More than a year prior, in the early part of the build-up, Jermaine Allison McCracken, who was appointed head coach of the Sunshine Girls in March 2017, resigned months later in July, after Netball Jamaica rejected her requests regarding disciplinary measures shelved against some lead Sunshine Girls, Nicole Dixon, Williams and Shanice Beckford.
The players were said to have rejected training instructions, specifically as it related to pool sessions, and McCracken put them out of team sessions. With the players suspended, the Sunshine Girls later lost a game to unheralded Barbados in a tied series thereafter. Public pressure mounted on McCracken, who eventually packed her bags. The players were reinstated.
Now, Netball Jamaica has acted, but a bigger challenge awaits. Will they hold their position in lieu of the fact Jamaica’s ranking as world number two is under threat, with all three Quad Series rivals – England (number three), New Zealand (four) and South Africa (five) within striking distance?
Strong leadership, in part, constitutes the tough decision-making now facing Netball Jamaica. They extended part of that force in the head coach reappointment of former top national player and national coach, Connie Francis. This is a good move because of her experience as a player and coach at the sport’s highest level. There are times when that commanding presence is needed for the transformation of attitudes to drive a team towards it real potential. Of course, for her and Netball Jamaica, the time is now.
Audley Boyd is a former sports editor at The Gleaner.
