Grenada’s youth netball program is gearing up for regional competition, with the Grenada Netball Association officially revealing its 12-member under-16 national squad that will compete at the 2026 Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Netball Tournament, hosted in Trinidad and Tobago from April 10 to 18. Known by their team nickname the Spice Girls, the side enters the tournament following a strong fourth-place finish in the 2025 edition, and is counting on a mix of returning veteran talent and promising young rookies to push for a podium finish this year.
Reflecting the long-term dominance of top domestic high school programs, the squad draws a large contingent from one of Grenada’s most successful netball institutions: Anglican High School (AHS), a perennial powerhouse in the country’s Secondary School Netball Competition that has claimed multiple junior and senior championship titles. Four of AHS’s top young players earned spots on the national roster, a testament to the strength of the school’s athletic development pathway, which is supported by a strategic partnership with the Barbara Simpson Academy – widely recognized as one of Grenada’s most consistent pipelines for emerging elite netball talent.
A key advantage for the 2026 side is the depth of returning experience, with six players coming back to the squad after competing in the 2025 tournament. Leading the returning core is Reshonna Francis of Grenville Secondary School, a standout shooter who was an integral part of the 2025 Spice Girls squad that won the title of Most Accurate Shooting Team at the event. Francis’s returning presence is expected to significantly strengthen the team’s offensive output heading into the 2026 competition.
The remaining roster spots are filled by first-time national team debutantes hailing from six additional high schools across Grenada: Wesley College, Westmorland Secondary, St Joseph’s Convent St George’s, Happy Hill Secondary, Boca Secondary, and St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary. In total, the 12 squad members represent eight separate Grenadian high schools, showcasing the breadth of youth netball talent across the island nation.
To prepare the team for peak performance at the regional tournament, the Spice Girls are led by a highly experienced off-court management and coaching staff. Constance Belfon serves as team manager, while Arlene Williams returns to her role as head coach, with Jamie John stepping in as assistant coach to oversee in-game tactical operations. Player health and well-being will be managed by primary care provider Keith Williams MBE, and Kathyann Gabriel will represent Grenada as the country’s nominated national umpire for the tournament.
Head coach Arlene Williams expressed confidence in the team’s prospects for 2026, noting that the 2025 squad was a relatively inexperienced group, but the return of half the roster has created a solid foundation for improvement. “Last year the team was pretty new, but with half of the team returning, we are looking for a top-three finish. The girls look ready, and we’re going to give it our all,” Williams said.
Grenada will face stiff competition from eight other Caribbean nations at the tournament, including defending champions Trinidad and Tobago and regional powerhouse Barbados, both of which are heavily favored to contend for the title. Despite the challenging competitive field, the Spice Girls enter the event focused on exceeding their 2025 fourth-place result and claiming a spot on the podium when tournament play kicks off in April.