A nine-month grassroots netball development initiative launched by the Department of Youth Development & Sports culminated in a vibrant celebratory festival held on June 19 at the Beausejour Gymnasium, showcasing the progress of young primary school athletes from the region’s northernmost district. The programme, which kicked off in September ahead of the 2025-2026 academic year, targeted primary schools across District One, bringing more than 100 young male and female participants from eight local schools plus visiting guest team Camille Henry Memorial to the end-of-programme showcase.
Roxanne Snyder, District One’s sports coordinator and a senior national netball player, former track athlete, and physical educator, outlined the deliberate, skill-first structure of the initiative. Unlike typical quick-entry sports programmes that rush students into full match play, the development model prioritized foundational movement literacy over early competition. “In the first and second terms, all our work centered on core fundamentals: passing technique, controlled catching, proper jumping form, and safe landing,” Snyder explained. “Only in the third term did we integrate those basics into full netball-specific gameplay.”
The programme fills a gap in traditional primary school athletic offerings across the region, where common sports have long been limited to track and field, football, cricket, and table tennis—disciplines that remain dominant even at the secondary level. Snyder argues that netball offers unique benefits that transcend the sport itself, building well-rounded athletic ability that translates to any physical activity. “From my years of experience as an athlete, I’ve seen how netball cultivates a holistic student-athlete,” she noted. “It improves agility, makes athletes lighter on their feet, and builds all-purpose movement control that opens doors to any other sporting discipline they want to pursue later. We’re not just training netball players; we’re building versatile athletes.”
At the close of the one-day festival, Dame Pearlette Louisy Primary claimed the top overall position, with La Guerre Primary and Balata Primary finishing second and third respectively. Event organizers emphasized that every participating school walked away as a winner, highlighting the initiative’s core focus on participation and development rather than elite competition.
Alice Lynch, a national netball coach assigned to the Department of Youth Development and Sports, joined Snyder in praising the programme’s early impact, noting it lays critical groundwork for the future of national netball. “This is a game-changer for netball development in our country,” Lynch said. “From this group of young learners, we can identify and nurture talent that will one day represent our country on the under-16 national team. The progress we’ve seen already is extraordinary, and I’m so proud of the work District One has put in. Whenever we call for participants, they always step up with full teams ready to compete.”
Lynch added that teaching foundational netball skills to young children is no small feat, requiring patient, step-by-step instruction—but the initiative has already paid off in visible enthusiasm. “Mastering basic netball technique takes time and consistent practice, but you can see how much the kids are enjoying the process. They’re engaged, they’re learning, and they love the sport.”
Coordinated by head coach Marcia Montoute, the District One model serves as a blueprint for expansion across the country, Lynch said, urging principals and physical education leaders in other districts to adopt the programme to grow the sport. With strong, visible excitement from students, teachers, and attending parents around the inaugural festival, Lynch says she is eager to roll out the foundational netball development model islandwide in coming years.
