From the beginning of the 2025-2026 academic year, the Department of Youth Development & Sports has been conducting netball coaching clinics in District One primary schools. The results of that development programme were on display during a netball festival on Friday, June 19, at the Beausejour Gymnasium. Over 100 girls and boys from eight of the northernmost primary schools were involved, along with guest school Camille Henry Memorial.
Roxanne Snyder, sports coordinator for District One, spoke about some of what the physical education teachers, as well as the emerging student athletes, have been learning over the past few months, having started the programme back in September.Â
“We have been focusing on the fundamental movements, which [are] the passing, the catching, the jumping, the landing,” she explained. “So in the third term, we’re just trying to incorporate the netball skills, but in the first term and second term, we were focusing on the basic movements.”
At the primary school level, students traditionally compete in track and field, football, cricket, and table tennis, which may be part of the reason those sports remain among the most popular at the secondary school level. Snyder, a senior national player, PE teacher, and former track athlete, feels that netball plays a unique role in building better athletes.
“Speaking from experience, we know that netball basically develops an all-round athlete, where they have easier movements, where they are lighter on their feet, and where they are usually a holistic student-athlete,” she opined. “So we normally develop them, not just for netball. That is why we tend to focus on the fundamental movement where they can branch out into any sporting discipline.”
Dame Pearlette Louisy emerged as the top school on the day, followed by La Guerre Primary and Balata Primary. But all of the schools were winners.Â
Alice Lynch, netball coach attached to the Department of Youth Development and Sports, echoed Snyder’s praise for the programme.
“It’s a big thing for netball now,” shared Lynch. ‘Out of these children, we could get children to get ready for the under-16 national team. The development is very, very, very good. I am very proud of District One. You know, anytime we call on them, they always have teams ready to participate in any competition that we ask them to.
“This means a lot to us because now they’re learning basic skills, and to learn the basic skills in netball, it is very hard…So you have to do it step by step with them. But you could see they’re enjoying it and they like it.”
Coach Marcia Montoute led the District One programme, which Lynch says principals and PE teachers in other districts need to emulate to take the sport to the next level. Lynch noted that the excitement for the tournament, among students, teachers, and even parents, was palpable, and she is looking forward to being able to take the programme islandwide.
