Leila Robinson Netball Courts to be refurbished

Plans are in place to improve the physical condition of the Leila Robinson netball courts located at Independence Park Complex, National Arena in Kingston.

This was announced by Minister with responsibility for Sports, Natalie Neita-Headley, during the March 14 press launch of the University of Technology (UTech)/Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) advanced level one coaching course at UTech’s Old Hope Road campus in St. Andrew.

Ms. Neita-Headley informed that the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) intends to provide assistance with the refurbishing.  “The project has already gone through the allocations committee and is slated to be one of the projects to be undertaken this year,” she said.

She noted that the administration is committed to facilitating the development of sports as a business through the upgrading of sporting facilities and the promotion of the island as a sport tourism destination.

The Leila Robinson netball courts were built in 1971 for the hosting of the World Netball Championships. The SDF, which commenced operations in 1995, was established as an independent body to contribute to the development of the nation through sports.

Turning to the significance of the coaching course, which begins on March 17, Ms. Neita-Headley said it is critical to the development of netball in Jamaica.

“Not only is the offering of the course important to the game of netball, but the certification upon completion will be an invaluable asset to the participants,” she said.

The course, she added, will assist in producing coaches of international standard, who will be able to offer training in other countries.  

“It is my hope that this course will raise the standard of the game in Jamaica. I look forward to experiencing the excitement of players eager to learn, coaches eager to transfer the knowledge and to see Jamaica’s netball ranking surpass our previous world standing,” she said.

Head of the Technical Certification Division, Caribbean School of Sports Sciences, UTech, Andre Waugh said the aim of the course “is to produce a cadre of coaches, who are capable of developing Jamaica’s netball and taking it to another level."

He informed that the course will cover basic coaching sciences and the technical preparation and rules of the game.

By Chris Patterson, JIS Reporter