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Future Netballers Academy to host summer camp
July 17, 2025
FROM TOMORROW until the 20th, the Future Netballers Academy, the only known netball academy in the island, will host its annual summer camp at Wolmer's Girls' School, and founder and former national player Jodi-Ann Ffrench-Kentish said the academy continues to play a big role in the lives of many young women from depressed communities.
Although the three-day training camp will take place on the grounds of Wolmer's Girls, the young ladies will be housed at the Errol Miller hostel at The Mico University next door.
More than 50 young ladies from various parts of the Corporate Area, including Rockfort, Rollington Town, Vineyard Town, Denham Town, and August Town, will converge on the Heroes Circle-based school's courts to work on basic skills, athleticism, and tactical understanding of the game, and French-Kentish is expecting an exciting weekend.
"Future Netballers Academy was started from 2022. It is a year-long development programme where we target youths in underserved communities.
"We coach from age six to 19 years. So from they start primary school until they leave high school, we develop those skills," she said.
Although the programme has more than 100 young girls involved, and has progressed well over the last three years, Kentish said it has been a challenge trying to meet its objectives without adequate resources.
"We are looking to progress. We are looking for sponsorship. We don't really charge. You pay a membership fee, and that's it. But it takes a lot of cash to care for them. So we are also seeking sponsors to come on board."
Nevertheless, the programme has been getting some corporate support, with the likes of Kirk Distributors, Nature Valley, and Best Dressed Chicken coming on to sponsor the summer camp.
"A few more have supported the programme and we are grateful. We are encouraging others to come on board.
"We have reached more than a hundred youths so far, and the parents are very involved. You have children from backgrounds where they cannot afford it, but we do not turn them away; and some parents have chipped in, in terms of finance for other students.
"But we are reaching far and wide, different communities and backgrounds. And that's what we are focusing on, helping these underserved communities and the children that are there, to get them involved in sport, particularly netball," she reasoned.
Kentish said the idea is to continue to improve and grow the academy, so that it will be able to assist even more young girls.
"We are expanding and trying to reach those that need the help. We train at Scotiabank all year long, and we want to thank them for allowing us to use their facilities. But the intention is to improve the programme, so we can increase the opportunities for these young girls," she said.
The academy has two national under-16 players in captain Ashley Kentish, Ffrench-Kentish's daughter, and Kendra Smith.
The programme will take a break after the summer camp and resume in September.
