ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

Danielle Jordan-Taft of England and Hannah Kuhar of Australia became the first overseas professionals to participate in the Red Stripe Flavours Netball Jamaica Elite League, which ended on the weekend.

According to Netball Jamaica president Karen Baugh, it was easy to contract both players, who already had an interest to play netball in the land of the Sunshine Girls, and even paid their own way to get to Jamaica.

The two players have played at the highest levels in their country, and both expressed satisfaction with their experience in Jamaica.

Nevertheless, they believe the league still has a lot of room for growth.

Jordan-Taft, who is of Jamaican heritage and still has family residing in the country, said the league needs money and overseas players and coaches to take it to the next level.

"The league needs more sponsorship. It needs more money to attract better players. In order to increase the standard of play, we need to get overseas coaches and more foreign players.

"I have learned a lot coming into this league. Even though it is not at the level that I am used to. But if more girls of my standard from Australia or wherever come here, we can grow the standard," she said.

She pointed out that Jamaican players are athletic and have a lot of natural ability, and that if they have access to the resources she has in England, it would go a far way in improving Jamaica's netball.

"We have a high performance standard in England. We train four times a week and play matches on weekends.

"Out here we do one day (training), if everybody can make it. It's hard for some of the girls to get there from where they live, financially, let alone physically being able to be in that one destination.

"It was very difficult for me to get everything together to be here. We need more money. With us coming over, there is going to be more attractions," she stated.

Baugh agrees that more resources are needed.

"I would agree with them 100 per cent (that the league needs money). We have some objectives in terms of the expansion and the professionalising of the league.

"They are coming from first world countries. So let us see how those leagues operate and take all the best practices that we can and the ones that we can afford we put them in as quickly as possible.

"But it is not only about affordability sometimes. Sometimes it is about structure and one of the things that we are doing now that the league is finished, is to put together a league review panel to look at the work and structure of all the leagues, including the Elite League, and everything needed to move it towards that professional level we know it can get to," she commented.

She also acknowledged that the inclusion of more overseas players and coaches would add value to the league, but that it might be a while before they have foreign coaches.

"But I really do feel that primarily it is a platform for our local coaches to learn and grow. It would be good to see our coaches matching up against top international coaches. But we will get there one day. The more we move into a professional space, maybe then you have a team recruiting their coach rather than us assigning a coach. So maybe one day," she declared.

Kuhar said Netball Jamaica has done its best and must continue aiming for a higher standard.

"Jamaica does extraordinarily well with the limited resources they have. I see your board members work very hard to get new sponsorship. I see your sponsors being very present and your players wanting the best.

"It is very important that Jamaica keeps pushing the dial with what they can do, especially with the professionalism and making sure that you are always aiming higher and higher. That will come with sustained commitment from all of the most significant stakeholders. But it takes a lot of hard work and I think Jamaica is trying its best," she said.

Baugh, meanwhile, says the initiative with the overseas players was a success.

"They have been very vocal about their experience, and for both of them it was not about the money, it was for the experience because Jamaica has an experience like no other, and from my conversations with them, it has definitely been positive."

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com