ALL HANDS ON DECK

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association Doris Mc Intosh is ordering an all hands on deck approach as the prescribed medicine for the sport of Netball.{{more}}

Mc Intosh presented her prescription for public consumption last Sunday afternoon, as she addressed the opening of the 2008 Digicel National Netball Tournament at the Arnos Vale Netball Complex.

“In order for us to address the continued development of Netball in the country, all hands must be brought on board, with the requisite degree of seriousness of purpose, and a desire and drive for success”, Mc Intosh said.

“It is only in this way that we can raise standards. And we must do it together, as a team, with a fulsome demonstration of unity every step of the way”, Mc Intosh advised.

She contended that despite others feelings, “the game of Netball is much bigger than any one of us as individuals”.

A reflective and forthright Mc Intosh, acknowledged that all is not well with the sport.

“In this regard, therefore, we have effected an evaluation of last year’s National Tournament and have noted that there remains an enormous amount of work to be done in the overall administration of Netball, the quality of play and the attitudes of players, spectators and officials”, she said with some sincerity.



Mc Intosh also used the occasion to take out another text of her yearly Sermon on discipline.

“It will not be business as usual”, preached Mc Intosh.

Forceful in her delivery, Mc Intosh, who is into her third term at the helm of Netball administration here, had some stern words for those bent on destroying the noble traditional women’s sport.

“Any player who seeks to bring the game of Netball into disrepute would immediately be given her marching orders from the National Tournament, and also from any of the national teams as of this year”, the Netball President said.

Mc Intosh indicated that spectators, too, are in line to pay for their transgressions.

Without disclosing the magnitude of the punishment to be meted out to unruly spectators, Mc Intosh reminded the prospective troublemakers, “Certain, measures, certain actions, will be applied in the event that you, too, misbehave”.

In a passionate plea for order and deportment of the women folk, Mc Intosh stated, “We have, as women, and as citizens of this land, to begin to demonstrate better public conduct”.

“Good sportswomen and men perform well only when they don the garb of exemplary discipline on and off the field of play”, Mc Intosh reported.

Also addressing last Sunday’s ceremony were Director of Sports and Physical Education Nelson Hillocks and Country Manager of Digicel Sonia Polius.