St Giles Primary and Blackman and Gollop Primary “A” are set to do battle in the final of the Pine Hill Dairy-sponsored National Sports Council’s Primary Schools Netball competition at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex tomorrow.
According to the coaches of the respective teams their players are ready to go hard or go home. St Giles, who have won more than ten titles in the competition, will be looking to feed off of their rich history of winning the most titles in the competition. Meanwhile Blackman And Gollop “A” will be going into the final with the confidence that they made it into the final last year and they are back again this year to redeem themselves.
Physical education teacher and coach for Blackman and Gollop, Calvin Briggs, told Barbados TODAY that his team would be participating in every event including the shooting competition tomorrow. He said it was very admirable that all of the players on both the Blackman And Gollop “A” and “B” teams were all class three students and that they were pleased that at least one of the their teams got into the finals.
“This team is all class three children and all seven players on the team know their role and what is expected of them tomorrow. Because the school is new we try to develop a new programme instead of the old programme where you just focus on the class four students who are only there for one year and leave. So I started the programme from class one up in order to have some continuity and so far it has worked for us because we made it to the finals two years straight and not boasting but I am pretty confident that we would be back in the finals next year also,” Briggs said.
According to Briggs the team is strong on defence, and that along with their speed should be enough for the Blackman And Gollop “A” players to get around the St Giles girls who are physically bigger.
Sierra Deane McCollin and Reanna Blackman will be representing Blackman and Gollop in the individual shooting competition. While both Blackman And Gollop “A” and “B” teams will be participating in the final of the teams shooting competition.
The coach said: “Win or lose tomorrow we are very proud of our children because of the mere fact that they are in class three and they have come this far and have done very well.”
St Giles coach Sean Callender told Barbados TODAY he had an exceptional group of players who listened, knew what their jobs were, and executed very well.
“I expect all of the girls to play at the highest standard from the goal-shoot right down and if I have to substitute players in order for us to achieve the ultimate goal I will do so. But the girls are all strong and they play netball and have fun,” Callender said.
Callender explained that going into the final they would be playing St Giles’ game which is fast offence and strong defence which, connected together, could be very effective.
“Margaret Cutting from the National Sports Council has been working with the girls in terms of their footwork and passes which has been very beneficial for the girls throughout the tournament and tomorrow we are sticking with our motto at school which is ‘together we strive for excellence’,” Callender said, as his team geared up possibly to win another netball title.
Goal-shoot Kellisa Kelly will be key to St. Giles’ chances.