BNA posts open

Alwyn Babb (FP)

By Sherrylyn A. Toppin | Tue, January 10, 2012 - 12:04 AM

The Barbados Netball Association (BNA) is moving to fill the top three administrative positions of the senior national netball team ahead of two major tours slated to cost just over $75 000 later this year.

Yesterday, the BNA released criteria as it advertised for a senior national coach, assistant coach and manager.

Alwyn Babb, who held the post of senior coach for the past two years, had indicated after the last World Championships in Singapore that he would not be returning. Likewise, the tenures of assistant coach Jackie Forde-Brome and manager Marcia Oxley had expired.

“Their term was up at the end of 2011, all of them including Alwyn,” secretary Nisha Cummings told NATIONSPORT in a telephone interview yesterday.

“We advertised [but] that does not mean that they can’t reapply for the position. It is open to everybody.”

Barbados have received an invitation from England to play a series of Test matches from April 7 to 14 and the Americas Federation of Netball Association (AFNA) Championships are scheduled for July 14 to 21 in Trinidad.

The senior coach will be required to develop and implement training programmes; manage team instruction before, during and after competition; provide leadership and direction and foster teamwork among the players.

A sound knowledge of local and international competition structures and rules; a sound knowledge of the BNA mandate and at least five years’ experience coaching at the senior level are also listed among the qualifications.

Despite the last requirement, Cummings said it did not necessarily restrict any candidate.

“If you look at the professional world, you advertise for somebody with certain criteria and you might fight somebody who goes into the position based on the interview,” the secretary said.

“They might not meet the criteria on paper, but they might have a good interview and merit giving a chance.

So I won’t say that it really rules out anybody.

Anybody that is interested should apply,” Cummings advised.

She said she wasn’t aware of the tenure of the incoming team, but acknowledged the BNA needed personnel for both the long and short term to develop its programmes.

The criteria for the assistant coach are similar to those for the senior coach, while the manager will be required to attend training sessions and keep all training records and statistics up to date, assist the coach with general management and ensure that all players adhere to the BNA’s rules and regulations.

The deadline for applications is Monday at noon.

Cummings said the BNA intended to send teams to England and Trinidad, but it was hampered by a lack of finances.

It will cost about $30 000 for airfare alone to go to England and $45 000 for all expenses to Trinidad.

“Right now, we are very limited as it relates to finances, but because of the ranking system, we must play a certain number of games between World Championships,” Cummings said.

“We have to be careful who we play because it would obviously affect the ranking.

England is ranked above Barbados, so it would be a good opportunity for the girls to be able to play, but [a lack of] finances now is what is the trouble. If we could secure the finances, we would definitely be going.”