The following is an interim report of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2020; its 30th year; the year of the Corona virus pandemic, commonly known as COVID-19.

The Season came to an abrupt halt on March 14 2020, when the Facilities Manager of the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena informed that the venue is temporarily closed with immediate effect, for one week, from March 14 to March 22.  This move was aimed at containing the spread of the Corona virus. To date, May 11, this facility, along with all others under ministerial control, has remained closed as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago continues to battle the disease, the invisible war. Internationally, no remedy for this virus has been found as yet.

With just over two weeks of games remaining on the schedule, Management is hopeful that the Fixtures would be completed before the end of the year or even early next year, depending on when the facility is reopened and  what the ‘new normal’ looks like.

At the stoppage, the League had completed almost all of its thirtieth season and reports again, that the season was on another successful run.

The structure of the League remained the same. The Divisions are the Premiership, the Championship, the Alternative and the Retro.  The Retro Division continues as a separate Unit.  Cash prizes will once again be awarded in the Premiership Division.

There was no change to the Management Committee when the Election was held at the Annual General Meeting in November of 2019. There was also no change to the Council. The members at the meeting were very satisfied with the performance of the League’s leadership teams. The President of the Council is Ms Sharon Wilson of the Bermudez United Club and the Secretary is Ms Lilia Mathurin Cameron of the Jabloteh Club. The Management Committee comprises Ms Carol Demming Gittens; Ms Rosemary Mathurin; Ms Giselle Darlington; Ms Patricia Butcher; Mr. Kenneth Butcher and Ms Brenda Prince.

The League is extremely grateful for the continued support of our main sponsor Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), and of our many stakeholders. The general membership increased by one, from 26 to 27 teams this year. Male participants were facilitated in the COURTS Open Knock Out and the FAST 5 tournaments. This was based on a decision taken at the Annual General Meeting after a careful evaluation of last year’s performances.

TEAMS

Four (4) teams played in the Premiership Division, ten (10) in the Championship, eight (8) in the Alternative, and five (5) in the Retro. Altogether twenty-seven (27) teams participated.

The Premiership Division comprised Defence Force, Fire, Police (X), and Police (Y).

In the Championship Division were Bermudez United, Defence Force, Fire, Jabloteh, Open Campus (UWI), Police (X), Police (Y) Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) and University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). Given the time constraint of the Fixtures this group played in two divisions (X) and (Y), with five teams in each group.

The Alternative Division comprised of Jabloteh, Las Lomas Academy, Metal Industries Company (MIC), Police (X), Police (Y), TT Post, University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), and University of the West Indies (UWI)

The Retro Division consisted of Jabloteh, Las Lomas, Police (X), Police (Y) and TSTT. Notably absent this year was Les Enfants who played consistently over a number of years.

VENUE                     

As reported earlier, games were being played at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA) when the League came to a halt. The challenges with the venue were few. As yet, the electrical problems were not completely rectified as the most important outlet for us needed repair. The Facility Manager noted that circumstances did not permit immediate attention to fixing it. It was good to note however, that the lighting for the venue was enhanced and the cooling fans were restored. Management was again assured that the Venue was safe to conduct the games.

There were other challenges with the Venue, but these were to a lesser extent than last year. They related to problems with the plumbing and sewer system; the lack of furniture; the menace of birds’ refuse both on the floor of the arena and on the furniture in the locker room; and leaks in the roof. Some of them were partially resolved.

Once again the League did what it could to minimize the hazards and thanked the Manager of ERISA for her efforts and empathy.

OPENING CEREMONY

The Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday 04 January 2020 at 3.00pm at the Venue. The Fire Service band once again provided the musical accompaniment for the March Past.  On the saluting base for the March Past were the COURTS representative Mrs. Nicole Loney Mills; Mrs. Joan Yuille Williams, Past Deputy Prime Minister and Past President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association; Mr. Patrice Charles, Director of Sport and Physical Education, Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs; Dr. Patricia Butcher, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association, and member of the Management Committee of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League and Ms. Brenda Prince, Chief Executive Officer of the League, who assisted the dignitaries with the inspection of the parade. The dignitaries brought greetings and offered best wishes to the League. Mr. Patrice Charles declared the 2020 Season open. 

The judges of the parade were Ms. Vanessa Forde, Ms. Joy Demming and Ms. Rosemary Mathurin. The League expresses its appreciation to them and to all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Day Ceremony a success.

The MIC Tigers team won this year’s parade.

In the Opening Day Knock Out competition, Fire won from Defence Force in the Premiership Division; UTC Sharks won from Fire in the Championship Division; while in the Alternative Division, TT Post won from MIC Tigers. 

COMPETITIONS

The arrangement of the competitions was the same as last Season. In the Premiership, two rounds of the Round Robin were played. In the Championship the ten (10) teams were divided into X and Y, given the time constraint that the League faced. They played a Round Robin within each group and then played off X vs. Y to determine the final positions. The League was halted before the playoffs were completed.

In respect of the Knock Out games, all were scheduled as straight Knock Outs. These include the Divisional KO competitions, the Jean Pierre and Steve Sarjeant Challenge trophies and the Fast 5 tournament. Unfortunately, a few of these have not yet taken place.

League games, with the exception of those in the Retro and in the Alternative, were of one hour’s duration. The duration of the games for these Divisions was forty minutes, four quarters of ten minutes each. As indicated, teams in Premiership played each other twice in order to determine the overall placing for the League trophy and in the Championship final placing would be determined by the playoffs. The Alternative Division played one round, given the number of teams in the Division, while the Retro played two. 

The games played so far were extremely competitive especially in the Premiership and Championship Divisions.

The results of all of the competitions will be given in an Appendix as soon as a decision is taken regarding how the Season will finish.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Broad objectives of the League include increased player participation, increased number of technical officials, increased media involvement, increased intensity of the game and performance of players especially in the Premiership Division, improved quality of competitions, and strict observance of the Code of Conduct.

In respect of the above, management has noted considerable interest and positive attitudes by participants at all levels and consequently is able to present the following.

Player participation increased this year with an additional team and approximately twenty five players. Again, there are teams willing to join the organization but because of the constraint of time and limited space, they cannot be readily accommodated.

Regarding the technical officials; as a consequence of the Under 16 Training Program held in August 2019 and the associated intense umpire training Modules which were facilitated by International Umpire Award holders and Trainer/Testers, the League saw an increase in the number of umpires and improved performances. At least three of them were scheduled to be tested before the official end of the Season, but this did not materialize due to the onset of the corona virus. The scorers have remained consistent in number and are doing an excellent job.

Media coverage has been tremendous. Although statistics are not available in respect of air time on all three of our local television stations, feedback suggests that air time exceeded last year’s. Regarding print media, The Dailies have been generous and a second scrap book in which newspaper clippings are placed is in use.  

CHALLENGES

As outlined above there were very few challenges this Season mainly relating to the venue. Currently our biggest challenge is the onset of the Corona virus disease which has interrupted our Season.

TRAINING

In August last year, the League again undertook an Under 16 Youth Development Programme in which just five (5) teams, sourced from the League’s Clubs participated. The Programme was scheduled over one (1) week and the purpose was the same.

• Building capacity – numerical, mental, physical, technical
• Increased player participation
• Motivational: Developing a love for netball and a healthy life style

It should be reported that at the meeting held to plan for the Under 16 Programme, it was indicated that some teams would not participate because they were involved with prepping for CARIFESTA which was being held in Trinidad and Tobago, the dates of which clashed with the dates of the Programme.

ACHIEVEMENTS/INNOVATIONS

At the League’s AGM 2019, a few decisions were taken regarding the operations of the League including

• The selection of a Junior All Star team should continue along with Senior All Star team.
• Male players would be facilitated in the COURTS Open Knock Out and the Fast 5 Knock Out tournament.
• The Fast 5 Knock Out tournament would be played over one weekend, and all teams in all Divisions would be allowed to register male players.
• Each team in all the Divisions could register a maximum of five (5) male players of which only three (3) may be permitted to play on any game. (The names of three (3) male players only, or less, should appear on the Team Submission form.)
•  The Fast 5 should be played in its original form, according to the INF Rules, as this format is currently being considered for use in the Commonwealth Youth Games, which are scheduled to be held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2021.

 
Registration of the All Sectors Netball League

By Certificate dated January 23rd 2020, Registration No. NPO 0196, the All Sectors Netball League was registered as a Non-Profit Organization under Section 6 of the Non-Profit Organizations Act, No. 7 of 2019.
In this regard advice was sought from the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, following a Newspaper advertisement, and consultation with our Sponsors.

Sponsorship from COURTS

Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited, (COURTS) considered the League favorably again this year.   The League remains extremely grateful and will continue to do its best to ensure that it gets value for money while giving the company the mileage that it so richly deserves. 

The League thanks the Management of Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited particularly, Mrs. Nicole Loney Mills and Mr. Fazad Mohammed for participating in our events and for their encouragement.

Fund Raiser

Teams continue to contribute in advance in the amounts requested. The AGM also noted that the decision taken by the Council to have an additional fund raiser to assist with doing a tour has not yet been implemented. Current difficult economic times are not helping, but the effort will continue.

MEDIA COVERAGE

The media coverage this year was excellent, especially the Print Media. We thank the Express, especially Mr. Garth Wattley and Mr. Ashford Jackman; the Trinidad Guardian, especially Ms. Rachel King and Mr. Nigel Simon; and the several journalists at Newsday for the keen interest shown. We thank too the Radio Stations and Television Stations, especially Mr. Ruskin Mark and Mr. Ian Wason of TTT, and look forward to their continuing support of the League.

CONCLUSION

The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League offer their sincerest appreciation to Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), and other stakeholders for the League’s success. Special thanks to the Fire Service Band and Ms. Paula Darceuil for their services on the Opening Day. The League also wishes to thank Ms Elsa Clouden for her continued support. Thanks too, to all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who have contributed so far, to making the Season a success.

We look forward to ending the Season, sometime in the near future when the disease of the Corona virus has subsided and the playing facility is reopened for use.

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2020

The following is a supplementary report of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2020. These events occurred after the Government of Trinidad and Tobago relaxed some of the cautionary measures that were implemented throughout the country due to the outbreak the Corona virus, commonly known as COVID-19.

Following the Prime Minister’s disclosure on June 20 that Team Sports may resume with effect from June 22, the management of the League agreed that the League should attempt to complete its 2020 Fixtures.

PHYSICAL ARRANGEMENTS

Regarding the use of our usual venue, it was evident, and the Facilities Manager of the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena subsequently confirmed, that the venue would not be available for continuing the games. This was because the adjacent National Racquet Centre was being used as a quarantine facility for some persons affected with the corona virus. Consequently, another venue had to be sought.

During our search, it was revealed that the managers of other government owned indoor facilities could not determine when they would open as they were awaiting official communication, staff was not yet available and their regular clients would be given priority for the use of the facilities. As the League had used the Center of Excellence on a previous occasion, an attempt was made to acquire the facility. This was successful and the dates were agreed, from August 03 – 15.

This facility however does not have netball posts nor is their Hibiscus Hall, where the games were to be played, marked with a netball court. In the circumstances, we acquired the posts from our former venue and secured known persons to mark the Court.

PROTOCOLS

When communication was sent to the teams regarding the new arrangements for completing the Fixtures, the following protocols, in accordance with government’s guidelines and those of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association, were issued:

• The Centre will be sanitized.
• All participants are required to wear masks except when they are playing or officiating on Court.
• A sink for washing of hands and sanitizers will be provided.
• Social/Physical distancing is expected in the Stands.
• No Spectators will be allowed, so there will be no collection of gate fees.
• Players are asked to arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before the start of their games and leave immediately after their games.
• Late fees that facilitate the late start of games have been suspended for this period.

FIXTURES

At the stoppage of the League on March 14, there were only about two weeks of games remaining on the schedule. The Alternative Division had already completed its Season except for the FAST 5. The FAST 5 for all Divisions and the Retro Knock Out were eventually cancelled because the number of players and officials expected at these events would have contravened the guidelines regarding the allotted numbers for congregating.

The Fixtures were reworked accordingly, noting that Monday August 10 was proclaimed as Election Day. Games originally scheduled for that day had to be rescheduled.

TEAMS

Of the nineteen (19) teams expected to participate in the remaining games, two (2) teams indicated upfront that they may not be able to participate for various reasons but mainly because of the COVID-19 fear among the players. These were Bermudez United and UTC Sparks. During the course of the games there were other defaults, but these did not mar the eventual successful outcome of the Season, nor did it spoil the fun and camaraderie that prevailed among those teams that showed up, notwithstanding the ‘social distancing handicap’.

OBITUARIES

Unfortunately, during the period of the ‘lock down’, Sophia Harper, a player from the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) Netball team succumbed to cancer, and one of our netball icons, member of the Sports Hall of Fame, Barbara Chandleur also passed. Barbara was a regular attendee at all of our netball events.  May they Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory.

Before the start of the first game, on the resumption of the League, a period of silence was kept for them, as a mark of respect.

DISTRIBUTION OF AWARDS

In view of the several government restrictions in place at the time, a decision was taken to distribute the awards in phases. An Awards Ceremony was not held.

The awards for the Alternative Division were given out on the evening of Thursday August 6 and those for the Retro Division on Thursday August 13.
The other awards were distributed on Saturday August 15, after all the competitions were completed.

The list of awardees is appended.

MEDIA

It was intended, and arrangements were made for the finals of certain competitions to be streamed on Face book and or You Tube, but this did not materialize as envisaged, mainly because the internet service at the venue could not properly support the project. Only one game was recorded and edited and could now be seen on the League’s Face Book page.

The Media continues to give us good coverage and we remain grateful.

TRAINING

Due to the limited time and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Under 16 Youth Development Programme was not scheduled.

UMPIRING

During this short period, three (3) umpires’ practical tests were conducted. Kanika Paul Payne passed at the Advanced Level, Chinel Balcon Dennie passed at the Intermediate Level, and Adana Jobe passed at the Preliminary Level.  We congratulate them and wish them God’s speed as they continue to work diligently to be the best they can be on this journey. We thank the trainer/testers for their availability and hard work.

Sponsorship from COURTS

Again, the League remains extremely grateful to COURTS for its generous sponsorship.
The League thanks the Management of Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited particularly, Mrs. Nicole Loney Mills and now Mr. Shahad Ali for their particular interest and encouragement. We especially welcome Mr. Ali to his new portfolio.

CONCLUSION

The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League was indeed grateful for the opportunity to complete the League’s Fixtures in the timeframe it was afforded. It is noted that a further lock down of Team Sports came into effect on Monday August 17, just two days after the League’s completion. Thanks again to all officials, protocols marshals, well-wishers and others who have contributed to making the Season a success. We remain hopeful to continue this work in 2021.

This Report is an account of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2017.

The COURTS All Sectors Netball League completed its twenty-seventh season this year, and is pleased to report that the season was very successful. Toward the end of the Season, proposals for enhancing the League’s operations were brought to the attention of Management, and indeed a few of these would be implemented over the coming months.

The structure of the League has not changed. The Divisions are the Premiership, the Championship, the Alternative and the Retro.  The Retro Division continues as a separate Unit.  Cash prizes were once again awarded in the Premiership Division.

There was no change to the Management Committee when the Election was held at the Annual General Meeting in November of 2016.  Neither was there any change to the Council. The meeting was very satisfied with the performance of the League’s leadership teams. The President of the Council is Ms Sharon Wilson of the Bermudez team and the Secretary is Ms Lilia Mathurin Cameron of the Jabloteh team. The Management Committee comprises Ms Carol Demming Gittens; Ms Rosemary Mathurin; Ms Josette Lord; Ms Giselle Darlington; Ms Patricia Butcher; Mr. Kenneth Butcher and Ms Brenda Prince.

The League is extremely grateful for the continued support of our main sponsor Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the support of the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and of our many stakeholders. The membership maintains its commitment to the sustained development of the sport and more specifically of the League.

The Alternative Division comprised of Defence Force, Fire, Police, University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), and the University of the West Indies (UWI). Prisons did not field a team this year, but promised to be back next Season.  

In the Championship Division were Bermudez, Defence Force, Jabloteh, new comers Las Lomas Academy and the Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), Police, newly promoted Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).

The Premiership Division comprised Fire, Police, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and the University of the West Indies (UWI). The competition in this was even more intense than last Season as evidenced by a couple of drawn games in the Round Robin Competition.

The Retro Division consisted of Bermudez, Les Enfants, Harlem, TSTT and new comers Carib Senators who were duly welcomed.

Notwithstanding the challenges, mentioned later in this Report, we especially thank the Management of ERISA for the use of the Arena, the use of the Official Changing Room for the storage of our equipment, and for preparing for our Opening Ceremony; and for the offer of alternative accommodation for the Closing Ceremony. The Closing Ceremony was held at the Maloney Indoor Sports Arena. We thank the Manager and staff at this facility for their efforts to make us extremely comfortable.

We note again that the office, maintenance, security, and cafeteria staff at ERISA were all helpful and courteous, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

OPENING CEREMONY
The Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday 07 January 2017 at 3.00pm at ERISA. The Fire Service band once again provided the musical accompaniment for the March Past.  On the saluting base for the March Past were the Honorable Esmond Forde, Member of Parliament for Tunapuna, Ms. Nicole Loney Mills, Corporate Communications Manager of COURTS; Dr. Patricia Butcher, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association, Member of the Executive of the International Netball Federation and of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League,  Mr. Brian Lewis, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and Ms. Brenda Prince, Chief Executive Officer of the League, who assisted the dignitaries with the inspection of the parade. The dignitaries brought greetings and offered best wishes to the League. The Honorable Member of Parliament for Tunapuna declared the 2017 Season open. 

The judges of the parade were Mr. Garth Stewart, Ms. Kathy Smith and Dr. Oba Gulston. The League expresses its appreciation to them and to all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Day Ceremony a success.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago won this year’s parade. Second was Police and third Defence Force.

In the Opening Day Knock Out competition, UWI won from UTT in the Premiership Division; Police won from UTT in the Championship Division; while in the Alternative Division, Fire won from Defence Force. 

League games, with the exception of those in the Retro, were of one hour’s duration. Teams in Premiership and Alternative Divisions played each other twice in order to determine the overall placing for the League trophies. The Championship Division played one round.  The other competitions were the Knock-Outs for the Steve Sarjeant and Jean Pierre Challenge trophies, in the Premiership and Championship Divisions respectively. There were also the Divisional Knock-Outs, which were played in two halves of twenty minutes in the two (2) top Divisions, and fifteen minutes each in the Alternative Division and the COURTS Open Knock-Out. Also featured were the Opening Day Knock-Outs at the beginning of the Season and the Mixed Team Knock-Out at Closing Ceremony. The FAST 5 competitions for the Justin Bowen trophies were played in all the Divisions.

The Retro Division also had two (2) rounds of competition, two (2) Knock Outs, one of which was a double elimination, and the FAST 5 competition. 

As usual, the competitions were extremely keen in all the Divisions. All the games were hard fought and it appeared that the standard of the games improved. The innovation introduced in the Fast 5 Competitions where the one goal-point was eliminated and the two goal-point line was placed mid-way in the goal circle, proved to be exciting and it is expected that this will continue. The games in the Championship Division were particularly interesting this year as many of them ended with close score lines.

The results of all of the competitions are in the Appendix.

CHALLENGES
There were a few challenges this Season particularly with the venue, but there was some good news in that the gym equipment that threatened the safety of the players last Season was removed.   The main challenge was as follows.   In late February, the manager of the facility called to report that the Arena would not have been available to us during the period 23 March to March 30 because the venue was needed for an International Hockey event that would end on April 04. March 30 is the date of our Closing Ceremony. The Maloney facility was offered as an alternative both for concluding the games and the Closing Ceremony. After fair consideration, management agreed that the Maloney facility may not have been an ideal location for the continuation of the games, and agreed to reschedule games to include Wednesdays and Sundays at ERISA, so that games could be completed before March 23. This re-organization was indeed a challenge for all concerned as the Ministry’s directive was unexpected. However, with the cooperation of everyone, the Fixtures were completed as rescheduled. We thank all participants for the tolerance and discipline showed in the trying circumstances.   There were problems too with the surface of the playing area, and the inoperable electronic scoreboard. Regarding the surface, players and umpires complained that very often, it seemed exceedingly slippery. It could not be determined what the cause was, and mopping the floor did not appear to improve the situation. Fortunately, there were no injuries. Reports were duly made.

The problem of the digital scoring was resolved as the League decided to purchase a portable electronic scoreboard.

TRAINING
No formal training took place this year, but the League did facilitate some participants who used the opportunity of the League’s games, to train Bench Officials for the Jean Pierre Under 16 Tournament which was scheduled to take place in Trinidad and Tobago but had to be postponed.

In addition, at the request of one of its participants who was doing a Sports Management Project in order to complete a UWI Diploma program, the League was able to accommodate her for activity training.

Some informal training also took place in respect of the use of the new Score Board that was purchased by the League given that the one at the venue was not working. Tremendous interest was shown.

• The naming of a Junior All Star team should continue along with Senior All Star team now named the Senior All Star team. 
• There should be some technical changes to the Fast 5 format of the game viz. that there should be no one goal-point and that the two goal-point line should be widened.

The changes to the Fast 5 game proved to be very exciting so that it is now proposed that the League should host a Fast 5 Festival weekend as part of its program.

In August 2016, the Team Burke Browne Foundation invited the Senior All Stars team to Grenada, to participate in an Exhibition game against the Grenada Inter Sector team as part of the Foundation project to raise awareness of Cancer publicly, through netballing communities. The League accepted the invitation, and a Report on the event is appended.

Management also considered and agreed among other things, a proposal for the upgrading of the League’s Logo, at a Breakfast meeting held on March 25th at the Kapok Restaurant and is pleased to append a brief Report on the outcome of this meeting.  See the attached Report.

Donations from the Herbarium (Cher Mere)
Cher Mere continued its support for the League this Season with the donation of Vouchers at the Awards Ceremony.  Both All Star Teams, senior and junior were given individual gift vouchers. The League is very appreciative of these contributions as it seeks to promote healthy and hygienic lifestyles for its participants while promoting Cher Mere’s cutting-edge products.

The League looks forward to a continued successful association with Cher Mere.

Sponsorship from COURTS
Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited, (COURTS) considered the League favourably again with the signing of a contract with us for yet another year.   The League remains extremely grateful and will continue to do its best to ensure that it gets value for money while giving the company the mileage that it so richly deserves. 

The League thanks the Management of Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited particularly, Ms. Nicole Loney Mills and the staff in Communications for participating in our events and for their encouragement.

Fund Raiser
Teams continue to contribute in advance in the amounts requested. The AGM also noted that the decision taken by the Council to have an additional fund raiser to assist with doing a tour has not yet been implemented. Current difficult economic times are not helping, but the effort will continue.

CONCLUSION
The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League offer their sincerest appreciation to Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and other stakeholders for the League’s success. Special thanks to the Fire Service Band and Ms. Paula Darceuil for their services on the Opening Day. The League also wishes to thank Ms Elsa Clouden for her continued support, and “Twinkle” and her crew, who manage the cafeteria. Thanks too, to all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who contributed to making the Season the success that it was in 2017.

Earlier, the COURTS All Sectors Netball League had accepted an invitation from the Team Burke Browne Foundation to play an Exhibition game at the Opening Ceremony of the Inter Sector Netball competitions in Grenada.

The Team Burke Browne Foundation teamed up with the Grenada Netball Association to stage another event of the philanthropic project entitled 'Netball vs. Cancer' (NvC). This was another tremendous effort by Jaime Brown, Event Coordinator of the Team Burke Browne Foundation to raise awareness of Cancer publicly, through netballing communities.

The project is committed to Teaming up Against Cancer by bringing communities together through events and activities to join the fight for a cure.

The COURTS All Sectors Netball All Star team 2016 left Trinidad last Friday night with the intention of participating in the Exhibition game only, but as it turned out, on the day of the Opening, the team was further invited by the President of the Grenada Netball Association, Ms. Glynis Roberts, to participate in the March Past and the Rally. The Rally was played among registered teams in the Inter Sector Competitions, and preceded the Exhibition Match.

Popular Soca music was provided for the March Past and the TT team choreographed well, to loud applause of the spectators. Later, they won the prize of a Hamper donated by the HUBBARDS Organization of Grenada, for winning the Rally. The T&T All Star team knocked out the Hubbards team to reach the final, and then knocked out the Ministry of Education team in the final game.
As indicated earlier the TT team outplayed their counterparts in the Exhibition game.

The COURTS All Sectors Netball All Star team included: Rhonda John Davis Coach/Captain, Joelisa Cooper, Patrice Goring and Kalifa McCollin (Goal Shooter/Goal Attack), Onella Jack, Daystar Swift, Kielle Connelly and Leslie Ann Bacquain (Goal Keeper/Goal Defence) and Candice Guerero, Amanda Cameron and Nichelle Hinds (Centre Court). Jellene Richardson and Afeisha Noel, original members of the team were not able to make the tour.

REVIEW OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2016

This Report is an account of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2016.

The COURTS All Sectors Netball League completed its twenty-sixth season this year, and is reporting again that the season was very successful. The structure of the League remained the same. The Divisions are the Premiership, the Championship and the Alternative. Cash prizes were once again awarded in the Premiership Division. The Retro Division continued as a separate Unit.

There was no change to the Management Committee when the Election was held at the Annual General Meeting in November of 2015. Neither was there any change to the Council. The President of the Council is Ms Sharon Wilson of the Bermudez team and the Secretary is Ms Lilia Mathurin Cameron of the Jabloteh team. The Management Committee comprises Ms Carol Demming Gittens; Ms Rosemary Mathurin; Ms Josette Lord; Ms Giselle Darlington; Ms Patricia Butcher; Mr. Kenneth Butcher and Ms Brenda Prince.

The League is extremely grateful for the continued support of our main sponsor Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the support of the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and of our many stakeholders. The membership maintains its commitment to the sustained development of the sport and more specifically of the League.

TEAMS

Four (4) teams played in the Premiership, seven (7) in the Championship Division, six (6) in the Alternative, and four (4) in the Retro. Altogether twenty-one teams participated.

The Alternative Division comprised of Police, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), the University of the West Indies (UWI), Prisons and Fire who re-entered the Division this year.

In the Championship Division were Bermudez, Jabloteh, Police, Fire, UWI, newly promoted from the Alternative Division UTT, and Defence Force who returned after a short hiatus.

The Premiership Division comprised Fire, Police X, newly promoted Police Y and UTT

The competition in the Premiership Division was intense, particularly among the top three teams. One member of the Police Y team reported that the competition was too extreme. She hinted that the team would have preferred to remain in the Championship Division where they had fun. However, although the gaps in the score lines appeared huge, these did not truly reflect the standard/level of play as the games were exciting to watch.

The Retro Division consisted of Bermudez, Les Enfants, Harlem and TSTT

VENUE

The League commenced at The Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA) and as usual, all of the games were played at this venue.

Notwithstanding the challenges, mentioned later in this Report, we especially thank the Management of ERISA for the cooperation in the circumstances, and for the use of the Official Changing Room for the storage of our equipment, and for preparing for our Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

We note again that the office, maintenance, security, and cafeteria staff were all helpful and courteous, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

OPENING CEREMONY

The Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday 09 January 2016 at 3.00pm at ERISA. The Fire Service band kindly provided the musical accompaniment for the March Past. On the saluting base for the March Past were the Honorable Darryl Smith, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Ms. Joan Mendez, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Ms. Nicole Loney Mills, Corporate Communications Manager of COURTS; Dr. Patricia Butcher President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association, Member of the Executive of the International Netball Federation and of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League, Mr. Brian Lewis, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and Ms. Brenda Prince, Chief Executive Officer of the League, who assisted the dignitaries with the inspection of the parade. The Member of Parliament for Tunapuna, Mr. Esmond Forde was also in attendance. The dignitaries brought greetings and offered best wishes to the League. The Honorable Minister declared the 2016 Season open.

The judges of the parade were Mr. Barry Stewart, Ms. Susan Gomes and Ms. Vilma Holder who kindly substituted for Ms. Rheeza Grant. The League expresses its appreciation to them and to all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Day Ceremony a success.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago won this year's parade. Second was Fire and third Defence Force.

In the Opening Day Knock Out competition, UTT won from Police X in the Premiership Division; Fire won from Defence Force in the Championship Division; while in the Alternative Division, TSTT won from Fire.

COMPETITIONS

The formation of the competitions was the same as last Season except that in the Championship Division, given the inordinate time constraint this year, only one round of the Round Robin was played. However, this Division played a double elimination Knock Out instead of a straight Knock Out in the Divisional KO competition. The Fast 5 and the competitions for the Jean Pierre and Steve Sarjeant Challenge trophies were also played as a straight Knock Outs, in the interest of time.

League games, with the exception of those in the Retro, were of one hour's duration. Teams in Premiership and Alternative Divisions played each other twice in order to determine the overall placing for the League trophies. The Championship Division played one round. The other competitions were the Knock-Outs for Steve Sarjeant and Jean Pierre Challenge trophies, in the Premiership and Championship Divisions respectively. There were also the Divisional Knock-Outs, which were played in two halves of twenty minutes in the two (2) top Divisions, and fifteen minutes each in the Alternative Division and the COURTS Open Knock-Out. Also featured were the Opening Day Knock-Outs at the beginning of the Season and the Mixed Team Knock-Out at Closing Ceremony. The FAST 5 competitions for the Justin Bowen trophies were played in all the Divisions.

The Retro Division also had two (2) rounds of competition, two (2) Knock Outs, one of which was a double elimination, and the FAST 5 competition.

As usual, the competitions were extremely keen in all the Divisions. All the games were hard fought. The games in the Alternative Division were particularly interesting this year as many of them ended with close score lines.

The results of all of the competitions are in the Appendix.

CHALLENGES

There were a few challenges this Season particularly with the venue.

From as early as September 2015 it was noted that the Gymnastics team had installed some heavy equipment on the grey area of the Court, usually a run off area for players and an administrative and social area for the Opening and Closing ceremonies. The manager of the facility explained that the matter of removal of the equipment was being dealt with by the Ministry but we were invited to voice our concerns regarding safety of the players and the use of the space. Subsequently, a letter was written and sent to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. To date the matter of removing the equipment has not been resolved as it is now a legal matter. However, the League managed to ensure that some of the space was cleared for its ceremonies and that the equipment was partially covered to minimize injury.

Again there were a couple electrical shortages which were due to breakers tripping and these caused delays in proceedings as the lights take at least twenty minutes to restore to its normal state.

The shortage of officials including umpires was another concern, but not major because a few of them truly committed to being present to pick up the slack. The League sincerely appreciates the efforts of all concerned.

TRAINING

The League scheduled a training session on Saturday in November 10 2015 to deal with the changes to the Netball Rules that countries were to implement with effect from January 01 2016. This training was held in the Conference Room at ERISA.

The training focused on the new Rules and Protocols and was facilitated by Joel Young Strong, International Umpire Award holder; Lilia Mathurin Cameron, Advanced Umpire identified for training for International Umpires Award and Brenda Prince, International Trainer and Tester. All umpires were invited to the session and all teams were required to send at least two (2) participants. See the brief Training Report attached.

ACHIEVEMENTS/INNOVATIONS

At the League's AGM 2015, a decision was taken to have a Junior All Star team named at the end of the Season together with the usual All Star team, now named the Senior All Star team. This exercise was difficult as there were so many from which to choose. Nevertheless it was rewarding and those chosen were very excited and pleased.

The League was invited to provide technical support in respect of Bench Officiating for the game that took place between our national senior squad and the T&T national football team at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port of Spain. This was a fund raiser for the both teams as they prepared for international competition. This was indeed a fun game that both participants and spectators enjoyed.

The League officially congratulates the National Senior Team on its brilliant performance at the World Championships held in Sydney in August last year, the technical officials who accompanied the team and especially Ms Carol Gittens, Manageress, who is also a member of the League's management team.

Donations from the Herbarium (Cher Mere)

Cher Mere continued its support for the League this Season with the donation of Door prizes at the Opening and the Closing ceremonies and on some Saturdays.

At the Awards Ceremony, both All Star Teams, senior and junior were given individual gift vouchers. In addition the Most Valuable Player of each team received a token from the company. These are truly appreciated.

Ms. Forde, Marketing Representative of the Company was present to distribute these awards and used the opportunity to promote some of the products and services that Cher Mere offers.

The League looks forward to a continued successful association with Cher Mere.

Sponsorship from COURTS

Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited, (COURTS) considered the League favourably again with the signing of a contract with us for yet another year. The League remains extremely grateful and will continue to do its best to ensure that it gets value for money while giving the company the mileage that it so deserves.

The League thanks the Management of Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited particularly, Ms. Nicole Loney Mills and the staff in Communications for participating in our events and for their encouragement.

Fund Raiser

Teams continue to contribute in advance in the amounts requested. A decision was also taken at the AGM to have an additional fund raiser to assist with doing a tour. This event is to be managed by the Council and has not yet come to fruition.

MEDIA COVERAGE

The media coverage this year was excellent, especially the Print Media. We thank the Express, the Trinidad Guardian and the Newsday for the keen interest shown. We thank too the Television Stations for their contribution and look forward to their continuing support of the League.

CONCLUSION

The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League offer their sincerest appreciation to Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and other stakeholders for the League's success. Special thanks to the Fire Service Band and Ms. Paula Darceuil for their services on the Opening Day. The League also wishes to thank Ms Elsa Clouden for her continued support, and "Twinkle" and her crew, who manage the cafeteria. Thanks too, to all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who contributed to making the Season the success that it was in 2016.

REVIEW OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2015 (Celebrating 25 years in 2015)

This is a Report of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2015.  This year is special because we celebrated twenty-five (25) years as a successfully functioning Netball League.

The League completed its twenty-fifth season this year, and notwithstanding that some of the proposals envisaged at the Annual General Meeting for the celebration were not realized, the season was very successful. For example, there was hope that a brochure featuring some of the League’s activities over the years would have been produced but this did not materialize. More detail is provided later in the Report.

Regarding the structure of the League, the three distinct Divisions were maintained: the Premiership, the Championship and the Alternative.  Cash prizes were awarded in the Premiership Division, as occurred for the past three years. The Retro Division continued as a separate Unit.

Again, there was no change to the Management Committee when the Election was held at the Annual General Meeting in November of 2014.  Neither was there any change to the Council. The President of the Council is Ms. Sharon Wilson of the Bermudez team and the Secretary is Ms. Lilia Mathurin Cameron of the Jabloteh team. The Management Committee comprises Ms. Carol Demming Gittens; Ms. Rosemary Mathurin, Ms. Josette Lord, Ms. Giselle Darlington, Dr. Patricia Butcher, Mr. Kenneth Butcher, and Ms. Brenda Prince.

The League is extremely grateful for the continued support of our main sponsor Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and our many other stakeholders. The membership maintains its commitment to the sustained development of the sport and more specifically of the League.

The League began the Season with nineteen (19) teams, four (4) in the Premiership, five (5) in the Championship Division, six (6) in the Alternative, and four (4) in the Retro, the same number as last Season.

The Alternative Division comprised of Police, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), Prisons, and Fideas, who returned after a couple of years. We especially welcome back Fideas.

In the Championship Division were Bermudez, Jabloteh, Police X, Police Y and Fire. There was no change from last Season.

The Premiership Division comprised Fire, Police, newcomers Tobago House of Assembly (THA), whom we were very pleased to welcome, and UTT. Game Changers of last season, gave way to UTT, the brand to which we are accustomed. Unfortunately, UWI did not participate, but it was noted that some of this team’s players secured membership in other teams.  The Retro Division consisted of Les Enfants, Harlem, TSTT and Bermudez, a new team to this Division.  

The League commenced at The Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA) and as usual, all of the games were played at this venue.  

Again, we thank the Management of ERISA for the use of the Official Changing Room for the storage of our equipment, and for the preparation for our Opening and Closing Ceremonies. In addition, we were extremely pleased that the floor surface of the gymnasium was upgraded. This offered the players an improved playing surface, which in turn led to enhanced performances. We trust that the furniture also would be upgraded soon, to offer us even better accommodation.

We appreciate that the office staff, especially Ms. Jenny Voisin, maintenance, security, and cafeteria staff were all helpful and courteous, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

The Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday 10 January 2015 at 3.00pm at ERISA. The Fire Service band once again, provided the musical accompaniment for the March Past.  On the saluting base for the March Past were Ms. Laura Pierre, Advisor in the Ministry of Sport; Ms. Paula Daniel Linton, Corporate Communications Manager of COURTS; Dr. Patricia Butcher President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association and Member of the Management Committee of the League and Ms. Martha Archer, Vice President of the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA). Ms Daniel Linton brought greetings from our main Sponsor, COURTS and Ms. Martha Archer brought greetings from AFNA. Dr. Butcher delivered the feature address to the players, while Ms Pierre also gave a brief address and declared the 2015 Season open. 

The judges for the parade were Mr. Anthony Tannis, Ms. Vanessa Forde and Ms. Rhona Mohon. The League thanks them most sincerely and thanks all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Ceremony a huge success.

The University of Trinidad and Tobago won this year’s parade. Second was Fire and third Police.

In the Opening Day Knock Out competition, UTT won from THA in the Premiership Division; Fire won from Jabloteh in the Championship Division; while in the Alternative Division, TSTT won from UTT. 

There was no change to the arrangement of the competitions. The Fast 5 was played as a straight Knock Out and the competitions for the Jean Pierre and Steve Sarjeant Challenge trophies were played as straight Knock Outs, mainly in the interest of time.

As is customary, League games, with the exception of those in the Retro, were of one hour’s duration. Teams in all the Divisions played each other twice in order to determine the overall placing for the League trophies.  The other competitions were the Knock-Outs for Steve Sarjeant and Jean Pierre Challenge trophies, in the Premiership and Championship Divisions respectively. There were also the Divisional Knock-Outs, which were played in two halves of twenty minutes in the two (2) top Divisions, and fifteen minutes each in the Alternative Division and the COURTS Open Knock-Out. Also featured were the Opening Day Knock-Outs at the beginning of the Season and the Mixed Team Knock-Out at Closing Ceremony. The Mixed Team Knock Out was played in the Fast 5 format of the game.  The FAST 5 competitions for the Justin Bowen trophies were played in all the Divisions.

The Retro Division also had two (2) rounds of competition, two (2) Knock Outs, one of which was a double elimination, and the FAST 5 competition. 

As usual, the competitions were extremely keen in all the Divisions. All the games were hard fought especially in the two (2) top Divisions.

The results of all of the competitions are in the Appendix.

CHALLENGES
Fortunately, there were no major challenges this year. There were no withdrawals and there was no need to reschedule games. There were just two defaults, one in the Alternative Division and one in the Retro.  Both were in respect of Knock Out competitions. The shortage of umpires continues to plague us, but we managed by having umpires double up on many occasions. Indeed, there was no major disruption to the games or to the scheduling.

TRAINING
The League did not schedule any formal training sessions this year. Its priority was for celebrating 25 years in 2015 and seeking ways to involve all its stakeholders.

THE CELEBRATIONS
The main suggestions for celebrating 25 years in 2015 included a thanksgiving service, the provision of new shirts, a brochure, a new banner at the venue, official and team flags, mementos for distribution, team-building exercises among participants, a colors tournament, and special awards for long service. The League was hopeful that additional funding would be acquired.  However, at the AGM held in November 2014, the meeting agreed that these proposals should be scaled down in the absence of any additional funding. Notwithstanding, the League is pleased to report that a number of these proposals, among others, came to fruition viz. the special awards, the mementos for distribution, two hanging banners at the venue, the colors tournament.

In lieu of the other suggestions, the League designated the Saturday after Carnival, February 21, Celebration Saturday, and combined the thanksgiving, the colors tournament and the memento distribution of Bistro Mugs.  The League also distributed mementos of mini can-openers to all spectators who attended the Opening Ceremony. 

Regarding Celebration Saturday, players, team and match officials were individually invited to lunch that was economically catered. This was held at our games venue. Sister Debbie de Rosia of the Eternal Light Community was also invited to deliver an inspiring message to the players, offer thanks and bless the meal. Many agreed that she was excellent in her delivery. Later in the afternoon the mixed team colors tournament was played. Those in attendance also received Bistro Mugs embossed with the League’s logo, as a memento of the occasion. There was about 60% attendance of the players.  Those who attended expressed their appreciation.

The Special awards were presented at the Closing ceremony of the League.
The list of those who received special awards is attached at the end of this report.

DONATIONS from the Herbarium (Cher Mere)
Cher Mere continued its support for the League this Season with the donation of Door prizes at the Opening and the Closing ceremonies and on some Saturdays.  

At the Awards Ceremony, both the All Star Team and the Most Valuable Players of each team were given individual gift vouchers. The Technical Officials received individual tokens from the company.  These are truly appreciated.

The League looks forward to a continued successful association with Cher Mere.

SPONSORSHIP from COURTS
Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited, (COURTS) considered the League favourably again with the signing of a contract with us for yet another year.   The League remains extremely grateful and will continue to do its best to ensure that it gets value for money while giving the company the mileage that it so deserves. 

The League thanks, particularly, Mrs. Paula Daniel Linton, Ms Shivan Ojah- Maharaj, Ms Trudy Blackman Moore and the other staff in Communications for active participation in our events and for their encouragement.

MEDIA COVERAGE
The media coverage this year was excellent, especially the Print Media. We thank the Express, the Trinidad Guardian, the Newsday, Web providers and radio hosts for the keen interest shown. We thank too the Television Stations for their contribution and look forward to their continuing support of the League.

CONCLUSION
The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League offer their sincerest appreciation to Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), and the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), for the League’s success. Special thanks to the Fire Service Band and to Ms. Paula Darceuil for their services on the Opening Day. The League also wishes to thank “Twinkle” and her crew, who manage the cafeteria. Thanks too, to all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who contributed to making the Season the success that it was in 2015.

REVIEW OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2012

The following Report is an account of the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2012.

The COURTS All Sectors Netball League celebrated its twenty-second (22nd) anniversary this year. To mark this celebration, the membership at Annual General Meeting, on the recommendation of the Management Committee, agreed that the League could experiment with restructuring the Divisions into three distinct categories – the Premiership, the Championship and the Alternative.  The meeting also agreed that we should, if possible, award Cash prizes in the Premiership Division, an idea that Management Committee had been considering for some time.

The Committee is pleased to report that these two (2) features were introduced, and based on the feedback from our many stakeholders, the changes were indeed successful.

This notwithstanding, our environment continues to be restive especially when one considers that for the three months preceding the commencement of Season 2012, the country was in a ‘State of Emergency’.  It is probable that this may be one of the reasons that the Defence Force team did not participate this year.  Nevertheless there is much for which the League is grateful.  The League is extremely grateful for the continued support of our main sponsor Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), and our more recent partner, the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere). The membership remains committed to the sustained development of the sport and more specifically of the League. This year problems were almost non existent and none presented any real challenge.  This may be attributed in part, to the growing competencies of the newer members of the Management Committee and their levels of commitment.

TEAMS

The League started the Season with eighteen (18) teams competing, four (4) in the Premiership, four (4) in the Championship Division, seven (7) in the Alternative, and three (3) in the Retro.

The Alternative Division comprised the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT), Police, Prisons, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Training Institute (TTHTI), University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). COSTAATT returned to the League after a few years’ absences; TTHTI newly joined, and UTT was playing for the first time in this Division.

The teams that did not participate were Fideas and Holiday Snacks. The teams promoted from this Division were Bermudez, to the Premiership, and Jabloteh and the University of the West Indies (UWI) to the Championship.  Best wishes to those teams that have taken a temporary exit.  Hopefully, they will be able to rejoin the League soon.  A hearty welcome is extended to the new teams in this Division

In the Championship Division were Jabloteh, Police, Fire, and the University of the West Indies (UWI). The Division comprised four (4) teams. The competition among these teams was extremely keen.  There was a sense that they did not know what to expect of each other and this made the competition interesting. Police played a ‘veteran’ team and this seemed to enhance spectators’ interest.

The inaugural Premiership Division did not disappoint either, except for perhaps Bermudez who was newly promoted and who struggled with the level of competition. This did not deter them; they maintained punctuality, regularity and good sportsmanship.  They managed to maintain their lien on the trophy for the ‘Most Disciplined Team’.  Management has agreed that it may have been premature to promote them to that Division. UTT won the Division and became the first cash prize winner of five thousand dollars ($5,000); Police won the second prize of three thousand dollars ($3,000); and Fire won the third of two thousand dollars ($2,000).

The Retro Division consisted of the same three (3) teams from last Season, Les Enfants, Harlem, and TSTT. The membership did consider at the last Annual General Meeting whether this Division should continue. It was agreed that the players should not be denied. They again promised to try to find new teams which would make the Division more viable.

VENUE

The League commenced at The Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA) and all of the games were played at this venue.  Games that were scheduled for Saturday 17 March were postponed to Sunday 18 March in order to make the venue available to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

The Ministry celebrated Women and Girls in Sport with a variety of sporting events including netball, held both inside and outside of the arena. Our Management Committee reminded the Management of ERISA once again, of the importance of the early scheduling of this event in order to prevent the postponement of games. The League thanks the management of ERISA for the accommodation in their usual hospitable fashion, and looks forward to continued cooperation.

OPENING CEREMONY

The Opening Ceremony took place on Saturday 07 January 2012 at 3.00pm at ERISA. The Fire Service band provided the musical accompaniment for the March Past. Welcome back to the band.  For the past two (2) years, the Prisons Band provided the music for which the membership remains grateful. The Prisons Service continues to serve faithfully. It provided transport for the Fire Band as the Fire Service transport was unavailable that afternoon. The League applauds this cooperation. These efforts are truly appreciated.

On the saluting base for the March Past were Ms. Paula Linton Daniel, Corporate Communications Manager of COURTS, and Ms. Francisca Rousseau, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association, Ms Patricia Butcher, Immediate Past President of the TTNA and Management Committee member of the League, and Ms. Brenda Prince, Chief Executive Officer of the League. Ms Rousseau addressed the players before declaring the 2012 Season open. 

The judges of the parade were Ms Vanessa Forde, Ms Greta Stephen, and Mr. Mario Davis.  Thank you most sincerely. Thanks too, to all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Day Ceremony the success that it was.

Prisons won this year’s parade. Second was TSTT.

In the Opening Day Knock Out competition, UTT won from Fire in the Premiership; Fire won from Jabloteh in the Championship Division; while in the Alternative Division, TSTT won from Prisons. 

COMPETITIONS

As mentioned earlier, the structure of the League changed with the introduction of the Premiership Division. Consequently, there was no need to split the Alternative Division into X and Y. The League now comprised the Premiership Division, the Championship Division and the Alternative Division.  The challenge that emerged related to the allocation of teams to the Divisions. The membership threw up many ideas in this regard, but Management ultimately did the allocations. 

As usual, League games were of one hour’s duration and teams in the Premiership and Championship Divisions played each other twice in order to determine the overall placing.  The other competitions were the Round Robin for the Steve Sarjeant, and Jean Pierre Challenge trophies in the Premiership and Championship Divisions respectively, the Divisional Knock-Outs, which were played in two halves of twenty minutes in the two top Divisions and fifteen minutes each in the Alternative Division and the COURTS Open Knock-Out. Also featured as usual, were the Opening Day Knock-Outs at the beginning of the Season and the Mixed Team Knock-Out at the end of the Season. The FAST NET competition that was introduced two (2) years ago, was continued, and played in all the Divisions. The Retro Division had two (2) rounds of competition and a Knock Out.  They also played a double elimination Knock Out on their final day.  The Closing Ceremony also featured an Exhibition Game by two (2) teams from the Men’s Federation of Netball Associations (MEFNA).  This event added to the excitement of the evening’s entertainment.

The Steve Sarjeant Challenge trophy, like the Jean Pierre trophy, was introduced in memory of Stevenson Sarjeant who was a founding member of the League in 1990 and who passed in August 2011.

Again, the competitions were extremely keen in all the Divisions, even though one or two teams struggled to keep pace.

The results of all of the competitions are in the Appendix

CHALLENGES

Shortage of Umpires

Training
As promised in last year’s Report, the League scheduled two (2) formal training sessions during 2011. Both were held at the Conference Center at ERISA.  All teams were required to send at least two (2) participants to each workshop.  Management Committee member Ms Carol Gittens coordinated this effort.

The first workshop was in respect of Bench/Table Officiating and was held on October 7. Twenty five (25) persons attended.  At this Workshop, the new Bench Officials Manual of the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) was introduced in preparation for Season 2012, in view of the fact that implementation of the processes in this Manual would take effect from January 01, 2012. Management Committee members Ms Josette Lord and Ms Giselle Darlington, and co-opted Committee member Ms Pamela Cumberbatch facilitated this workshop. 

The second workshop featured Umpiring and was held on October 15. Twenty eight (28) persons attended.  This workshop considered among other things, Rules changes, Protocols, Umpiring Techniques, Decision making, and Discipline.  Facilitators were Ms Joel Young Strong, International Umpires Award holder and Ms Brenda Prince, Member of the Match Advisory Panel of IFNA.

The results of the Evaluation Exercise conducted at the end of these workshops were encouraging.  Clearly there is a need to continue this effort as every participant seemed keen and committed.  

ACHIEVEMENTS/INNOVATIONS

Bouncy Castle Visits and Promotion by Holiday Snacks
On the Opening Day, despite the slightly inclement weather, the children enjoyed the Bouncy Castle. The company used the opportunity as usual, to promote some of their products.  However, in subsequent discussions with our liaison from the company, it was disclosed that the number of children in attendance was below the average number that would normally attend the promotion, so that the situation may be somewhat untenable in the future.

Nevertheless, the Management of the League regarded this contribution by Holiday Snacks as extremely generous; and sincerely thanks Ms Laurel Williams and all those who were responsible for making the events possible and the success that they were.

Appreciation

• In an effort of encouragement and celebration for the Senior National team, the League hosted on 22 October 2011, an Appreciation ceremony, presentations and lunch, for team members at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute. The team improved its overall performance at the World Netball Championships, the most prestigious IFNA event.  In 2007, the team placed 11th and in 2011, 7th.  All invitees expressed heartiest congratulations. Thanks to all those who made this event a success and especially Mrs. Pat Butcher and the TTHTI. The Minister of Gender Youth and Child Development delivered an inspiring address to the players.  The event was subsequently broadcasted in the Media.  All the members on the Senior National team are participants of the League.

• Congratulations too, to Management Committee member Ms. Carol Gittens on her selection as Manager of the Senior National Team. Carol accompanied the team as Manager to the WNC 2011 in Singapore.  The League membership is truly appreciative of your dedication and commitment to the sport.

• The League also celebrated its Chief Executive Officer, Ms Brenda Prince on the achievement of the only International Service Award from IFNA in 2011.  Brenda received this award in the presence of the members of Congress at its meeting in Singapore during the World Netball Championships.  The League showed its appreciation for Brenda’s achievement at the Appreciation Ceremony for the players, and presented her with a memento..

Partnership with the Herbarium (Cher Mere)
The company continued its support for the League this Season. The Company donated Door prizes at the Opening and the Closing ceremonies and on Saturdays. There were no product promotions at the entrance to the venue this Season mainly because of the unavailability of staff.  However the League was pleased to have the Cher Mere banner displayed in the Arena during the course of the Season

At the Awards Ceremony the All Star Team was given special product packages and the Technical Officials received individual gift vouchers from the company.  These are truly appreciated.

The League looks forward to a continued successful partnership with Cher Mere.

Contribution from COURTS
Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited, (COURTS) has considered the League favourably again with the signing of a contract with us for yet another year.   The League remains extremely grateful and will continue to do its best to ensure that it gets value for money while giving the company the mileage that it so deserves. 
The League thanks, particularly, Mrs. Paula Linton Daniel and her able assistant Ms Karen Theophilus for their active engagement in our events and for their encouragement
.

Fund Raiser
As agreed a few years ago, teams continue to contribute in advance in the amounts requested. Again, it was observed that some teams did not utilize the time allocated to them to raise funds at games, for their reimbursement. Nothing has changed in this regard. Only one or two teams showed up with items for sale at the games. This subject will be discussed again at the Annual General Meeting.

OBITUARY

The League mourns the passing of Mr. Stevenson Sarjeant in August 2011. Steve was one of its founding members, and he is remembered very fondly for his attention to detail and good human resource practice. He had been ailing for some time. May he rest in peace.
In honour of his memory, a Challenge trophy was acquired and named, and was awarded in the Premiership Division this year.  It was noted that the Fire Service team which won the inaugural Jean Pierre trophy, also won the inaugural Steve Sarjeant trophy.

MEDIA COVERAGE

The media coverage this year was not as intense as in previous years. It was observed that there were more sporting events than usual competing for coverage. More effort will be made next season, in the struggle for Media coverage. Perhaps there is need for someone to be dedicated solely to this activity. Thanks to all the Media Houses for their continuing support to the League. Special thanks to Mrs. Rachael Thompson King of the Trinidad Guardian and Mr. Ruskin Mark of CNMG.

CONCLUSION

The participants of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League offer their sincerest appreciation to Unicomer (Trinidad) Limited (COURTS), the Herbarium Limited (Cher Mere), and the Holiday Snacks Company for their contribution to the League’s success. Special thanks as usual to Ms. Paula Darceuil for the donation to our refreshments on the Opening Day.  The League also wishes to thank the new staff who managed the cafeteria. Thanks too, to all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who contributed to making the Season the success that it was in 2012.

Report re Barbados Workers Union Netball Teams Tour to Trinidad and Tobago 2012

Arrival and Accommodation
The teams arrived at Piarco International Airport on May 23 and were scheduled to leave on May 28, 2012. The party comprised seventeen (17) players and seven (7) officials altogether.  They traveled to Trinidad by Caribbean Airlines BW 403 and were met on arrival by a member of the Management Committee who distributed Welcome Packs to the contingent.  As previously arranged, two (2) vehicles which were obtained courtesy the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI), were waiting to take them to their destination.

They had made their own arrangements for accommodation.  They had reservations at the Halyconia Inn in Cascade. They reported that the accommodation was comfortable and the cost was reasonable.

The contingent had also made its own arrangements for meals.  The League Management however, in its planning, had proposed that snack boxes would be provided for them after every game.  This proposal was effected and was greatly appreciated by the visitors.

Transportation
It was important that the teams arrive at the venue on time for the games. The games took place at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA).  To facilitate the timely arrival of the teams, the League contracted a 24 Seater Maxi Taxi to transport them to and from the venue.  This worked extremely well.  The Tour Coordinator of the Barbados contingent reported subsequently, that it was the first time since 2000 that such a facility was provided to them by any country; and that they tour every year.

The Fire Service Department provided the transportation from the Halyconia Inn to the Airport on May 28 at the end of the series. The Management of the League is truly grateful for this courtesy that was extended by the Department.

The Games
The Management of the League considered that exposure to the League’s teams and particularly the All Star team should be maximized. Games were scheduled for three (3) evenings.  Two (2) games were played each evening, a junior and a senior. The visitors also requested that they wished to have some of their players play at both the junior and the senior levels.  There was no objection.

The teams that were selected for playing the junior games were those teams that placed in the top three (3) of the League Standings in the Alternative Division, TSTT, UTT and Police.  The senior teams chosen were Fire who played in the Championship Division, and was the most improved team in the League for 2012, UTT who won the Premiership Division, and the All Star team 2012.

All the teams performed creditably. Police and UTT lost, and TSTT drew with the visitors in the Junior Division, while all the All Sectors teams in the Senior Division won their encounters.

Agreement was reached with the visitors in respect of the umpiring.  They brought with them junior umpires. After the first day’s play, further agreement was reached that it was necessary to have senior umpires only, umpire the senior games for the remainder of the series.  This proved to be a great decision as the competition was of an extremely high standard.  The visitors were satisfied with the umpiring throughout.

Closure
After the final game on the evening of the 27 May, there was a short presentation ceremony. The management of COURTS All Sectors League thanked the visitors for their timely visit, and presented the Manager of the Barbados contingent with an Appreciation Plaque as a memento of the event.  The Manager of the Barbados Contingent did virtually the same.  She thanked the League for a most memorable occasion and presented the League with an Appreciation Award for its generous hospitality.

The team departed Trinidad and Tobago on Monday 28 May, 2012 at 7.35pm on a Caribbean Airlines flight BW 446.

REVIEW OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2011

REVIEW OF THE SEASON – YEAR 2010

The following is a Report on the activities of the COURTS All Sectors Netball League for the year 2010.

This is the 20th year of the League’s operations and as agreed at the Annual General Meeting held in November 2009, it is a celebratory year in the life of the League.  This report will focus for the most part on the activities that were scheduled as events to take place in Season 2010. 

These activities included a Church Service, the launch of a Website, a special 20th Anniversary Report, an Evening of Entertainment/ Awards /Recognition, review of the League’s mission, vision, and policies, the naming of an MVP in the Alternative Division and a FAST NET Competition.  (FAST NET is a shorter version of the game that the International Federation of Netball Associations, IFNA, introduced in October 2009).

Again this year, the Management of the League is pleased to report that despite the reported downturn in the economy, COURTS (Trinidad) Limited, the main sponsor of the league remains committed and notwithstanding that the contribution was reduced by twenty five percent,  the players and the officials continue to be extremely appreciative of this sponsorship.  We truly value this commitment by COURTS, and that of all our stakeholders, as collectively, we make every effort to further the objectives of the League.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE & COUNCIL
There was no change to the composition of the Management Committee.  The members re-elected were Kenneth Butcher, Carol Gittens, Rosemary Mathurin, Patricia Butcher, Brenda Prince, and Josette Lord.  The President and the Secretary of the Council elected for 2010 were Grace Parkinson Griffith and Tricia Roberts respectively.

The Alternative Division was again subdivided into X and Y.  Teams in the Alternative Division X were Bermudez, CLICO Jabloteh, F-Ideas, Fire, Police, and WISCIL.  In the Alternative Division Y were Holiday Snacks, formerly Bermudez Y, Cavaliers, Defence Force, Prisons, Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) and the University of Southern Caribbean.  The teams played in a Round Robin Competition in each Sub Division, a Divisional Knock out Competition, an Open Knock Out which was a virtual play off to determine ranking in the entire Division, and a FAST NET Competition.  As usual, the competition between these teams was keen.

In the Championship Division, the teams were Defence Force, Police, Fire, and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).  It was interesting to note the composition of some of the teams as some key players transferred between teams to take advantage of economic or training opportunity.  This made the competition even more interesting and very competitive.

In the Retro Division, five (5) teams competed.  These were Police, Fire, Les Enfants, Harlem, and TSTT.  As usual, this competition provided much entertainment especially during the FASTNET competition.  The teams having had much fun with the scheduled FASTNET competition decided to play the Retro style Knockout in the FASTNET format.

VENUE
As usual, the League conducted all its activities with the exception of the Awards Ceremony, at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena (ERISA).  Saturday March 06 was omitted from the Fixtures in order to facilitate the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs in the staging of its now annual event for girls and women in sport.  However, the event did not take place on this date.  The League understands that it was postponed to a month later.

There were fewer challenges with the venue than in previous years.   It was always available in a timely manner, the lighting was improved and there were no problems with the water supply or the gym class.   Our only concerns surrounded the lack of furniture on a few occasions and the excessive dust that accumulated on the floor which was not always swept.   

On the saluting base, this year, were the Honourable Gary Hunt, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Mrs. Paula Daniel-Linton, Manager Corporate Communications, COURTS, and Mrs. Patricia Butcher, management committee member of the League.  The Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs delivered the feature address to the players, and declared the 2010 Season Open.

The judges of the parade were Mr. Keith McDonald, Mrs. Ingrid Felice, and Mrs. Maria Mason Roberts.  We thank them most sincerely, and thank all those persons who assisted in making the Opening Day Ceremony the success that it was.

UTT won this year’s march past trophy for the third year running.  Fire won the Opening Day Knock Out competitions from Defence Force in the Championship Division.  Bermudez won from Police in the Alternative X Divisions and TSTT   won from Prisons in the Alternative Y Division.

The Closing of the Season was held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, this being a special year for the League.

The Retro Division had one round of competition and a Knock Out.  They also played a FAST Net competition in a double elimination format and on their final day, converted the usual Retro style double elimination, to the FAST NET format.  All the Retro games were scheduled for Mondays.  This arrangement worked quite well again this year.

The results of the competitions in the Championship and Alternative Divisions are in the Appendix

CHALLENGES
The main challenge this year was the tardiness of some teams to submit the proceeds from the sale of tickets for the cruise on the Treasure Queen that took place in May of last year.  Eventually, the majority complied.

Another challenge was the withdrawal of WISCIL, a new club, and the defaulting of Cavaliers toward the end of the season.  The Management Committee will address these latter matters in due course.   

CHIEVEMENTS/INNOVATIONS
Management is pleased to report that at the Annual General Meeting 2009, much of the discussion centered on the twentieth anniversary celebrations of the league.  All, but one, of the activities scheduled for this year 2010, took place.

• The Church Service:  The church service was held at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Sunday 10 January 2010 at 9.00 am.  Fr. Ken Assing conducted the Service.  Four members of the League were invited to do the intercessory prayers while three others did the offertory.  The League was fairly well represented filling about five pews in the church.
• The Website:  This was launched in March 2010, but many of the teams still need to submit information for posting to it.  WebNET Ltd, the provider, will continue to service the site for us at minimal cost.  The site is www.allsectorsnetballleague.com and email address is allsectors@gmail.com
• Anniversary Report: The writing of the Report was contracted to Maria Mason Roberts MS, who did a very good job at pulling the history of the League together.  Horsham’s Printery did the publishing, and copies of the Report together with Bookmarks that carried the Programme for the Closing Ceremony, were distributed at the Awards Ceremony
• FASTNET:  This form of the game was introduced in all the Division’s of the League, with much success.  The Retro Division was particularly fascinated, and the participants decided that they would repeat the format of the game in the Retro Style Double Elimination Knock Out.  Trophies for this competition were donated by ex Chief Fire Officer, Justin Bowen, who unfortunately could not attend the Awards Ceremony to distribute them.  It was agreed that this competition should remain as a permanent feature of the League.
• Evening of Entertainment and Awards: This constituted the closing ceremony of the League.  In addition to the usual Annual Awards, Special Awards were presented to the founders of the League, and as agreed at the last Annual General Meeting, a MVP from the Alternative Division was named, among others.  (See list appended).  After much negotiation, the Hyatt Regency Trinidad was secured as the venue for the event and Errol Fabien was invited to be the master of ceremonies.  Invitees included among others, the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, the President and Secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, and our Sponsors, COURTS.  Unfortunately, we started a tad late, but the events that followed more than made up for this.  We showcased voice and the steel pan by way of entertainment.
• Cher Mere: Toward mid-season, we entered into negotiations with Cher Mere for the introduction of some fun games during netball game intervals on Saturdays.  The firm was given the opportunity to display their products and to share these products with players and spectators alike during the period of the fun games.  These periods were thoroughly enjoyed and added to the conviviality that is normally enjoyed in the League.

The only activity that has not taken place yet, at the time of writing this report, is the Review of the Mission, Vision, and Policies etc of the League.  It is expected that this event will take place before the end of 2010.

ADMINISTRATIVE DEVELOPMENT
The International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) launched a shorter and different version of the game of netball, FASTNET, in Manchester England in October 2009.  The Management Committee of the League quickly took a decision to have someone attend this inaugural event.  The Committee thought that the League needed to be cutting edge in terms of the development of the game and the sooner it was introduced, the sooner our netballers would be come more competitive at the game.  It was also necessary to find someone who would take the responsibility for sharing and implementing the processes.  Pamela Cumberbatch, ex management committee member was selected.  Other management committee members attending in other capacities were Carol Gittens and Brenda Prince.  The League was therefore well represented at the event and as mentioned earlier,  FASTNET was successfully introduced as another competition in this our 20th Anniversary year.

CONTRIBUTION FROM COURTS
The management of the League signed another contract with COURTS last year and was hoping for an increased amount, but the Company explained that the global economic downturn had also taken its toll on its operations.  Nonetheless, the participants of the league are extremely grateful for the contribution, and management will continue to ensure good governance in the administration of the League.  The League thanks COURTS for its continued interest and support. 

FUND RAISER
The promise made by teams for upfront contributions in the agreed amounts, and then be allocated a day on which to raise funds which they will keep, continues in operation but some teams are becoming tardy.  At least three teams did not show an interest this year, so that there is need to put this back on the Agenda for the Annual General Meeting.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Some of the media continue to work closely with us and we thank them for the coverage.  We continue to appreciate and proud of the coverage we receive.  We thank especially our major TV Stations, Radio Stations and the Print media, the Express, the Trinidad Guardian, the Newsday, and others for their efforts.

CONCLUSION
The participants of COURTS All Sectors offer their sincerest appreciation to COURTS Trinidad & Tobago Limited and other stakeholders for their contribution to the League’s success.  Special thanks to Ms. Paula Darceuil for the donation to our refreshments on the Opening Day, the Hyatt Regency, Fr. Ken Assing, and Mr. Justin Bowen.  The League also wishes to thank the cafeteria crew and all officials, supporters, well-wishers and others who contributed to making it the success that it was in 2010.

COURTS ALL SECTORS NETBALL LEAGUE
LAUNCHED ITS TWENTIETH SEASON AT ERISA ON SATURDAY JANUARY 9 2010

The COURTS All Sectors Netball League launched its 20th Season with an Opening Ceremony held at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Saturday January 9 2010.

The proceedings began at 3.00pm as usual, with a parade of teams.  The Prison Service Band will provide the music for the march past.  The Fire Service Band was unavailable this year.  The Fire Service Band had accompanied the march past of the players for the last eighteen years.  However, the band had an official commitment this year.  The performance of the Prison Band was excellent.  Special thanks to Bandleader Dawn James.

The Honourable Gary Hunt, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Mrs. Patricia Butcher, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association Inc., Mrs. Paula Linton Daniel, Corporate Communications, COURTS (Trinidad) Ltd, and Ms. Brenda Prince, Chief Executive Officer of the League took the salute at the march past of the teams. 

Twenty-one (21) teams will participate in the competitions this Season, four (4) in the Championship Division, twelve (12) in the Alternative and five (5) in the Retro.  The teams in the Alternative Division are Fire Service, Police Service, Prison Service, Defence Force, Cavalier Investments Limited (Cavaliers), Bermudez, Holiday Snacks, TSTT (Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago), CLICO Jabloteh, University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), and new comers WISCIL and F-Ideas  The Alternative Division will be subdivided into X and Y, as it was last year.

In the Championship Division, the teams include Defence Force, Fire, Police, and University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).  In the Retro Division, the teams are Fire, Les Enfants, TSTT, Police, and Harlem. 

Following the March Past, spectators witnessed the Opening Day Knock out Competition in both the Championship Division and the Alternative Divisions.  UTT won the March Past, with Police placing second and Defence Force third.  Fire won the Opening Day KO trophy in the Championship Division and Defence Force placed second.  In the Alternative X Division, winner of the Knock Out was Bermudez with Police second.  The Alternative Y was won by TSTT with Prisons second. 

During the season, teams in the Championship Division will once again face each other in a third round of competition for the Jean Pierre Challenge trophy, in memory of Mrs. Eugenia ‘Jean’ Pierre T.C., C.M.T., H.B.M., who was one of the principals who pioneered the League in 1990 and who passed on December 02, 2002.

In addition to its regular competitions, the League will include FASTNET as another competition in each Division.  This shorter version of the game was launched by the International Federation of Netball Associations in Manchester City, England in October 2009.