Anna Shepherd is returning to fulltime coaching with an ambitious vision to help shape the next generation of netball talent in Barbados through the launch of a netball academy.
The experienced and highlyrespected coach has turned her attention to developing young players, providing them with the technical skills, tactical understanding and discipline needed to progress through the ranks and potentially represent Barbados on the international stage.
Shepherd launched the “Shep’s Netball Academy International” – the first of its kind project – on Thursday night at the Wildey Gymnasium.
The stately event was attended by several local officials as well as regional and international delegates on the island for the ongoing Netball World Cup Americas Qualifier tournament.
The Bajan Gems are seeking one of the two top spots to qualify for the World Cup which will be played in Sydney, Australia from August 25 to September 5, 2027.
“Netball has given me everything and at Shep’s Netball Academy, we will honour the legacy of the sport in Barbados. Netball gave many of us the amazing opportunity to represent this great country and also gave us a passport to the world,” Shepherd told the audience.
“We must do more to provide our young people with pathways to the future. Our young people are not lazy, they are smart. They want to know where their commitment can take them. My dream is that five years from now I will be able to sit here and watch young players who started with us shoot the winning goals for Barbados against England, New Zealand, Australia . . . or represent a professional championship franchise team.”
Significant contributions
Also in attendance were several former national players who represented the island with distinction over the last four decades – including the 1987 national team coached by Shepherd – which reached the highest international ranking in the island’s history.
That team included Pamala Proverbs, who was master of ceremonies, Sandrene Jordan, Marion Johnson-Hurley, Sandra Bruce-Small, Denise Morgan and Sonia Banfield; all of whom have made significant contributions to the sport in various capacities over the last four decades.
Shepherd said she answered the many calls to return to the forefront of the sport’s development after she witnessed a “decline” in the levels of performance in the sport and wanted to be hands-on to help.
“We are not playing enough netball … too many players are no longer students of the game. Every sport is investing in its youth, yet we seem to be waiting for a miracle . . . ladies and gentlemen, there will be no miracles. I finally said to myself ‘Shep, stop complaining and build it’. With encouragement I decided to take action,” she said.
“We will have programmes to strengthen the local game and help ensure Barbados can produce netballers capable of competing with the best in the region and beyond.”
Shepherd is rated among the best coaches in the region.
Along with her track record in Barbados, she was the mastermind behind the National Sports Council’s primary schools’ tournament and was also at the helm when Antigua and Barbuda attained their highest global ranking.
The academy is expected to provide a structured environment for aspiring netballers to sharpen their fundamentals, improve their fitness and develop a deeper understanding of the game.
It will also place emphasis on confidence, teamwork and the mental strength required to compete at the highest level.
The main sponsor Ian Beach, hailed Shepherd’s lifelong work to develop talent.
He also noted, that at this juncture where the sport continues to seek greater investment in youth development, a stronger pathway from grassroots participation to elite competition, overseas franchise placements and national selection, a project like the academy is the right tonic. (PS)