rachael.king@guardian.co.tt
Donna Charles, star shooter in the Retro Division of the Courts All Sectors Netball League, is part of the Police Netball Club that is in Miami, Florida, USA to participate in the Florida Netball Classic taking place over the weekend at the Coral Springs Gymnasium.
Police, which is one of two T&T teams that are playing in the annual competition, will battle in the Open Division in group A matching skills against five other teams including two American teams Legendary and Rockerz based in Florida and Jamaican teams National Housing Trust B, RJR and Jamaica Customs Agency.
The other local team is Defence Force and the army/coastguard combination unit will compete in the mixed competition with two other squads - Jetz and Netball Loverz, both of Florida, USA.
Charles will have former national teammates Lystra Solomon-Simmons, Gurshier Grant and Monica Maule as her teammates and former national coach Althea McCollin will coach them in a competition which will be played in accordance to IFNA rules and regulations
The Tournament play will be in a short format with the first and second round matches will be seven minutes per half, while semi-finals and final matches will be ten (10) minutes per half.
For the open division, teams will be separated into two divisions for second round play. The top two teams from each category will automatically qualify for the Elite Division Finals, while teams in the lower half of their brackets will qualify for Intermediate Finals.
Both local teams are expected to take part in the other competitions within the Classic including the uniform parade; all teams will enter one player in the shooting competition. The "Most Valuable Player" (MVP) will be selected from any one of the first or second place teams.
Competition starts tomorrow morning from from 9 am following the opening ceremony at 8.30 am.
Participating teams
T&T: Defence Force (Mixed), Police Force
Barbados: Northern Star
Canada: Veejays
Grand Cayman: Allstars
Jamaica: Cedar Grove, Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Customs Agency, Jamaica Urban Transit Company, Leiba Gardens, Ministry of Education, National Housing Trust A, National Housing Trust B, Normal Manley Intl. Airport Limited, Rivoli, RJR Gleaner, Rockers Jamaica, Tantrum
USA: Jetz (Mixed), Legendary, Netballlovers NC (Mixed), NYSA, Rockers USA NC, Upsetters A, Upsetters B
Local squads
Police
Gurshier Grant, Donna Charles, Candace Francis-Simon, Tyronne Sealy, Roxanne Squires, Althea Mc Collin, Lystra Solomon-Simmons, Petronalla Walcott. Mellessiea Robert, Darryl Bernard, Nichelle Hinds, Cathy Ann Cain, Monica Maule, Shivaughn Skeete, Sharon Clarke, Stacy Pilgrim.
Defence Force
Michelle Eastmon-Jarrot, Odette John, Crystal Ann George, Makeda Pierre, Sojourner Hyles-Lewis, Kezel Smith Samantha Kinsale, Cherl Ann Millington, Betty Ann Jackson, Vanessa Brown,
Nekiesha Peters Williams, Justin Jessop, Robert Solomon.