ONE of Jersey’s most celebrated sporting exports has issued a stark warning that the Island faces a sporting crisis unless urgent action is taken to address a critical facilities shortage.
Serena Guthrie, the former England netball captain who rose from Jersey’s local leagues to play on the world stage, said the government’s new Oakfield Sports Centre “just isn’t fit for purpose”.
In comments endorsed by the Jersey Netball Association, she warned that the ball sport is facing an existential crisis.
With the Les Ormes netball courts scheduled for closure next March, the sports organisation will be left more than 1,600 hours short of court time during its main season.
And the “limited use” of Oakfield that has been offered to the Jersey Netball Association will see the club facing a shortfall of 67 hours of court time each week – a gap that threatens the future of community programmes such as the Winter League, U12 Academy, YouthNETS, and various school and charity tournaments.
Ms Guthrie said this was “effectively the death of Jersey Netball”.
“If we cannot fulfill our current programme hours the light will go out, and hundreds of women, girls and boys, and schools will lose out on netball,” she explained.
Ms Guthrie revealed that this reduced offering will also result in the loss of around £60,000 in programme revenue generated from community netball classes.
She added: “The fact that Jersey Netball has to chose between supporting the netball community programmes, and young girls wanting to have a career in netball and play for Team Jets or aspire to be an England player deeply frustrates me.”
The former professional netballer said that Oakfield – which was billed as a new hub for sport – has failed to deliver on its promise.
“The government has created an £8m building that just isn’t fit for purpose for sport on the Island and certainly isn’t a home for netball,” she said.
“Oakfield will serve a purpose for us as we will be able to access the inner St Helier schools and children, which we have always struggled to do with Les Ormes being out west.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to be able to extend that reach to those with financial and transportation barriers but overall Oakfield does not meet the needs of the netball community.
“It’s incredibly naive and ambitious for the government to think so many sports can operate under one roof.”
Ms Guthrie said access to appropriate, high-quality facilities was critical in her own development as an athlete, warning that current shortfalls threaten the next generation.
“Access to facilities was always critical to me being able to train to the best of my ability at the frequency needed,” she said.
“If the access and lack of facilities crisis continues, we will see the next generation fall of proverbial wagon when it comes to sport.
“They won’t achieve their potential as they won’t be able to bank enough early years training, which hugely affects training age and one’s ability to reach their potential.
“It significantly increases the chance of mental heath issues in these athletes as they feel undervalued and unsupported by what is one of the wealthiest islands in the world.
“It’s mind-blowing that this is the trajectory we are on in Jersey if the government don’t make some changes in the next five years to support sport and the Island’s athletes better.”
