NETBALL JAMAICA will host Trinidad and Tobago for what it has dubbed a youth summer invitational at the Leila Robinson Courts from August 24 to 29. The Sunshine Girls’ under-16 team will play the Trinidad andTobago under-16 team in a best-of-three series while the Trinidad under-18 team will play the under-18 teams of Gaynstead High School and Denbigh High School in a four-match round-robin tournament.

The event will also feature a three-day grassroots coaching clinic that will be held in conjunction with the competitive series.

The clinics will target the coaches of primary, prep and high schools, looking to upgrade their skills in basic netball defensive and offensive strategies. Presenters of the coaching clinics, which will also be held at the Leila Robinson Courts at the National Stadium, will include Maureen Hall and Sasher-Gaye Henry.

The Netball Jamaica Youth Summer Invitational is intended to be a yearly development event hosted by Jamaica that has the primary objective of building collaboration between Jamaica and other member countries in the Americas region.

Vice-president of Netball Jamaica, Simone Forbes said: “Jamaica is proud to be hosting this series with Trinidad and Tobago. We are very aware that Jamaica has a responsibility, as the highest-ranked country in the region, to play a lead role in driving development of the sport and we thank Netball Trinbago for being fully behind this event. Our under-16 team is newly formed and has been preparing diligently with coaches Nardia Hanson and Kerry-Ann Brown. This will be a good experience for them. We do not currently have an under-18 team in our pathway but through the cooperation with coaches, Dalton Hinds (Gaynstead High) and Winston Nevers (Denbigh High), we will provide excellent competition for the Trinidad under-18 team. We encourage all school coaches and members of school teams as well as the public to come out and support all our girls.”

President of Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association Sherry-Ann Blackburn said: “We are thrilled to participate in the Youth Summer Invitational in Jamaica this August. It’s an excellent platform for our under-18 and under-16 players to gain international experience, develop their skills, and build lasting relationships within the netball community.”

Netball Jamaica said it would be announcing a squad in short order.