Mixed League netball – Mixing things up in a good way

By Christopher Tobutt

Mixed League netball is where men are mixed in with the women on each team. Cayman Islands Netball Association (CINA) recently finished their league. First place came Rising Stars Netball Club, in second place All Stars, then Elite, Sky Angels, Queens, and Roma United. In mixed league netball three men join four women on each team, with the three men in positions of Goalkeeper, Centre, and Goal-shooter, and the ladies fill the other positions.

Explaining why Mixed League is so special, CINA Technical Director Janet Lettman said, “When the men join a team they join into a team one of the amazing things about it is their energy, and how they make the game come alive with their excitement. It improves the ladies’ playing because the ladies have got to be technically aware, tactically understanding. They can’t wait for a ball to come into their hand they have to drive on every ball, they are able to strategize their different ways of trying to get around somebody who’s fast and who’s quick and also who can jump.”

Ms. Lettman continued, “The men have a natural spring, and natural speed, the girls train to have that speed and spring, so some of the girls or women have been training extra hard to ensure that they can come and be on the same platform.” The guys this year are not only skillful, they are tactically aware, they’ve got strategies in place, they are asking to become umpires and getting to know the rules better... I can’t believe how Cayman has produced such amazing athletes.

CINA Executive Advisor Lyneth Monteith said, “This league is meant to be almost like a warmup for the season. Generally, when we do this mixed league it’s at a time when persons are just coming off their summer holidays, they are a little unfit, so it’s meant to be friendly. We encourage men to play along with the ladies, so that brings an added element for the ladies in terms of their game because a lot of our men have played for many years and also most of them are basketball players.”

Tamara Oliver aged 13, plays for Rising Stars, “Mixed league is good because we are playing against men and so it pushes us so you have to be more aggressive, and it enforces team work and it enforces team work.”

Like many of the men on the teams, Anthony Mourgnos is both a player and an umpire. He has been playing netball in mixed teams for nearly two decades, mostly in Australia where mixed league netball has become popular. I usually played in a corporate team in my work, hanging out with colleagues and I really enjoyed it,” he said, “Its Good exercise, good skills, and good competition but you are less likely to get injured than in Rugby which I also play.”

Nicardo Standbury, and Alexis Carias both play for the All Stars in the Mixed League, although Alexis also plays for the Cayman Islands National team, “I like playing against men, they give you more of a challenge,” she said. “I am both a player and an umpire, but right now I am playing on the All Stars team the best team in the league,” Nicardo said. Orange rising stars playing sky angels in the black then elite playing all stars elite blue and yellow and all stars had blue and blue. Mixed League netball – Mixing things up in a good way.