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UNDER the steady guidance of veteran coach Carline Graham-Powell, Holmwood Technical have stood tall as the most dominant force in high school netball, racking up multiple rural and all-island titles. And despite the disruption caused by Hurricane Melissa — which stalled preparation across the competition — Graham-Powell is confident her teams will rise again as they aim to defend their under-16 and under-19 rural crowns along with the all-island under-19 title.
Holmwood have never been strangers to obstacles, and the recent damage to their school is just the latest hurdle. But for Graham-Powell, challenges are part of the journey.
“Life is about challenges, and every day comes with its own,” she said. “Hurricane Melissa is just one of those challenges we will have to navigate.”
Her words carry weight, especially coming just months after her team created history in June by winning the High School World Championships in England.
She added that the players themselves are relieved and excited to have the season back on track following last week’s announcement by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association that high school sports will resume later this month.
“Every girl in school playing netball is very happy that the organisers have decided to let the competition continue,” she shared. “As a coach, it’s going to be a bit of a challenge, but the playing field is level — everybody was affected by the hurricane. The urban teams might not have been hit as hard as the rural ones, but we all have to put Hurricane Melissa behind us. We still have over two weeks before the competition resumes.”
According to the experienced coach, fitness will be the biggest early test.
“In the initial stage, fitness is going to be a challenge,” she admitted. “But I’m sure all the coaches will put in the necessary work. By the third week, the girls’ fitness levels should be back up, and whichever teams make the finals will have the strong legs to push through.”
Still, Graham-Powell remains unfazed. “For me, I am not personally bothered. I am accustomed to challenges. They are there for us to learn from, and they make life interesting. The universe has its way of doing things, and we have to work with it.”
Her focus now is simple and sharp.
“For me, it is just to get my teams back in training and ensure we do what we need to do to retain both the rural under-16 and under-19 titles, and also our under-19 all-island title,” said Graham-Powell, who has been steering Holmwood’s netball for more than 30 years.
A veteran coach, a seasoned fighter — and once again, she stands ready to turn challenge into triumph.
English (US) ·