Serena Kersten, a former England netball captain and current coach in Jersey, has expressed significant concerns regarding the lack of adequate netball facilities on the island. Despite leading Team Jets to a recent promotion, Kersten highlighted the challenges posed by insufficient purpose-built courts, describing the situation as 'a bit of a pickle' for netball in Jersey.

Kersten emphasized that the newly developed Oakfield Sports Centre falls short of meeting the needs of the local netball community. 'Out of the 116 hours required to operate our programme effectively, we have only been allocated 27 hours at Oakfield,' she stated during an interview with BBC Radio Jersey. This shortfall severely hampers the training and development opportunities for players.

In response to these concerns, Constable Andy Jehan, the minister responsible for sports, mentioned that Oakfield was designed following consultations with the netball community. However, he acknowledged the ongoing struggle to secure a dedicated space for netball activities. 'We are actively working with the island's netballers to find a permanent home for the sport,' Jehan assured.

Kersten remains hopeful but stressed the urgency of finding a solution. 'We are pushing to find a resolution because, currently, we don’t have a space we can call our own. Losing access to Les Ormes, our current training ground, by next year leaves us in a precarious position,' she explained.

The lack of proper facilities not only affects the current training regime but also threatens the future growth of netball in Jersey. Kersten and the local netball community continue to advocate for more support and resources to ensure the sport thrives on the island.

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