January 4, 1998

Page 36

Veteran netball player and administrator, Lystra Lewis has and continues to 'blaze a trail,' so to speak, as one of the best umpires, coaches and administrators of all time.

Lystra Lewis, born in Woodbrook, the fifth of six children, was active in sport from an early age, taking part in netball, cricket, table tennis and athletics. However it was her administrative and coaching skills that made her a dominant force in the game, both regionally and globally.

During her early childhood years, she played for her school, Tranquillity before joining Malvern Sports Club from 1930-1944. By the time Lystra was 13, she began recruiting young girls to play on the Malvern team. Over the years, Lystra acquired knowledge as Secretary and Treasurer of the League, where she also learned the fundamentals of sport administration. It was then that Lystra devoted her efforts to coaching and umpiring the game, and counselling players with personal problems.

Her persistence and dedication to spread and improve netball in the region, took her to Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Montserrat, Nevis, St Kitts and St Vincent, to conduct coaching clinics, and umpires seminars.

She introduced a system to train and test umpires in the region, to enable all members to have qualified personnel.

In 1945, she became a committee member and Secretary/Treasurer of the Port of Spain League and by 1952 coached the national team that played against Grenada and first timers, St Vincent.

By 1954 the West Indies netball Board of Control was formed. Internationally, she was the only West Indian representative at the Ceylon Conference in 1960 and the World Netball Conference.

Scholarship in England

She later received a scholarship from the British Council to study physical education at Bedford College in England. She was also the first West Indian to be appointed to the all-English Panel of Umpires.

Upon her return home in 1961, Lystra became the first official netball coach and introduced the game to 300 primary and secondary schools.

She also arranged several umpiring seminars at the national level.

By 1962, she was instrumental in erecting the first official netball court on the Princess Building Ground. A second court was built on the same ground in 1970 and named the "Lystra Courts.'

Lystra founded the West Indies Netball Association in 1963 and coached the national team, which played in the inaugural World Netball Championships in 1963.

Since then, she has continued to make invaluable contributions to the game both nationally and globally, and is at present an executive member of the World Netball Governing Body (IFNA).

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