True Story - Steller Boyea where the revolution began

It was not long before I made my way over the wall that separates the Old Montrose Tennis Center form the Old Montrose Netball Center, when I made my way over to the Netball part of the two sport facility, I discovered a range of Netball talent on the other side of the wall.

It was then I was introduced to another Super athlete, in the person of Stella Boyea. Stella was a short beautiful young woman. She was fit, agile, fast, flexible, with dangerously fast reflexes and an extremely high vertical leap. Stella had a fast, athletic game that was also airborne. While R-Kelly believed he could fly and sang about his believe, Stella Boyea knew how to fly, she did not sang, talked, proclaimed or in any other way, boast of her acquired flying skills; but every opportunity she got she lift and took off like an Eagle.

By this time, I was in my mid-teens, I estimated Stella was in her early twenties. Joanna Ballantyne my favorite player was in her mid-teens also, at this stage of Stella's Netball game, even at her still tender age, she was, experience and was in full control of her body, she played with a mediocre level team, but her athletic ability, agility, superior sporting intellect, and acute sense of the game was responsible for her team winning tough game, achieved and maintained Premier Division status and standard and even won a few cups.

In my opinion, Stella Boyea was primarily responsible for starting the revolution of the sport of Netball. She took it from a game that was played by dainty ladies, to a fast, up tempo, athletic sport; In other words, Stella Boyea put the calypso rhythm in the Vincy Netball game. She started and therefore put the high flying gymnastics type of aerial dynamic into the Vincy game, changing the style from a ground centered catching game to a gymnastic (not flipping) airborne, moving game. at this stage the game was exciting.

It was interesting the fans pack the stand when Stella Boyea team was playing; They came to see the Netball sensation, In other words Stella Boyea was a big drawer. People from all over came to see her play and they always leave satisfied with the level of excitement she generated.

And then, there came onto the Netball scene a eager teenager Joanna Ballantyne, with lots of energy, skills, etc. ready and eager to prove herself. Watching Joanna Ballantyne and Stella Boyea were like watching two pennies of the same currency, minted in different years. Their games were the aerial aquabatics with creative differences.

I later learn that Stella mentored Joanne in the Girls High School, that is not to take away from the work of Joanne's mother Gloria Ballantyne, who I "heard" was herself a "riot on the net ball court". These two young ladies did for St. Vincent and the Grenadines Netball what, Becket, Scorcher, Winston Soso and Age did for St. Vincent and the Grenadines Calypso.

Just when I was beginning to allow myself to be held captive by the magical plays of Stella Boyea, the woman with the captivating awesome game; migrated. Stella absence hurt the sport tremendously. for her absence left a vacuum in the game, in that:

1. It reduced the level, and the amount of competition in the sports.

2. It deprived young Netballers of the opportunity and privilege of witnessing a different style of play, to emulate and improved upon,

3. It deprived some talented young ladies of the privilege of being mentored by a super athlete like herself.

4. It also reduced the fan base of the sport.

5. It greatly hampered S.V.G chances of achieving full Caribbean Netball dominance.

Another negative of the absence of Stella Boyer's was: the once competitive team that she led to many victories; fade into oblivion. For without Mr. Boyea, with the exception of a few, that team was just a bunch of girls throwing and catching a ball became just that.

Thinking of it; if Joanne Ballantyne, Stella Boyea, the Irish sisters, the Foster sisters, Clothel Youngs, Shirlann Douglas and the other potential national players at that era, had the opportunity to work together for a good four years; playing together as a group, competing on the regional level, getting the opportunity to melted into a puddle and solidified to be come the dominant force they could have been.

Had this happened; St. Vincent and the Grenadines may have achieve total Netball Dominance, within the Caribbean and may have even achieve international dominance also. That was how good Stella Boyea was. She was a difference makers; she was a Super Athlete.