The Sunday Mail
Sports Reporter
For a man who supposedly eats, sleeps and dreams netball, it only makes sense that the last couple of months have been sheer hell for Correctional Queens coach Christopher Simeone.
The Gems assistant coach finds the daily routine of life under lockdown to be mundane and longs for the days when the Covid-19 pandemic did not exist.
“For some of us who sleep, dream and eat netball, it is very hard to cope with this suspension of the season due to the global pandemic,” said the 48-year-old gaffer.
“I want to be frank about this, netball is part of my DNA.
“The off-season actually affects me, but that is part of sporting life, and one needs to recharge their batteries here and there. However, the league was suspended very early and the last couple of months have been tough,” he said.
Simeone feels hard done by the global outbreak as it came at a time when only three games of the season had been played.
Simeone’s charges, who had six points, were still to taste defeat.
He is solely responsible for transforming the defending Rainbow Amateur Netball League champions — formerly known as Nehanda — into a formidable side.
“I belong to the court; it has been my life for the past two decades. Everything I do revolves around netball.
“Now, to just sit at home is stressful.
“Having played just three games into the season, I find it difficult to stomach. What a wasted season,” he said.
He fears the indefinite suspension of the league will affect his players’ physical fitness.
“Pre-season is a challenging time; we have to condition players to meet the physical demands of the game once the league starts every year,” said the gaffer.
“We were almost done with that aspect of the game when the league was suspended.
“It came as a huge blow.
“Worse still, this coronavirus-induced suspension has exceeded our usual off-season period, and it will have a negative impact on the physical fitness of the players,” he said
“I foresee a situation where many teams will be greatly affected after lockdown, with the standards of our game and level of competition taking a dip.”
For his part, the Correctional Queens gaffer, who is also a ZPCS officer, has been encouraging his players to exercise on their own.
The only good to come out of the suspension of the league for Correctional Queens will probably be the return of club and senior national team captain Felistas Kwangwa, who they were supposed to do duty without for the first half of the season.
The third-year University of Zimbabwe student, who is studying economics, is on loan at Zvishavane’s Platinum Queens, where she is attached to Platinum Holdings as an intern.
