Debre Evans On Netball Journey And More
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Debre Evans can hardly remember a time when she did not have a netball in her hands.
Exposed to the sport at a tender age, Evans began attending her mother Kimale Evans’s matches for Warwick Red Birds and then Netts as a five-year-old at Bernard Park.
Her mother, the president of the Bermuda Netball Association [BNA], played a pivotal role in fostering Evans’s early passion for the game.
“When I was young, my mom was still playing, so I’d be down there watching her play every weekend,” Evans told Bernews.
“I absorbed everything, and it gave me a love and appreciation for the sport before I could even play.
“Netball was always something that came easy to me. I was passionate about the game, so it never felt like a chore. It was second nature.”
Evans soon started playing competitively herself at St George’s Prep before joining her mother’s team, the Netts [now named Storm]. Her talent and dedication saw her fast-tracked into their senior outfit at just 14 years old.
“My team sent me straight up to the senior league to help with my development,” she said.
“It was terrifying. I was going up against grown women – I was a small fish in a big pond.”
The 24-year-old continued to impress throughout her school career, captaining Clearwater Middle School and later CedarBridge Academy, with her eye-catching performances earning her recognition as a Bermuda School Sports Federation [BSSF] All-Star throughout high school.
Originally a goal shooter, Evans later transitioned to more defensive positions, becoming a versatile and instrumental player.
She has been a key figure in Storm’s strong start to the BNA Senior League as they bid for the title.
They sit second behind Lindo’s Tigers heading into the second half of the season.
“We’re still pushing,” said Evans, who has also represented Bermuda at the under-16 and under-21 levels. “We have an opportunity for the title, and hopefully, we can get the results needed.”
- This is the third in a series of articles in which Bernews will be highlighting the island’s netball players.
