NINETEEN-year-old Genille Ifill will leave Guyana tomorrow for Odessa Texas, where she will attend the Odessa College on a full scholarship. Odessa College competes in the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) and Ifill, in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport, said that she’s excited to experience playing at another level and learning the game of basketball in an environment that’s fitting for her development in the sport.

The Plaisance native’s Scholarship is valued at US$42 500 and while NJCAA is the ‘baby’ of all the divisions in the United States, it is not one to be underestimated.
NJCAA schools are two-year terms and students/athletes normally then transfer to a four-year institute, primarily those that compete in the more notable division that fall under the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Research has shown that coaches from NCAA D1, D2 and NAIA levels would rather take a player from NJCAA than from outside of the U.S., simply because it gives them a chance to see athletes like Ifill, in the college sports setting, and see how they adjust academically to the US school system.
“I’m happy that I can get a chance to also further my education and play basketball and also get to learn more about the game,” a relaxed Ifill said. The former Tutorial High School student pointed out that while she’s aware it’s not going to be smooth sailing; she’s ready to accept whatever challenges lie ahead.
Despite Guyana’s miserable and embarrassing performance at this year’s Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Women’s tournament in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Ifill stood out and even finished the tournament at fourth overall in the Blocks bracket, averaging 1.6 blocks per game.
Meanwhile her mother Esther Ifill said that she’s happy that her daughter’s hard work and dedication towards the sport is finally paying off, reflecting on the countless hours of practice and sacrifices made.
While Genille’s mother thanked Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) president Nigel Hinds, she lauded Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) co-Director Chris Bowman, along with coach Ann Gordon and former national standout Lugard Mohan for imparting the much-needed knowledge and elementary skills.
“I must thank Chris Bowman; he was the one who was with Genille since primary school with this basketball thing and then Lugard and Ann (Gordon) all worked with my daughter to ensure she excelled. Everything for Genille is about basketball and I’m glad she can get a chance to at least chase her dream,” said Genille’s mother.
Ifill hopes to compete in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), rubbing shoulders with some of the best female players in the world, but for now, her feet are grounded in putting in the work needed to play with the likes of Skylar Diggins and Briann January.
Written By Rawle Toney