Sunshine Girls depart for FastNet World Series
JAMAICA’s senior netballers — the Sunshine Girls — leave the island today for the FastNet World Series in Liverpool, England from November 25 to 27.
This will be the first big assignment for the Sunshine Girls since their return from the 2011 World Netball Championships (WNC) in Singapore last July.
A number of senior players left the squad which has now been infused with several Under-21 players and captain Nadine Bryan said the younger players are in the process of preparing for their own World Championships.
“The gelling part is going well. We have quite a few youngsters, some from Under-21 so really they are going there to get experience because they have their World Championship next year,” she told the Observer following a traditional worship service and brunch for the team ahead of their departure.
“FastNet is not going to be anything easy for us,” she continued. “Australia is bringing a very strong team. New Zealand is also bringing a very strong team and we know England attack is almost the same as World Championships, but if we work together as a team we will be successful.”
The team is in a rebuilding phase as they prepare for the 2015 WNC in Sydney Australia and Bryan said bringing in the youngsters is all part of a broad-based plan.
“This is what we have now, and if we have to start over, we have to start with the young ones… and its good for us to do it from now because World Championships is the next four years so it gives them enough time to gain some experience and get them to the level we want them,” she noted.
It will also be Bryan’s second major assignment as team captain following her appointment earlier this year after having earlier held the post of vice-captain for many years: “For me it’s nothing new. I’m enjoying it,” she said.
The squad includes St Andrew High School student, Dhanyel Johnson, who at 17, is the youngest member to travel with the team to the world tournament, but her experience and maturity belied her age as she spoke with the Observer about the upcoming challenge.
“It’s just a tournament. We’re there to play netball it’s just a different type of netball. A faster version so we just have to condition our minds to the game, to the environment, to everything around us… stay focussed and just deliver like every other tournament.”
The rest of the squad includes Jhaniele Fowler, Anna Kay Griffiths, Jodi Ann Ffrench Kentish, Vanessa Walker, Sasha Gay Lynch, Malysha Kelly, Vangelee Williams, Tracy Ann Robinson, Deneen Taylor, and Kimone Tulloch.
The squad will be accompanied by Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) president Marva Bernard, coach Oberon Pitterson, assistant Annett Daley, manager Andrea Anthony, physiotherapist Maureen Spence-Campbell, Dr Pramainand Singh and video analyst Antoinette Irons.