Sunshine Girls coach welcomes home-and-away England Tests

Sasher-Gaye Henry, head coach of Jamaica’s senior women’s netball team, is gearing up for the highly anticipated series against England, and she’s emphasizing its significance for the players and staff.

Henry said the Vitality Netball Horizon Series is a fantastic opportunity for Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls to gain invaluable experience, showcase their talents in front of home and away crowds, and match skills against a tough opponent.

The coach acknowledged that Jamaica and England have a long history of exciting matchups, and this series is expected to be no exception. The Sunshine Girls are set to face off against the Roses on November 16 and 17 at the AO Arena in Manchester, England, and then again on November 25 and 26 at the National Indoor Sports Center in St Andrew, Jamaica.

Henry stated that the Horizon series is not only an exciting prospect for netball fans but also a significant milestone for the sport, marking a new era of competition between two of the world’s top teams.

“I think it’s exciting. I think it’s really good. It’s a long time that we needed this practice. It’s been a while and the home-and-away (concept) is good,” Henry told the Jamaica Observer.

“I love the fact that we are going first and then acclimatize to their weather for a week or so. And then come back… to play on our shores. So I’m excited about it. It’s good for us. I mean, it’s a boost. The girls need to get that. Jamaica needs to see them too. And you know, to play in front of your home crowd is good. And it’s just a test to see how well we look in our first series,” the 44-year-old Henry further said.

Henry expressed delight with the growth and development of several key players in the Sunshine Girls squad.

“You know, we’re going up and we want to win championships. So it’s good to see what the girls will push forward in their first assignment. Yeah, I mean, we have seen a lot of growth and development in a few of them.

“For this squad, Crystal (Plummer) looks good. We have Theresa (Beckford) now dropping into the mid court. And I think she’s coming on nicely. We still need more practice with them. Abigale (Sutherland) is gelling nicely with Khadijah (Williams) and so we’re working on the through play.

“Mischa (Creary) is now in goal attack, you know, learning that position well and she is performing well. So for the rest of the week, watching them competing, analyzing the games, we’ll see, you know, how well they will fare through it, which I’m expecting them to improve,” Henry, a former national netball player, explained.

Henry underscored the importance of disciplined and smart play against the English players, renowned for their speed and agility.

“We have to just stick to our play and be disciplined. England is a very sharp team and they’re quick, and we just have to play our games. So we are quick too, and that’s what we’re working on.

“But when it comes to understanding when to slow it (the pace) down, to pick it up, you know, be disciplined, taking the ball through the court, (and) not forcing those long balls. (They) are some of the things that we’re trying to work through with them and to see how well they will do. The girls are a little bit rusty, but we’re expecting them to do well,” Henry said.

She said they are seeking a series win against England, and have been practicing with the Jamaica men’s team to simulate the opponent’s high standard.

“You don’t go to any series to try and lose that. So, you know, we definitely want to win the series. We know England is a big team; they are ranked third in the world. They are now playing two series before they hit us, so practice would be good for them, and so we just have to use our male team because they’re the only thing we have here with that high standard.

“So we’re excited that they’re here with us and they can give us that practice. They will give us practice that we need to prepare for those ladies, so we’re expecting that they will do well leading up into the championship,” Henry said.