Jill's work is already paying off - Bernard

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

President of the Jamaica Netball Association (JNA), Marva Bernard, while recognising the role which was played by the cadre of local coaches in the Sunshine Girls' impressive drawn series against Australia, took time to highlight the impact of soon-to-arrive technical director Jill McIntosh.

McIntosh, a former World Netball Championship-winning coach with the Australian national team, will arrive in the island next week for a 15-week training spell with the national senior netballers, which will lead into this summer's World Netball Championships in Singapore.

The Jamaicans rallied from a first Test defeat to draw their second and then win their third match against the Australians in January, and Bernard explained that McIntosh played a bigger role than most people know in the improved performance of the Jamaicans.

McIntosh met with Bernard at the World Netball Series in England late last year and presented a programme and a number of recommendations that were to be implemented ahead of the series.

Recommendations such as the addition of specialist coaches to focus on each area of the court, a move that saw the inclusion of Minette Reynolds, C. Lloyd Walker and Oberon Pitterson to the Sunshine Girls coaching staff.

"Jill (McIntosh) started to work with the team from last year actually," Bernard said. "She met with us in November when we went to the Fastnet tournament and she sent the plan that she wanted us to implement ahead of her arrival.

"So what you see happening and the result of her plan is very evident. We, of course, brought in specialist coaches to work with the team and that is how we will be preparing our team going forward. We are also looking to take that to the other teams as well, certainly the Under-21s," Bernard added.

Develop local coaches

McIntosh, who will be paid an honorarium of $1.4 million over the course of her stay, will also be expected to aid the development of the local coaches as well as offer her expertise at special meetings and seminars as part of the JNA's drive to improve the core aspects of the sport at the grass-roots level. The full cost associated with her upcoming spell with the team is around $2.1 million, including airfare, meals and accommodation.

"She (McIntosh) has been working with the programme even before she is paid a dollar," said Bernard.

"She will also be developing the current cadre of local coaches and, hopefully, by the time she leaves, they (local coaches) will be further down the track in their qualification. She will be having courses and she will be doing a lot of the coaching and overseeing of the coaching, and wherever it is that we can use her to share her knowledge throughout the island we will," Bernard pointed out.