 Yeah, blow the whistle first centre-pass as we begin this Thursday edition of the Sports Mag Zone with netball. Now following the Sunshine Girls third place finish at the most recent World Cup in August 2023, Connie Francis did not renew her contract, opening the door for a new head coach. After a five-month process, a former Sunshine Girl herself, Sasha Gay Henry, was given the reins and announced as the new woman-in-charge last week. This will be Henry's second stint, having worked alongside Margaret Anderson as co-coach for the 2018 Commonwealth Games where the team secured bronze and the Fast Five World Series that same year when Jerminka secured silver, their best ever finish at the tournament. Sasha Gay Henry back in business and back on the Sports Mag Zone, this time not as an analyst but as the head coach of the Sunshine Girls and the one in a very, very hot seat. Sasha Gay, how are you? I'm wonderful, I'm good and I'm very grateful to be here. Tell me about this new role as the head coach of the Sunshine Girls, is this a position you applied for or did netball Jerminka reach out to Sasha Gay and say, listen, we want you back because you did such a good job last time? Well, it's a position where I actually applied for the job. I believe that after working with the girls, taking a break, learning during that period of time that I was away, I definitely believe I could add something to build on what they have done thus far and they did a great job in both the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup. It's just to add and to build on to the legacy that we're all dreaming for. What will you bring to this post that will be so different, if anything? Well, let me not say different. It's basically the expertise as a coach and as a former player myself, you have learned a lot, the experiences from other coaches and all of what you've learned you'll bring to the table with the team behind the team. As an individual, and I am not even speaking about your expertise as a coach now, how are you different, if any at all, from the last time you were in this seat as a co-coach? I mean, in the fact that I had some, a few issues now you've grown to a particular point where you have to adjust to those issues and learn and grow. So with that, I think I am expecting the challenges. So I'm growing through that now and I think that I'm 100% committed in terms of leading the girls and to have a solid team which will be on board, hoping that Netball Jamaica will have the resources to put all of those persons on board to help these girls and also the future of Netball. So we're not only looking at the sunshine girls but the pathway for the girls. Yeah, Sacha Gay, I hear beyond the surface of what you're saying that your first stint wasn't as comfortable as you wanted it to be and I gather that you were happy to move away at the point that you did. You just referenced the fact that you think you have matured to a point where you are now more ready to tackle the job now than you were then when you were a co-coach. Could you tell us about some of the issues that existed then that made you uncomfortable? Basically it was to, I really don't want to dwell too much on the administrative part but definitely it was two reasons, family and administration but in relation to family I think it's more structured so I'm able to leave. In terms of the administration they had a little needles I don't really want to dwell on much because I think that moving forward we just need to be as positive as we can so definitely I am expecting a few changes into the team and I won't say much about the issues that I had with them. Yeah I know you don't want to talk too much about the issues right but one of the things I understand back in 2018 is that you wanted greater involvement in the selection of the various teams, the selection process. Is Tashige Henry's head coach going to have the leverage, the leeway to select the individuals and teams that she wants to? Well fortunately I was a selector now being a head coach now I have to leave that position but the head coach really gets a part of it to make a decision I mean there was a few things that didn't go right with one particular selection process which was not close to the World Cup but I must say that the process is much better now because we as a former selector the coaches have a say in terms of the team that is on board and the selectors actually allow her to look at the team and they get a chance to see you know is this you tell me do you like this yes and that wasn't the case in in 2018 not really not really but as I said I don't want to dwell on that matter but not really it yes it was but it wasn't really that a particular player did not get selected but yeah about the process yes but it was just a process at that time all right so Tashige you just referenced a couple of minutes ago that as a former player there are things about the coaching job that would probably make it a little bit easier for you to carry your job out of course like yourself Connie Francis the previous coach was also an outstanding international player what is it about being a former coach that gives you the tools or maybe even an advantage over someone who didn't play internationally now that you're a coach well you actually understand the atmosphere you understand what it takes to prepare for the big competition and you know that I mean you really aspire to go to the top but you have to try to keep the mentally sound because at any second all top four teams you might be on top as we saw Jamaica being the team that we expected to win the World Cup so if you lose focus for a second it can it can lap so you have to keep them under certain regimes in terms of their mental preparation you have to understand the niggas in terms of their nutrition that will make it better in terms of the persons that you would want on board a psychologist now on board trying to get a ready strength and conditioning coach you know to make this job a little bit better so there are different things as a player and as a coach we saw where we could have improved on so definitely we'll just try and work our best you know to see whatever challenges come up we will take on and to ensure that we have a good team the Australian defensive coach who was a part of the setup and by all indications you know added some value to the coaching setup is he expected to be a part of the system again well for me I believe that if it wasn't broken don't break it so I mean that's a part of our talks right now who will be back on board so for me definitely I mean I am in to Rob we had a lot of sessions together so whenever they had their seminars I'd be there learning from him also so it's good to have people on board who are solid they did well with Connie so I mean for me why not keep them I mean the netball purist in Jamaica for decades Sasha gay has been proud about Jamaica being a top four team consistently hovering between three and four most of the times fleetingly number two in the world a couple of times in the past ten years or so but you know how how Jamaicans are I mean you know you know they're happy that they can be ranked as high as three and four but you constantly hear this word a word that yeah we're tired of being three and four we need to be number one yes is is that a goal of yours yes definitely I mean that's a goal of mine the girls the association but we know it's going to take a lot of hard work to get there and definitely it's not just going to be a walkover it comes down to the last minute of persons really putting in the work from beforehand to make it easier on the day and ensuring that all different facets as I said in terms of all the persons that would want to be on board to ensure that we get we get we get the results that we want yeah Sasha gay when you look at this current sunshine girl setup I really want to talk about building for the 2027 World Cup because you've already started to speak about that and it's it's important because it's the World Cup yes and Jamaica desperately wants to win the netball World Cup yes but when I look at the best players we have there's a small concern for me and I wonder from your standpoint just how you see it so you look at the top players and their current age and the age they are expected to be in three years and we do have a graphic that I just want to go through quickly in terms of looking at that Romelda Akin 35 years old now she will be 38 at the time of the next World Cup Janille Fowler will be 37 Chinese Beckford 31 Nicole Rochester 32 Shamira Sterling 31 Jody and Ward 32 Kady and the Haney 30 Khadija Williams 32 those are key players right across the board from attack to the midcourt to the defense have you started having the conversations yet to get a feel from these players what their plans are and whether they plan to stick around for 20 27 can I say we have spoken and all of those players are willing to go in terms because they're all on selection so it's not a it's not a walk-in so they're all on selection we have we have a currently a squad here and we have a group training now which is the senior team also so we have 14 here and we have another set of the squad so it is a complimentary effort of everyone so definitely we want to build place because these players will not be here again for the next World Cup I mean yes and then age age can be a factor I stopped playing at 36 but but I'm just saying a power from New Zealand stop playing in her 40s I'm just saying but it all depends on the age and the longevity and after 36 no I don't think so but definitely you there's a blend so there's a blend there will be a blend of both young and the senior players so it comes down to the wire who is really performing because you want to really build a capacity in the younger ones because you don't know we might not even have some of them for the World Cup hoping we can have everybody healthy yes but we don't know what will happen but definitely we're preparing the girls here and overseas I know you left out real to she's another one that is overseas yes real at the fast five last night right and I realize you don't have Shimano well because of her age so Shimano is so young that okay okay for her to be there in 2027 so these are the ones who are going to be over 30 by the time we get to the next World Cup so let me get clear so you are saying you've gotten a commitment from these players that they're at least willing to push themselves to 2027 whether they get selected or not is a different thing right that's that's the take because they're all on selection I mean we're not the young ones might just rise and and and the good thing about it now is that we're going to be having a lot of home games so we are going to be putting in these young girls so to understand the atmosphere and to get used to the playtime you know unlike the others that are overseas who play in a sort the right atmosphere that we'll always play in so definitely the fact that netball Jamaica now is looking to have a lot of series coming on board both home and away it's good thing for our youngsters to just step in and do great job you know sometimes I wish I could take Paula Thompson and make her about 10 or 15 years younger she could go now she could continue right now she could yes yes well Jamaica could use her in the center court and that is to take nothing away from the girls who are there because I think they have improved with each passing year but it is still a problem the midcourt for Jamaica and I think that the Sunshine Girls have lost many matches because of the deficiencies in midcourt how do we fix it I mean you just have to ensure that you try to be as tactical in terms of your preparation and technical in terms of your preparation to getting these girls to understand they will put in them under the pressure that they would be ensuring and ensuring that they're fit and ready you know to compete do you think it's an area that we can get right by 2020 it's an area it's an area definitely that we can get right and it's an area that we must get right is it your biggest area of concern when you look at the overall squad for me I love center court I'm a center court process I think for me maybe it's going to be a plus in terms of you know putting in the work in that particular area yes yeah I'm Sasha gave talk to us about the rivals that you will contend with because Jamaica's bid to top of the New Zealand's and Australia's of this world would mean that you have to study them carefully we were planning to have a chat with Tracy and Griffith the Empire who was at the Vitality Nations Cup in England a couple of weeks ago where you had Australia England New Zealand and Uganda right I'm not sure how much you looked at that series but your job right now will include taking a close look at the Australians and the New Zealanders and the English team they the England roses they call them roses right yes and what they are doing strategically right for you to topple them right how much do you plan to see a lot of their games and study what they are doing to topple them because I'm sure they're looking at the Jamaicans and I realize you leave out Uganda the Africans they are right on us so I mean they're playing exceptionally well yes so they were a part of the vitality I think they finished fourth but they did give New Zealand for the third place player yes yes and they did give Australia good push too so I mean for us right now is just to ensure that we have footage of all the games that they play you know and try to see how best we can look at what are the things that they do best how they counteract what type of pressure they use on defense and in terms of how can how can we create strategies to stop their attack yeah I want to I want to get from you as well Sasha gay the thinking behind the professional players now in the Jamaican setup okay getting an opportunity to play in the Suncorp league because obviously and you just referenced the fact that these girls who are playing in the Suncorp league now understand fully what it means to be playing in an arena right with thousands of fans shouting and that the energy for the sport being significantly greater than than they would experience in in the Caribbean do you consider so many players being away on professional duties a huge plus for Jamaica's thrust to the number one spot or does it create a problem for you because you don't have them for extended periods at home training in the way that you want them to train well it can look we can look at it in two ways so for me it's good it's really good to have them in that type of atmosphere yes well what we want is that we want to ensure that before our competitions the major ones we have them before a certain time right so that they can the other girls can get a feel of them and get into that atmosphere and trying to understand how they play and trying to understand the girls to and to see what best works with us so definitely the good thing is that they get a calendar of events so the managers overseas will know when we want them yes so it's it's just for them to be available at that time yeah the reason why I asked that just a couple of days ago we were having a football discussion here on the show and we were making the point that a lot of times when our overseas stars get big contracts like a Leon Bailey now in Aston Villa it is difficult for him to come back into the Jamaica national team and and flourish and shine and be comfortable in the way that you see him on television for Aston Villa because that's his club that's a team he's playing with seven days per week right and Jamaica is like no a side team right so it's part of the reason why I put that to you yeah it can bring a struggle but when we have competitions for example we have an international competition coming in November our girls finish in July August it's good that they finish so early so we can have them back before that major competition so when major competitions we have to just look at the time that they that we need them and to ensure that that dialogue is taken place so that they can be released or yeah plus Lance you need to understand that the sunshine girls have a way of playing and that for the most part does not change and so when your players overseas return to the system it's very simple are you suggesting that the Rigid boys don't have a way of playing we're not talking about the Rigid boys here's what I do want to talk about though with with Sasha Gay so we've spoken a lot about the traditional format of netball but I realized from the press release when you were announced as the new head coach that you have an all-in-compassing job to develop Jamaica's netball and you spoke to it as well in terms of the pathway but fast five the last time you were around the sunshine girls got to the final let's get this clear when Sasha Gay was co-coach the sunshine girls did really well so you do have a good track record 6th and 5th at the two fast five tournaments since you left the job you know it it can be a little tricky because if you look at some of the teams that are sent and and yes and also the fact that the competitions are so close so we might have a major competition that we want some of the girls to go so we have to try to build other players capacity so we want to send the younger one sometimes so that could be a problem the fact that we are not playing fast five here a lot can also be an issue where I think netball Jamaica will have to revisit but what I love though is that the elite league actually encompasses a bit of the fast five yeah so it's not to its entirety no no the elite league so they have zones no where you can shoot so you can shoot from close you can shoot from far so it's not fast five but they try to incorporate right so that makes it good so it's just that let me say netball Jamaica is really strapped so in terms of having coaches to coach early in the season to get these girls ready they may not be able they're not in a position sometimes to afford the team to be training for a long period the recent team with Sean and Nicole they their preparation started very late so those are some of the problems they don't have the money to take on a coach to have these girls in training for nutrition and for transportation whatever so it's definitely a big impact where finance is in terms of allowing these girls to get the required training so money is a big deal for us yeah one of the things I would suggest is you usually have rallies one-day rallies ahead of major tournaments in Jamaica that maybe some of those rallies could be fast five format that's one thing second thing is you seem to have the gift of convincing some of the senior players to give the fast five tournament one more go ahead of the world cup and maybe Jamaica can go for the double I mean so we have a problem this year so we have a tournament that is in November and fast five is in November so we have to weigh the pros and cons so we have an international it's not announced yet but it's going to be a home and away tour I don't think they've finished finalizing all the details and it's going to be a big one so what do we do because one is the eight and I think I'm not sure of the other date for the other one so that is going to be a challenge so right now we have to start our preparations and there is no money to pay the coaches for the fast five I'm just saying you know I get where you're going but but I would like to win fast five yes definitely it's a fun game it's exciting yes yes definitely we'd want to win that one can I volunteer to coach I mean from once you have the skills you come and you do your you apply and you know there's a process he has cricket and track and field skills he loves it well it's been a pleasure speaking with you and we really do wish you all the best in this job we have no doubt that it will be tough but we also know that if anyone can get it done you are one of those women who can do just that so all the best thank you very much yeah Sasha gay Henry the new head coach of Jamaica's sunshine girls and they are looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup where they are looking to snatch that gold medal for the first time ever stay with us we have a lot more to come on the Sportsmax zone including a look at the corporate area championships which will be live on Sportsmax next week Friday and Saturday they launched the event yesterday that was Wednesday and we'll have the details after this