Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
PITTERSON
AFTER COACHING Jamaica to their first ever defeat at the Under-16 Netball Championships, many a pundit doubted the ability of Oberon Pitterson to lead a national senior netball team.
On Sunday night, when Jamaica eked out a nailbiting one-point victory over England to win a closely-fought three-Test series at the National Indoor Sports Centre, the former national player began the process of laying those doubts to rest.
Fully aware of those doubts Pitterson spoke to The Gleaner about what the win meant for her as a new coach.
"The result speaks for itself. I'm not going to say that I'm the best person. Maybe I'm not, but I've been put in this situation and I'm going to do the best that I can," Pitterson said.
"If doing my best means winning, then that's good. I've now experienced what it is like to be on the bench as a coach in a tight situation and I can only learn from the experience," she added.
GROWTH
Pitterson admitted that losing as coach at the Under-16 Championships was disappointing, but she thinks even that was a good thing for her growth as a coach.
"I was in that same tight situation last year with the Under-16s and it didn't turn out so well, but I was confident that it was just a matter of learning and adjusting and making the right choices at the right times," she said.
While she is happy that she can bask in the glory of having won her first series as coach, she did take the time to point out that the kudos should more importantly go to the players.
"I have to credit the ladies even though I'm the coach. When it comes game time it's players who perform. During the match there is so much I can do and no more, they have to finish it, but I'm glad that I was able to help them, to lead them on their way to this victory," said Pitterson, who said she knew her team had the ability to beat the England team.
"After the first game I knew that we didn't play up to par, but I was confident that we could have had this," she said. "This is undoubtedly the start of better things to come."
