Coach of Jamaica's junior Sunshine Girls, C. Lloyd Walker, believes the team can rise to the occasion at the upcoming World Youth Netball Championship in the Cook Islands.

"We have prepared well and we are now in our final stages of our preparations. We have completed the cognitive stages of learning, we have gone through the associative level and we are now into the advanced level," said Walker who took over the coaching duties from Janet Guy earlier this year.

"We have been training very hard and I can promise Jamaica that these girls will do well."

The team leaves on August 6 for the championships.

history of the girls

The Jamaicans finished fourth in the last championship, which was held in Florida four years ago. Prior to this the Junior Sunshine Girls won the silver medal at the 2000 championships in Wales. This team included the likes of national senior team captain Simone Forbes, Nichala Gibson, Kasey Evering, Althea Byfield and Tiffany Wolfe.

Goal shooter Romelda Aiken, who is the only returning member of the 2005 team, is expected to lead the junior Sunshine Girls up front. The 6' 5" Aiken captured her second consecutive Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the ANZ Championships, which is played in both Australia and New Zealand and ended two weeks ago. She was also a member of the senior team that won the bronze at the 2007 World Championships, held in New Zealand. Aiken, along with captain and goal attack Christina Solmon, who was also a member of that 2007 team, are two of the more experienced players.

Jamaica is also strong in defence with overseas-based player Afrika Morris at goal defence and the versatile Sashergaye Lynch at goal keeper. Lynch is a senior team invitee. Jamaica should also be strong at centre court with Sateva Taylor and Lassania Mattis, who were both part of the senior squad that won the Caribbean Championships last year.

In the build-up to this year's championship, the young Sunshine Girls were thrashed 3-0 by Australia. However, they rallied in their next series to defeat their England counterparts 2-1. The Jamaicans played without Aiken for both series. Walker noted the team is improving steadily.

reading the game

"We are now at the point where the players are now understanding themselves and they are also coordinating well with each other to the point where we can now look at our opponents and try to read their game and counter it," he said.

"We are definitely hoping to better our fourth-place finish in Florida four years ago. We are going to the Cook Islands to medal. I know exactly what we are going up against and I know exactly where our limitations are because we are going up against the superpowers of netball in the world.

Walker admitted there were some obstacles but said he saw them as stepping stones in the development of the players.

"Australia came and gave us a lesson in netball and we want to go there and show them that we have improved a lot from this. I am certain that the girls we have here are up for the challenge."

He pointed to Australia as Jamaica's main rivals because they are very experienced in all areas.

"We have not yet peaked in our development but we are getting there soon and we are still working on a bit of agility and some more flexibility," he added.

Walker concluded that he was pleased with make-up of his team and that the girls are very focused on the task ahead.

- R.B.