ONE basketball adage is that ‘white men can’t jump’, and it’s the same in netball.

Jill McIntosh, technical director of Jamaica’ netball team, has devised several plans to beat her home country, Australia, and one of them is to play a fast and high ball game.

“The Jamaican players have that beautiful flair, beautiful aerial ability, the ability to jump high so they can play a different game where the ball is put higher,” said McIntosh.

“Australians can’t jump that high; they use a lower pass and a faster pass. The talent in Jamaica is wonderful, the talent is different. We are built differently, hence we play the game differently,” revealed McIntosh, who arrived in Jamaica on March 1 to prepare the Sunshine Girls for the World Championship in Singapore in July.

“But both teams are equally talented and… skilled, which makes the contest between the two… more enthralling. All things being well, Australia and Jamaica should meet in the semi-final of the World championship and it is shaping up to be an awesome contest,” said the former Australia head coach.

In January, Jamaica and Australia drew 1-1 in a three-Test series. Australia won the first, 63-51, the second was tied, 49-49, and Jamaica won the third, 54-51, to share the series.

Over the years the Jamaicans have been accused of being too aggressive on the court, but McIntosh believes that could be a positive.

“It can be very much a plus if they play in the confines of the rules. You can’t be aggressive and make errors and be penalised by the umpires,” she noted.

As for the preparations for the World Championships, McIntosh said it is going quite well.

“It has been going very well. We’re having training session with the entire squad. We also have training session with reduced squads in specialist areas of the court with the respective specialist coaches.

“The players have being working very hard and they also have a fitness specialist… it’s not an easy process to get to the World Championships and we have to make sure that every facet of their preparation are covered so far,” she pointed out.

When McIntosh came to Jamaica, she pointed out three weak areas the Sunshine Girls will have to address if they are going to topple the top two teams in the world — Australia and New Zealand. These are their fitness level, work ethic and mental side.

“When the Sunshine Girls are challenged and when they get to the World Championship when the pressures are coming and they are feeling stress, the players would have handled that in their training sessions and in the match it won’t be an issue,” said McIntosh.

Meanwhile McIntosh, whose stay in Jamaica was made possible by Scotiabank, said she is enjoying every moment of it.

“I have been to Jamaica many times and it is lovely. This time I am enjoying the weather, because it is just beautiful. On previous times is was very hot, it is just lovely now,” she said.