With the theme ‘Play it with passion, live it with pride’, Netball Jamaica yesterday named a 14-member Sunshine Girls squad for the Supreme Ventures Sunshine series against England.

The team will comprise of six shooters, five mid-court players and three defenders. Another defender, Malysha Kelly, was also named to the team, but will not feature in the series because of an aggravated injury.

The three-match series will be played on January 10, 11 and 13 at the National Indoor Sports Centre and will be used to bolster the Sunshine Girls’ preparations for their Gold Rush Down Under campaign at the Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, later this year.

Head coach Minneth Reynolds told the Jamaica Observer that Netball Jamaica is in negotiations with Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados as it hopes to contest another series before the start of the World Cup.

“We are working on it but not much to say at present, but we are certainly looking for another series.

“This (series) really gives us as coaches a feedback as to where we are in terms of our preparation; where our strengths and weaknesses lie. So it is a very important series for us because we are really using it as a benchmark to judge our player readiness, and what it is that we need to do in order to get us better prepared for the World Championships,” she said.

Reynolds expressed confidence that the team, mixed with youth and experience, can deliver a series win.

“A lot is expected of us this series and I know the public and our sponsors expect nothing less than a win. So our plan is simply to deliver nothing less than a win,” she said, while addressing a presentation ceremony at the Courtleigh Hotel yesterday.

The veteran coach revealed that the team had to overcome numerous obstacles, but is now ready for the series.

“One of our motivational taglines is ‘whatever it takes’. During our preparations we had numerous challenges, but we did not let that stop us from preparing for the series,” she said.

“From time to time I would say to the ladies, champions do not become champions when they win an event. But the hours, weeks, months and years they spent preparing for it demonstrate that they are real champions.”

Captain Nicole Aiken-Pinnock is pleased with the balance of the team.

“Everybody will be given a chance to go out there and play, which is very good, and the team has depth, which is important. So if the coach makes any changes, then whomever is coming on to the court should be able to deliver just the same,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Aiken-Pinnock, like her coach, expressed confidence that the team can deliver a win.

“We are very confident, and I have to give credit to England because they always give us a challenge on the court. But we definitely know that we can win the series and we are going to win the series,” she added.

Meanwhile, Carlene Edwards, sponsorship and public relations manager of title sponsors Supreme Ventures Limited, said her company is proud to be “aligned” with the Sunshine Girls as they are destined for “great things”.

Edwards also announced that her company will be contributing $1,000 to St Richard’s Primary for every goal scored by the Sunshine Girls in any winning game. The proceeds will go towards their netball programme.