LIVERPOOL, England — Jodi-Ann Ward’s interest in netball was sparked in unorthodox fashion, some would argue.

But Jamaica’s talented defensive player has hardly looked back since giving up her first love — track and field — for the appeal of the nifty garb in a netball player’s locker room.

“I started playing netball in sixth grade,” Ward, a member of the Sunshine Girls’ squad in England for the Netball World Cup, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“At first I was doing track and field — I didn’t know anything about netball until we were in general devotion and I saw the girls leaving for a match. I liked how they dressed,” she said sheepishly before failing to suppress a burst of laughter.

“From there I got the interest to play netball,” the 24-year-old Ward, who can play at either goal defence or wing defence, said.

She explained that it developed into more than an interest after leaving Moneague Primary for Marcus Garvey Technical and later Dinthill Technical.

“In high school we didn’t play much netball at Marcus, but I got involved with club teams in and around Moneague, so there I realised that I loved the game.”

According to Ward, the netball transition was not all a bed of roses.

“At first I thought netball was easier than track and field in terms of the training. But when I got more involved I realised it wasn’t really easier. It’s just not the kind of long running you do in track and field.”

Embarking on her first World Cup, the versatile defender is not totally certain of what’s ahead, but feeling confident that the experience garnered during the Sunshine Girls’ bronze medal finish at last year’s Commonwealth Games has placed her in good stead.

“It [the Commonwealth Games] was very much nerve racking because it was my first major championship. I didn’t really know much about the international stage. I did participate in the Barbados home series and that sort of prepared me for the international scene, but the Commonwealth Games was bigger and there was a lot more people there.

“This championship is another step up but having that international experience helps a lot coming here in terms of nerves. I don’t think I’ll be that nervous again. I’m excited, it’s my first World Cup and I’m looking forward to [giving] good performances,” said Ward who plays for Severn Stars in England’s Super League.

The Sunshine Girls are scheduled to open their World Cup account against Fiji tomorrow.

—Sanjay Myers