Team Jets Captain Jacy Brown is set to return for the islands netball side this weekend as the team fly away for another double game weekend!
Dan Andrade caught up with the netball star about her return, her thoughts on this current Jets side and the goals she has set herself for the season!
Firstly, how happy are you to be back playing netball? How much have you missed it?
I have missed netball massively over the past couple of years, with the pandemic and my pregnancy. I have been up coaching the girls whenever it’s been possible, but I am a terrible spectator and would always rather be on court in the thick of it! I’m eager to get back to it, however have mixed feelings of nerves and excitement!
What is this squad looking like compared to other squads you’ve been apart of?
The squad is in a good place. The thing with Jersey is that every year we are losing talented players to the UK and further a field. It’s just the nature of the beast. However, it does mean we start to mould younger players and they get the opportunity to play in a really strong league. It seems like a nice mix of experienced players along with some fresh faces in the current squad.
What were your thoughts on the first few games – one loss + one win. How did the girls feel after those games?
I wasn’t there to watch the game but from feedback from the girls the first game was a pretty tough pill to swallow. They did really well to put out a performance the next day and get a win against a physical side. Having not played competitively in a couple of years to go and play a double header is really tough so I’ve said to the girls to learn from it, put the first game to bed and move on.
How important is it build upon the win in the second game this weekend?
We have two really tough games this weekend (both haven’t lost a game), but it makes sense geographically to play two Poole based teams. I think we need to take positives from the game against Mavericks and try and play two different styles against each team. We have a decent squad and will need to play 15 minutes at a time, re-evaluate, make necessary changes and go for another 15!
Has the gap between the games helped you prepare well for this weekends fixtures?
As I mentioned previously, both teams are very different this weekend. Poole will be fast with some very young players in their squad. Wimbourne Aquarians are a very tactical and experienced team! We are going to have to tap into different abilities and skills that each individual can offer over the weekend! It is exciting to be exposed to these very good sides so we just need to go out and enjoy it and give it everything we’ve got!
How buzzing are you personally to step back onto the court and play a competitive match again?
I have mixed emotions. Although I am feeling good I’m sitting at about 70% of my overall fitness. I would usually be able to go out and play 2 games at centre and not think twice about it. I’m going to have to play smart and use my energy reserves wisely! I’m so excited to be back out playing with the girls, but also nervous. I’m going to try and not put too much pressure on myself and hopefully muscle memory will kick in!
A quick word on how much you would like home fixtures to return soon – how much would that mean to the team?
Of course I would love us to reach national status again and for us to experience home games and playing in front of a supporting crowd. We also have to be realistic too and South West Regional is a very strong league. There are still England squad players making appearances in some of the teams! Also, looking at the scores each week, every score line is so tight. Therefore we just need to take each game as it comes, do a job, and hopefully the results will follow. It won’t be a walk in the park and we will have to work so hard to make promotion a possibility.
Finally, what are your personal goals for the rest of the season?
I think my main aim is to gradually work up to my optimum fitness levels. I tend to get so nervous and carry a lot of emotion when playing and training so with this in mind I would also like to relax ever so slightly and enjoy playing netball again after a couple of years out!
Good luck to Jacy and all at the Jets this weekend!!
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