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  • 1 year ago
Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 Netballers have begun planning for the Netball World Cup one year out from the competition. After qualifying for the competition recently, Coach of the team Kalifa Mc Collin has had time to reflect on the performance of the team. She indicated they will be aiming to finish in the top 10 in the World Cup, but added there's lots of work to do.
Transcript
00:00Are netball teams in this region closing the gap on Trinidad and Tobago?
00:05Following the Under-19 Netball World Cup Qualifier which took place in Guadalupe, coach of the
00:09team Khalifa McCullin-Lopez was asked if she was concerned about the close margin of scores
00:15in the tournament, especially against the Barbados which they lost 45-44, a team they
00:21may have easily defeated in the past.
00:23Well, I had them for three months, you know, so it was really interesting to see them against
00:30those very competitive squads, you know, so I am, yes, I am happy that the gap is closing
00:38because most times you play those teams, it ends in a blowout, so, you know, having that
00:42sort of competitiveness within the region I think is always a good thing.
00:47In one of the matches TNT defeated the hosts Guadalupe 1-0-6 to 4, McCullin says she was
00:52happy with the win but needed to emphasise the importance of humility to the players.
00:57For me, again, I would have seen on court, I saw some of our players, you know, celebrating
01:05and I think it was kind of like a slap to the face for the other team, so when they
01:09came off on, I think that was in the third quarter, I had to, you know, pull them up
01:13about it because, again, though we are here to win, they are also developing, they are
01:19a developing nation and you don't want to put anybody down regardless of what the score
01:23looks like.
01:24So, you know, after the match I spoke to the coaches and, you know, I just let them know
01:28that they were doing a fantastic job and keep working towards, you know, their goals.
01:34Now that they've qualified for the World Cup, they are hoping to have a few more warm-up
01:38matches before the tournament which takes place next year in Gibraltar.
01:43McCullin-Lopez added their goal is to get into the top 10 and that requires tough training.
01:50So, we definitely are going to focus on fitness and strength, so strength and conditioning.
01:57Again, the international standard is miles above what we have regionally, so we definitely
02:04have to ensure that those girls are strong enough and fit enough in preparation for Gibraltar.
02:11We have to tighten up on our structures, our set plays and things like that.
02:17But again, most of the focus in the upcoming months are going to be on finding a gym, ensuring
02:23that these girls are on a rigorous gym program.
02:27This is her first stint at coaching the national team and she explains her decision behind
02:32taking up the post on a volunteer basis.
02:35One of the reasons why I would have picked up the offer to coach the team was because
02:42I definitely wanted those girls to have a different experience than I did.
02:46I wanted to ensure that it was a healthy space for them to flourish and I hope that
02:54that is the type of impact that I made, as well as the other members of the coaching staff.
03:02What about you? Are you done playing?
03:07Excellent question.
03:08Only time will tell.
03:09That is all I can say right now.
03:11Only time will tell.
03:13So, are you looking forward to a new contract?
03:17How are you keeping yourself active in the meantime?
03:20Well, I know, obviously, you're coaching, but are you still playing?
03:23So, at the moment, I play in my home club, Soul City Sports and Cultural Club.
03:29So, I attend UTT.
03:31I play with UTT as well.
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