MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC – Dynamic Jamaica goal attack Shanice Beckford said she was made an offer that she could not refuse to play in the Super Netball League in Australia and was now looking forward to her first season.
The 29-year-old was all set to step away from professional netball after winning a bronze medal with the Sunshine Girlz in the World Cup last year in South Africa, but the offer to play in the SNL for the West Coast Fever was too good to turn down.
“I was looking towards playing less netball, but I guess the netball gods won’t allow me to,” she said. Beckford said.
“It was a surprise (the Fever offer). I wasn’t looking toward getting a contract at this point in my career, so it was nerve-wracking and exciting.
“But I’ve always wanted to come over and play in the SNL because it’s one of the highest standards a netballer could possibly play in.”
Beckford is likely to feel right at home with the Fever in Perth, Western Australia, because her Sunshine Girlz teammates Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Kadie-Ann Dehaney, another new Fever recruit, are part of this year’s squad.
“I’m loving the environment,” she said. “I have Jhaniele and Kadie-Ann here, but everyone has been very welcoming, and everything has been so good so far.
“(Pre-season) is totally different from what I’m used to back home in Jamaica in terms of training and the times. The first two weeks have been tough—learning the Fever standards, the Fever way of doing things.”
She added: “Back home, I would have to train in the evenings after work, but here, I don’t have to work because this is work.
“But I’m finding it pretty interesting because it’s a different level and different type of structure, and I think that’s what has been missing from my game. It’s a new level (of performance) for me to unlock.”
Beckford said she was prepared to rise to the challenge of a new playing environment, where consistency and getting used to new playing rules will be necessary. She will draw upon her experience playing for Northumbria in the Netball Super League in the United Kingdom about nine years ago.
“I know this league is different from the English league, but having an opportunity over there will help me in terms of living away from home for a long period, traveling, and just having an insight into what is expected in these high-quality environments,” she said.
“On-court, it will be about staying consistent in combinations and doing the necessary work to make the most of the Super Shot period.
“Off-court, it’s the recovery stuff in terms of getting the fuel that I need because sometimes we can get so lost in training and playing that we neglect the downtime that we need, like going to the beach and getting refreshed. I’m embracing the journey; whatever comes, I’ll take it head-on.”
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