NETBALLER Tricia Briggs, who came to national trials this year as a shooter but switched to the defensive circle, has made the Barbados netball team for the World Championships in New Zealand from November 10 to 17.
Briggs is among five debutantes in an inexperienced squad that leave today for Kingstown to play a three-game preparatory series against the St Vincent and Grenadines' national side tonight, tomorrow and Sunday morning.
The team were announced at a Press briefing at the headquarters of the team's sponsors Cable & Wireless in Wildey yesterday at which president of the Barbados Netball Association (BNA), Octavia Gibson, urged Barbadians to rally behind the team.
But in explaining how Briggs, who plays for Division 4 Brydens V8 Splash, secured her spot, head coach Harriett Waithe revealed there was a shortage of goalkeepers among the players at trials.
"She came with her first position being goal-attack but the group of players who came to training, they were no goalkeepers. One person was added about three weeks into training and that person was the only goalkeeper we had," Waithe said.
"We had to encourage players to play outside their positions because we had ten shooters in the squad and obviously ten shooters couldn't make the team. So out of the defensives who were trained to play the goalkeeper, she showed the most promise in that position," Waithe added.
The other first-timers, Structural Systems Silver Raiders' defensive duo of Natasha Bridgeman and Lisa Puckerin, Banks Spurs' centre Sabrina Smith and Carlton's goal-attack Therese-rea Clarke, the daughter of the late West Indies' fast bowler Keith Boyce.
Rangers' shooter Nikita Piggott makes a return after a three-year break while Laurel Browne, who lost her place for last year's qualifying matches at the Wildey Gymnasium, will be the first-choice goal-shooter in the absence of Lydia Bishop.
A captain has not yet been appointed but it is expected that the job will be handed to either the experienced mid-court player Don Small or veteran goal-defence Jacqueline Browne.
Browne will miss the trip to St Vincent as "a precautionary measure" and her place will be taken by Carlton's Nneka Archer, who along with PHD St Barnabas' Mellsia Browne and Ellerton's Salisha Auguste are the reserves.
Small, Banks Spurs' duo Kizzy Marville and Smith and Samantha Browne, the daughter of Jacqui, will be the mid-court quartet.
Prior to the tournament, the Bajans will have three warm-up matches in New Zealand against Singapore, the New Zealand Under-21 team and Cook Island.
Waithe, one of Barbados' most successful coaches, said she was looking to continue a trend of improving the national team's position.
"Every time I've taken a national team, they have improved on their position, so therefore I expect not only to remain in the top eight but probably go all the way to five," she said.
Accounts manager at Cable & Wireless Jo-Ann Haynes said the telecommunications giant, which will again be providing the team's uniforms, was pleased to be corporate partner with the BNA and wished the team a successful championship.
Squad
Natasha Bridgeman, Tricia Briggs, Jacqueline Browne, Laurel Browne, Samantha Browne, Therese-Rea Clarke, Colleen Griffith, Kizzy Marville, Nikita Piggott, Lisa Puckerin, Don Small, Sabrina Smith.
Officials - Nisha Cummings (manager), Harriett Waithe (coach), Sandra Bruce-Small (assistant coach), Llewellyn Harper (doctor), Terry Boyd (physiotherapist), Marion Johnson-Hurley (umpire).
Reserves: Nneka Archer, Salisha Auguste, Mellsia Browne.