Netball: Silver Ferns training to handle Games pressure

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Adopting the right mindset to cope with the unpredictable environment in Delhi has been the key focus for the Silver Ferns this week as their Commonwealth Games build-up gathers pace.

After a disappointing 2-1 test loss to Australia earlier in the month, the Ferns squad reconvened in Auckland this week, turning their attention solely on defending their title next month.

The series against the Diamonds, as well as earlier hit-outs against Jamaica and Samoa, gave the Ferns a chance to test several different line-ups and Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken said her side had continued to strengthen their combinations over the past week.

Preparing for the "what-ifs?" becomes even more important under tournament conditions, where the rapid-fire games leave little time in between matches to readjust to any setbacks.

"We certainly looked at continuing to develop those other combinations, looking at the what-ifs in Delhi in terms of if people are struck down, we need to have confidence in a number of lines," said Aitken.

The recent series against Australia raised questions over the Ferns' composure and execution under pressure, with the New Zealand side seemingly lacking an ability to adjust their play when plan A hits a snag.

Aitken said her side had looked closely at how they could better respond to adversity in the heat of battle.

"We did a lot of work on our contingency plans in terms of ensuring you can play if someone is being shut down or if an opposition decides to not allow you to do a particular thing. We're looking at how we can respond more appropriately and more quickly to the barriers."

But it isn't just the on-court variables the Ferns have to address before they board the plane to Delhi.

A fastidious planner, Aitken is known for her attention to detail and ensuring her teams are prepared for every eventuality.

The lead-up to the Commonwealth Games has been dogged by security concerns and health and safety issues and the players will certainly be aware, if not unnerved, by these issues bubbling away on the periphery.

Then there are the questions over the fitness of the venue, with representatives from IFNA, netball's governing body, giving the stadium far from glowing reports. Netball Australia's technical delegate Lindy Murphy described the Thyagaraj Sports Complex as "a shambles" and claimed the court surface was not level.

Aitken said the Delhi tournament "certainly presents a lot of challenges" but her side had spoken a lot this week about making sure they adopted the right mindset to deal with all the unknowns.

"You can never prepare for the myriad things that could go wrong, so you kind of have to just get a little template I suppose about the way you want to operate as a team," she said.

"We were just looking at agreeing on a bit of a mindset and ensuring if it was something that was impacting on our performance that we are able to regroup and do what we need to do."

After this week's four-day camp, the players have returned home for a week, before they reassemble on Friday to fly out to Singapore.

The team will spend a week in Singapore acclimatising to the heat and putting the finishing touches on their campaign, before flying across to Delhi two days before the opening ceremony.