Netball: Long check-in wait means super-fit Ferns

By JULIE ASH

A word of advice: if you are behind Silver Ferns physio Sharon Kearney at the airport check-in counter, change lanes.

Chances are she is going to be a while.

"I travel with a lot of gear. I travel like a physio clinic, so I have machinery as well as beds," she said.

"We spread the bags around, but I tend to have about seven."

Kearney, who works with team doctor Judy Goulden, has a long history with the Silver Ferns and has been a regular on the sideline on and off for 10 years.

She has also been to three world netball youth cups with New Zealand and has worked with soccer and netball clubs.

"The Silver Ferns are good to work with," she said.

"They are all really good at looking after themselves."

Any world championship is demanding on players, but the location of this year's event in Jamaica has given teams an extra challenge.

However, a visit to Jamaica in 1994 gave Kearney an idea of what to expect.

"You have to ensure you have absolutely everything for any condition you might possibly encounter," she said.

"Chances are that if you run out of something or need something, you won't be able to find it.

"The climate is obviously a big issue.

"We do hot and colds for recovery [players alternate between hot and cold water] so we travel with big bins in which they can stand after the game.

"It tends to help with the recovering process by aiding in getting rid of lactic acid, which can build up."

Ice jackets are not something the Silver Ferns usually wear, but in Jamaica they have almost become part of the team's regular attire.

Players use them before matches and during breaks.



"Coming into this sort of environment, we wouldn't want to minimise the athletes from overheating," Kearney said.

"The ice jacket ensures that when they are off the court they have a cool environment so we can keep their heat production level to a minimum."

The team follow a strict injury prevention programme to avoid the ankle and knee damage common in netball.

"As soon as they come off court they do a warm-down. Then they do a stretch.

"While they are doing that they have their food recovery - we use smoothies, which have carbohydrates and protein."

One of the problem in Jamaica is dehydration, so players are weighed before and after each game to check for weight loss.

"If they lose more than 2 per cent of their body weight, it will affect their performance the next day by as much as 20 per cent," Kearney said.

Once they have been weighed, the players go into the changing rooms for the hot and cold procedure.

"Then we go back to the hotel, where they have a meal that will be geared towards recovery. Then we do a lot of massage."

The Silver Ferns are now halfway through the tournament, and Kearney said they were in good shape.

"They worked really hard in terms of fitness before coming here," she said.

"We set up a lot of systems before coming into camp to prevent injury, so they are all on injury-prevention programmes.

"They are great, though, really good."