Sterling-Humphrey wants to lead from the front

Sunshine Girls captain Shamera Sterling-Humphrey says her best is yet to come in the national colours of Jamaica, as she plans to deliver an outstanding showing for the country at this month’s Commonwealth Games Championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
The championships will be held from July 23 to August 2, with Jamaica aiming to build on their historic silver-medal finish at the previous Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
Sterling-Humphrey, who is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in world netball, said she is determined to translate the outstanding form she has displayed in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball League onto the international stage.
“I feel like Shamera hasn’t performed her best yet at the international level like I performed in the Suncorp Super Netball, and so I am looking forward to this Commonwealth Games to perform,” Sterling-Humphrey said.
The experienced defender enjoyed another exceptional season with the Adelaide Thunderbirds, helping the Australian club capture its third consecutive Suncorp Super Netball League title alongside fellow Sunshine Girl defender Latanya Wilson.
Despite recently returning to competition after giving birth, Sterling-Humphrey noted that she is ready to make a major impact at the tournament for the Sunshine Girls.
“I am just coming back from having a baby, and I won’t be hard on myself, but I know my capabilities, and I know what I can do on court, and so I am really looking forward to having a great tournament,” she said. “I am going to do my very best because I am a very competitive person, and so I am going to give it my all.”
The Commonwealth Games will mark Sterling-Humphrey’s third appearance at the multi-sport event, and according to her, captaining the Sunshine Girls remains one of the greatest honours of her career.
“It is always an honour to captain the Sunshine Girls because I feel like over the years, I have been working on my leadership skills. And then being named the co-captain of the Adelaide Thunderbirds, I think that all of what I have learnt in Australia, I can take that back to the team where leadership is concerned,” Sterling-Humphrey said. 
She highlighted that although the Sunshine Girls have not had extensive time together as a full squad, she is confident the training camp in England will help strengthen the team’s combinations before the tournament begins.
“I think we have a great chance of winning the Commonwealth Games, and so I am just excited to see the work that we put out on court, even though we haven’t been playing together for a long time,” Sterling-Humphrey said. 
“We have not had enough preparation together as a team, but we are here camping in England so that we can build those connections.”
Sterling-Humphrey also indicated that consistency and discipline will be vital if Jamaica is to challenge for the gold medal.
“I think the consistency from the team is going to be key, and being disciplined and also adjusting to the umpires, because sometimes I think that we don’t have the umpires on our side, and that is sport,” she pointed out. “Everything is not going to be in our favour, and so we just need to stay disciplined and just adjust to the umpiring.”