ISLANDER and England netball legend Serena Kersten is set for a new role coaching Jersey’s best players, following the retirement of Team Jets head coach Linda Andrews.
Ms Andrews has been the head coach of Team Jets since it was founded in 2005.
She officially stepped down at the end of the season, having worked alongside Mrs Kersten as part of an extended handover period.
Mrs Kersten, née Guthrie, won 100 England caps and captained the Roses on 28 occasions – including at the 2019 World Cup. She was also part of the side which won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and was voted the best centre-court player in world netball for 2015.
In 2019, the former Le Rocquier student was made an MBE for her services to netball.
Last year, Mrs Kersten retired from international and elite domestic netball and returned to the Island to start a family.
She said: ‘It’s exciting for me to be coaching the Jets, especially because this is a team that I hold very close to my heart. I’m passionate about Jersey netball and it’s where I started my career.
‘The goal going forward is the national and international leagues. I want to push the girls to their highest potential, to play in the highest league that they can, which might mean Premier League 2. There’s a lot of talent in the Island right now and we have a real chance of getting there again over the next couple of years.’
Ms Andrews – who is also president of the Jersey Netball Association – said she was leaving with ‘mixed emotions’ but feels comfortable ‘handing over the reins to Serena’.
