Niamh McCall is determined not to let the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games pass her by, having been a youngster in the squad at Gold Coast 2018.
For a start, the Strathaven 22-year-old hopes to get more game-time in England, but says having experience of being part of the squad four years ago will still stand her in good stead.
The Strathclyde Sirens star is part of Tamsin Greenway’s 12-strong Scottish Thistles squad for the competition, which starts against Australia on Saturday, July 30.
Scotland are also up against Jamaica, South Africa, Wales and Barbados in Group A, and know it is going to be a challenge.
But it’s one that McCall relishes.
“It can’t be put into words how exciting this is,” said Niamh.
“It’s the only competition that netball is a part of, that includes other sports, which comes with pressure in itself, but I can’t put into words how much this means to me.
“I’m overwhelmed, to be honest.
“I was selected last time for Gold Coast in 2018, when I was really young, really inexperienced, so to be selected now as one of the more experienced and senior players is really exciting.
“I really didn’t get a lot of game-time the last time, so it will be a completely new experience, being on court – fingers crossed – for a wee bit more than last time.
“Getting on court more would be insane.
“The team comes first, so whoever gets on court first knows they’ve got a job, and if the coach trusts me to do my job in my position, then that’s a massive achievement.
“But a wee bit experience even of being part of the squad [in 2018] does help. I was a wee bit immature to an extent, when I was younger, but seeing athletes who are number one in the world, and the physique and physicality that they bring is second to none.
“Going up against that, this time around, I hope I can stand up to them more.”
McCall joins a squad bursting with Lanarkshire talent and is one of six local players involved alongside East Kilbride’s Lynsey Gallagher, Coatbridge’s Kelly Boyle, Cambuslang’s Beth Goodwin, Biggar’s Emily Nichol and Emma Barrie of Stonehouse.
Having not had much time to play in Australia in 2018, McCall is looking to do the best she can, and hopes that in turn helps Thistles.
She said: “Personally, I want to focus on my own performance, and the opportunities that come from that.
“That would be the icing on the cake and that’s what I’m aiming for in Birmingham.”
With the Games so close to home – and at a distance Sirens are used to travelling regularly in the Superleague– it means more people can come to watch, even with some Covid restrictions still in place.
But McCall says that will mean a lot to her.
“My dad was the only person who could make it over to Gold Coast, so it will be really exciting to have my mum there and the rest of my family to see me on that big platform,” she said.
“They’ve seen me sacrifice so much, and I’ve sacrificed time with them to go to training, so for them to see the output of that would be amazing.”
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