"Of course I'm going to miss it, but that's a long way off, it's all about the team."
Wednesday 8 May 2019 08:12, UK
Departing head coach, Jess Thirlby is adamant that "it's all about the team" after Team Bath Netball marked her final home game in charge with a comprehensive victory.
The former player, and now head coach, will leave the franchise at the end of the season and has been a part of their set-up for two decades.
In 1999, Thirlby was first player to be approached to be part of the 'full-time' programme. She won her first Superleague title with them in 2006, and stepped up into the head coach role back in 2008.
Leading into the final round of the 2019 season, the franchise knew that they had to beat London Pulse in order to secure a top-four place, and they did so with one of their most clinical performances of the season.
"If I'm really honest, I'm just in the moment. I'm just trying to be really present with the group - that was a job [beating Pulse] that needed to be done and I'm so proud of all of them. We're where we want to be and where we expect to be," said Thirlby to Sky Sports on court.
"Of course I'm going to miss it, but that's a long way off, it's all about the team."
Thirlby told the franchise of her decision to leave back in November in order to give them time to get moving with the recruitment process to search for her successor.
The head coach's shoes are big ones to fill. Alongside her playing days in Blue and Gold, she has been part of four Superleague titles in a coaching capacity.
"[I've loved] the players that I've had the privilege of working with and the coaches that I've had the opportunity to be coached by as a player all those years ago," added Thirlby on court after their victory over Pulse.
"I've learnt my trade, and have been led by some fantastic people. I'll really miss that and miss the generations that I've worked with. It's just been a real honour.
"I've had the best seat in the house for a long time, and I think it's time that I handed that to someone else."
For Team Bath and Thirlby, their 2019 season has not finished yet. Instead, the semi-final meeting with Thunder will arrive in a flash and marks the opportunity for them to progress into their first Grand Final for six years.
The head coach hopes that her players' drive to achieve a sixth Superleague title isn't linked to her forthcoming departure.
"If they [the players] are relying on me leaving as motivation, then I've not done a good enough job," commented the head coach.
"It shouldn't be about me, it should be about Team Bath, and what the family and culture has always been about.
"We want to succeed and we want every individual to be the best that they can be, and collectively we need to be strong. We're going to be under the cosh [against Thunder] but we welcome that challenge."
Watch both of Vitality Netball Superleague semi-finals live on Sky Sports Mix and Action on Saturday, May 11 from 4.45pm. Also, Sky Sports will be showing every game of the 2019 Vitality Netball World Cup in July.
