New Reggae Girl Ashley learning from international experience

Real Mona’s Shanae Ashley has been enjoying her time with the senior Reggae Girlz, and the Jamaican youth international has learnt, first hand, what it means to be in a professional football environment.

“Training with the Reggae Girlz so far has been really good. The training is really fun and there are some great players,” she told The Gleaner.

“I love being in camp with them and learning from them, seeing how they train and what they eat and stuff like that. It’s been really professional.”

Ashley was handed a senior Reggae Girlz call-up by head coach Hubert Busby for the final two games of the Concacaf W Qualifiers to replace Jody Brown, who had withdrawn from the squad.

Ashley plays for Real Mona in the Jamaica Women’s Premier League (JWPL), Merl Grove High in schoolgirl football, and is a member of Reinas Academy, one of the island’s leading women’s football academy.

A versatile player, Ashley is a rising talent and has represented Jamaica at various age-group levels, with her most recent national duty being at the Concacaf Women’s U20 Qualifiers last year.

She said receiving a call-up to the senior squad has been a major confidence boost and she hopes she can cement her place in the programme for the years to come.

Ashley is ready to learn from her more experienced teammates and bring that experience back to her school and club, where she can inspire others as the team captain.

“Training with the Reggae Girlz senior team has been really inspirational because this is a big boost in my confidence,” she explained.

“Training with them will let me bring back my experience to my team and to Merl Grove, because I assist Neo Oxford with the Merl Grove High School team and the girls listen to me. With that, I can help them and whatever I learn from the senior team, I’ll take and bring it back there.”

Neo Oxford, head coach of Reinas Academy, said Ashley has been one of the leaders at the academy and said her national call-up will be a beacon to the other girls.

Oxford has been Ashley’s coach since she was 11 years old, and is proud to have seen her growth in the sport.

“I’ve had Shania Ashley from when she was 11 years old. I’ve taught her everything about football, and to see where she is now is remarkable,” Oxford said.

“What has also happened is that she’s been around all of these girls since they have been young. They’ve grown up watching her growth and she continues to teach them. Having somebody like that in your age group, your peer, getting called to a senior team is massive for the younger girls. They now have something to really aim for.”

Oxford’s words echoed those of Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby, who said Ashley’s inclusion in the camp is a credit to the improvement of local women’s football in Jamaica and believes she can be an inspiration to her peers.

“I think what’s really important now is, we look and identify some of these young players who can come in and not just necessarily compete right now, but can train to raise their level to see what it’s like,” Busby said.

“If we can help guide those young players, and then she can leave that environment and go back to her environment and inspire other people, because then she raises standards within her environment, and we hope that that sort of reciprocates across.”

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com