#YemziGirl Interview March, Sasha Corbin, Professional Netball Player
Please describe what you do, where you are from (and your age if you feel comfortable)
My name is Sasha Corbin, I was born and raised in Tottenham, London. I have a Caribbean background from both Jamaica and Barbados. I am a full time netball player playing for Saracens Mavericks and the England Roses.
Was it watching your Mum compete in Netball matches as a young girl or compulsory P.E lessons that triggered your interest in playing the sport professionally?
Watching my mum be physically active in a sport she loved was super inspiring growing up. My mum never pushed me into playing netball in fact my mum gave me a menu of sports try and netball wasn’t one of them. Maybe subconsciously watching her play it gave the sport the edge in my mind however, it most definitely was my school teacher and PE lessons that sealed the deal. I’d never played netball properly before going to secondary school.
Have you been focussed on netball from the beginning or did you have a plan B?
I knew I loved performing so I don’t think it mattered how I done it. I loved dance, drama & sports, mainly athletics, because I really wanted to go to the Olympics. However, when I found myself progressing and playing at a higher level for England at Under 19 level, I started to take netball very seriously and slowly it became my dream to play for the senior team.
What does it mean to be captain of your team?
I am currently the Saracens Mavericks captain and honestly it is an absolute privilege to lead such a fantastic group of athletes at a club that is close to my heart. I have strengths and weaknesses like any other person but what’s exciting is that we have many leaders in our team.
What does your training regime look like?
Training can be intense, weeks do vary but usually we have to fit in 2 weights sessions, 2/3 netball team trainings, 1 speed and agility session, 1 endurance session, a few wall work sessions, recovery sessions and of course we play matches once or twice a week. We are looking at about 20hrs of training a week.
Do you have to limit yourself on your tasty traditional dishes to keep in shape?
It’s funny because over the years I’v become so much more disciplined with my food choices. I eat to fuel, I need the energy to be able to perform at the highest level consistently. I still love my Caribbean dishes, I have a thing for Thai and seafood at the moment so I’ll keep blessing the pallets with these flavours. At the moment I get a lot of my meals from mindful chef, they deliver a box to my house and I just cook the ingredients. It works for me and my busy schedule. I allow myself to have 1 treat meal or cheat snack ie (minstrels or skittles lol) every now and then.
You've played Netball in countless countries across the world! What has been your most memorable place to play?
Playing netball I have visited some amazing counties, we've played in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malwi, Barbados & Jamaica to name my top few. Its hard to name just one but I was lucky enough to play in a New Zealand for a season and I got to experience some hidden gems in that country. The sport is booming over there and I just never knew how beautiful the people and country was.
Tell us about #SoloSessions…
Solo Sessions is a real passion of mine, I set up a youtube channel ‘Sasha Corbin - Solo Sessions UK’ purely to share netball training ideas so that players would know what to do if they wanted to polish their skills away from their team. Netball is a team sport and the reality is you can’t train with your team every day of the week. Solo Sessions has now ventured on where I coach schools, clubs, university teams, 1:1’s as a tool to inspire and motivate players. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter too @SoloSessionsUK
Which skills have you learned on court which have been transferable off-court?
Leadership, patience, dealing with failure, celebrating success, motivating myself, being resilient, pushing myself to the limit, pushing boundaries for myself, setting targets long term and short term and living in the moment.
Congratulations on your recent sponsorship with Nike! Are you sponsored by any other brands and do you have dream collaborations which you'd like to bring to fruition?
England Netball are sponsored by Nike which is fantastic for our sport, to be making boss moves with a major global sponsor is amazing and I can only see the partnership & our sport growing. If any major global brand reached out to help build my visions surrounding inspiring others & spreading my passion for the game I’d be over the moon. I just want to make an impact and bring positivity into peoples lives.
What has been your greatest career achievement so far?
Representing England at major championships with my team and sharing the court with my sister Kadeen Corbin. Also a career highlight would be overcoming injuries and adversity and believing in myself.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in playing netball and potentially becoming a world-class professional?
Go above and beyond to understand the game, understand your body and what your super strengths are. Work on your weaknesses, believe in yourself. Take every opportunity, make sure you're playing for a club that’s testing you and taking you to the next level. Most importantly HAVE FUN!!! You play your best netball when your having fun.
And finally what is your favourite quote?
Believe in yourselfNo one is you and that is your power!
SASHA CORBIN - www.sashacorbin.co.uk
Facebook: @SashaCorbinNetball
Instagram | Twitter: @Sasha_Corbin
SOLO SESSIONS - Youtube
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
@SoloSessionsUK
