Massive boost for Portlaoise Panthers as Velles opts to remain on

WHILE he may have lost the services of several big players in the off-season, new Portlaoise Panthers Women’s Super League team head coach, Ger Jago has been given a massive boost with the decision of American guard, Alyssa Velles to remain on with the team.

Velles will now be heading into her fifth season with Portlaoise, and that talent and experience will be crucial as Jago looks to rebuild the squad following the departure of other top competitors, the likes of Jessica Fressle, Lynn Tunnah and Ciara Byrne.

It is certainly a huge undertaking for Jago, as Portlaoise look to improve on a disappointing run last season that saw them finish second from bottom in the Super League table, consequently missing out on the play-off quarter-finals.

For Velles, her decision to stay on with the midlands side was rooted in the strong connection she has established with the club, players and coaches over the past four years.

“I knew I wanted to stay with Portlaoise,” she told the  Laois Nationalist. “I really enjoy playing with the club, because of the relationships that I've built with the girls.

“I know there might be some new faces and we might have lost a few unfortunately, but there’s still great relationships that I have maintained throughout the last few years with the girls and with the club. It's just a big community, a family-like feeling, and I think we have a lot of talent that we haven't really showcased yet.

“Last season's results didn't really reflect what we had within our squad, so I think that, this year, hopefully we can continue to develop and rebuild, and hopefully the new players will slot in nicely with what we already have.

“This will be our fourth straight season in Super League, which is pretty good, so I think we have a lot of Super League experience there now,” she stressed.

Indeed, players, the likes of Megan Dunne, Shauna Dooley, Jasmine Burke and Sarah Fleming have also been competing in the top ranks with Portlaoise over recent seasons and that experience will be hugely important to Jago’s plans, which include the blooding of young talented players such as Ireland Under 16 international, Katie Rose Harrison.

And while Panthers may not have enjoyed a great run last season, they did demonstrate their huge potential the year before when they secured a play-off berth following an impressive fifth-place finish in the regular season.

“I know we didn’t finished exactly where we wanted to last season, but the year before we finished pretty well” remarked Velles.

“We were fifth in the table, and we just want to be able to build on that foundation so that we can allow the likes of Katie Rose and these younger players to see how we've paved the way for them.

“We want to show how we can be role models and continue to help them improve their game and hopefully help them get that bit of experience under their belt as well.

“We have lost a few players who were playing big crucial minutes for us, so it's now about finding players who can replace them and continue to work well with the flow of the team and the direction that Ger wants us to go.

“Hopefully, when we come to Christmas time, we'll be in a much better place and competing where we know we can in the Super League,” she said.

Certainly, Jago has been unequivocal regarding the importance of Velles to his plans for Panthers, the new Portlaoise boss telling the Laois Nationalist “As soon as I was confirmed as the Panthers head coach, the first person I reached out to was Alyssa.

“For me, she embodies what it is to be a Panthers player, both on and off the court. Having watched her for the last three years with the team, she seems to lead and control the offence, but she’s also a culture caretaker within the Panthers organisation.

“She does an amazing job, coaching within the club. She’s such a hard worker, such an honest player, and for me, she was one of the cornerstones that I needed to help build for the future of Panthers, so I was absolutely delighted to get her back on board.

“Alyssa is an extremely important part of the puzzle, just based on her work ethic, her attitude, her personality, and her willingness to teach and lead,” he added.

Velles feels the players have been preparing well for the new Super League campaign under the guidance of Jago, and insists he has the potential to take the team to the next level.

“He [Jago] definitely has a lot of enthusiasm about him and a great bit of knowledge as well, working with a few of the Irish underage girls,” she remarked. “He knows Katie Rose. He's worked with her before.

“It seems that he's trying to get that cohesion within the team and I think once we have our full panel back, and we have our pros settled in, I think things will be shaping up nicely,” she added.

The American, who, herself, coaches a number of underage girls and boys in Portlaoise, is delighted to be back for another season in which she hopes to again inspire the emerging talent within the club.

“I'm just super grateful that Portlaoise has given me the opportunity to continue to play for the club and represent them,” she said.

“I love that all the younger kids are always involved and the younger players are at the games and watching. The club is huge at underage, and I think those players look up to the older teams and want to continue to get better and improve.

“I hope that myself and the rest of the girls can continue to inspire them, so that they can hopefully play Super League or at a higher level one day, if that's what they aspire to do.”