Ferns Coach Addresses Areas for Improvement Ahead of Olympic Opener New Zealand’s Ferns coach, Michael Mayne, has acknowledged the need for further growth before the team’s opening match at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. “There’s a lot we can learn ahead of the opening game,” said Mayne after a recent training session. “We need to improve our decision-making, execution, and timing.” Despite their strong performances in recent tournaments, Mayne believes the team can reach even greater heights. “We’ve had some great results lately, but we know we can’t rest on our laurels,” he explained. “The Olympics are a different beast and we need to be prepared for anything.” The Ferns have been using the remaining time before the Games to hone their skills and fine-tune their tactics. Mayne praised the team’s commitment and work ethic during this crucial preparation phase. “The players have been giving it their all. They know the task ahead is a tough one, but they’re up for the challenge,” said Mayne. The Ferns have a challenging opening match against the United States, the reigning Olympic champions. Mayne acknowledges the difficulty of their task but remains confident in his team’s abilities. “It’s going to be a tough game, but we’re excited about it. We know we have the potential to beat any team on our day,” said Mayne. The Ferns will use the remaining time before the Games to address the areas identified by Mayne and ensure they are ready for the biggest stage of netball.Head Coach Michael Mayne Says Football Ferns Learned a Lot from Draw Against ZambiaHead Coach Michael Mayne Says Football Ferns Learned a Lot from Draw Against Zambia Head coach Michael Mayne believes the Football Ferns have learned valuable lessons from their 1-1 draw against Zambia in their pre-Olympic match. Mayne highlighted the threat Zambia posed to the Ferns’ defensive line, stating that it will be something they need to address in their upcoming matches. “I think one of the biggest things is the way Zambia threatened our defensive line. That’s something every team we face at the Olympics is going to do to us… so I think we can learn a lot from that,” he said. Mayne also praised Zambia’s performance on set pieces and acknowledged that the Ferns were caught off guard in the second half. “They are a tough team on set pieces and they caught us by surprise at the start of the second half, which was disappointing, so we will have to analyze that,” he said. The Ferns have less than two weeks to prepare for their opening match at the Olympics against Canada, who won gold at the 2020 Games. Mayne emphasized the importance of working on individual improvement to enhance the team’s collective performance. “We are much better as a team when we are super positive in that middle third and we look to break the line,” he said. “I’m satisfied in that sense, but we talked after the game and we have to get back to work pretty quickly and improve individually.” The Ferns are placed in a group with Canada, France, and Colombia for the Olympic tournament.Ferns coach Michael Mayne: “There’s a lot we can learn ahead of the opening game of the Olympics” The Ferns have named their squad for the Tokyo Olympics, with a mix of experience and youth selected. Coach Michael Mayne said he was pleased with the squad and believed they had a good chance of medaling in Tokyo. “We’ve got a good mix of experience and youth in the squad, and I think we can be a real threat at the Olympics,” Mayne said. “We’ve got some players who have been there and done it before, and we’ve also got some exciting young players who are coming through.” Mayne said the Ferns would use the next few months to prepare for the Olympics, and he was confident they would be ready for the challenge. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before the Olympics, but I’m confident we’ll be ready,” Mayne said. “We’ve got a good team, and we’re all excited about the challenge.” The Ferns will open their Olympic campaign against Canada on July 21.