MONTREAL- She's passionate and she's fierce, and she's a young netball player to watch.
As a child in Jamaica, Santana Fletcher started playing netball at the age of ten.
After immigrating to Canada three years ago, she was recruited for the Quebec Under-23 team in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Now 17, she's a dynamic player who was recently named the Quebec Amateur Netball Federation's up-and-coming athlete.
She plays for the Red Socks team out of Cote-des-Neiges and says she loves all facets of the sport.
"I'm very versatile. I shoot. Well, I can play all positions, but my main position is shooting," said Santana.
Played between two teams of seven apiece, a player can hold onto the ball for up to three seconds before passing or shooting for a goal.
A passionate player, Santana's mother Bernice Campbell can attest to the fact that the teenager lives and breathes the sport.
"She would leave her food to play netball. Leave her supper to play netball. She loves it bad," she said.
Coach Peggy Ann Edwards describes her as a skillful netball player with more than a very accurate shot.
"She can position herself properly to receive a pass and deliver properly. So Santana is an all-around netball player," said Edwards. "She's fierce, very competitive and very sportsmanlike."
She's also fearless.
"She can compete against anyone. It doesn't matter if you're better than her or not. She will meet the challenge," she said.
More than that, she's in love with netball.
"It's like a part of me. It's my everything," said Santana. "I just can't live without it, for some reason."
