Merissa Aguilleira — From player to coach

Thu, Mar 13, '25

 

The West Indies reached the pinnacle of the women’s game in 2016 by capturing the World T20 title in India, and one of the architects of that success was Merissa Aguilleira.

Aguilleira represented the West Indies for 11 years after making her debut in 2008. While her on-the-field stint is over, the former captain has no intention of halting her contributions, as she is now the head coach of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Divas.

At the recent CG United Women’s Super50 Cup in St Kitts, the Red Force Divas secured their first title since 2017 with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Barbados in the final.

Aguilleira, who has always been part of the “think tank” of her country’s team at regional championships, is now responsible for driving the direction of the squad and formulating strategies to combat their opponents.

It’s a new role, but while she is not daunted by the challenge, coaching was never her initial intention.

“I have always looked at myself as someone who enjoys the administrative side of things and also mentorship,” she expressed. “I am, however, enjoying it and have upskilled myself with a Level Two coaching certificate. Now, coaching is something I enjoy doing.”

Read more at Barbados Today

0 comments