November 2012 NSL Home Fixtures Pre-Season at Bath Rugby 07/02/2012 @ 8pm On a damp and dreary weekend in October, Celtic Dragons: the Superleague girls had their annual STV, Bath preseason get together at the Bath Rugby’s newly renovated stately home in Farleigh 01/03/2012 @ 8pm Hungerford. L’Boro Lightning: STV, Bath The weekend’s activities were kept as a secret from the players including the fact that they 08/03/2012 @ 8pm would be bunking in tents rather than the warm Team Northumbria lodgings of the main house! STV, Bath A range of activities were put on for the girls including an orienteering session around bath Team Bath assistant coach Denise Ellis said following the Bath Skyline walk. There was the chance to practice their seamanship in of the weekend: ‘Camping in October is not for the fainthearted, hopefully this will prepare the Welcome: Pg 1 Canadian Canoes, a cross country bike ride mixed in with some on court sessions and players for the hard work when the season starts in February. NSL News: Pg 2 some fun invasion games to end the weekend. Blogs: Pg 3 The whole team ate out at local pubs for the Team Bath’s phase one fixtures kick-off when two nights and looked to have bonded well for the team host Celtic Dragons at the Sports the new season. Events: Pg 4 Training Village on Thursday 7 February. Coaching: Pg 5 Workshops: Pg 6 Guinness Record Breakers Player Profiles Pg 7 Team Bath’s netballers feature in the 2013 The latest Guinness World Records book was Spotlight On: Pg 8 edition of the Guinness World Records book published as Team Bath are completing their as the most successful team in Superleague preparations for the 2013 Superleague Schedule: Pg 9 history. campaign – when they go in search of an historic fifth title. Sponsorship: Pg10 The Superleague, the UK’s premier club Contact: Pg11 netball competition, has only been contested Jess Garland, Team Bath head coach, who on seven occasions, and Team Bath have won the Superleague with the team as both a player and a coach, said: “It’s fantastic to see won it four times – in 2006, 2007, 2009 and the Team Bath franchise get the recognition 2010. we receive in the pages of such an internationally respected publication as Guinness World Records. A photograph of last season’s Team Bath Superleague squad is featured on the team You can find out more about Team Bath on sport pages the 2013 edition of Guinness our website teambath.com World Records book. Follow the team!!! @teambathnetball Cookey comes home to Team Bath Pamela Cookey, one of England’s She has spent a season playing for The 2013 Superleague team is due top netballers, is returning to play Surrey Storm, but Team Bath head to be announced at the beginning for Team Bath in the Netball coach Jess Garland said she is of December. The team has Superleague next season, Team pleased and excited to have Cookey already received a boost as former Bath can announce today back playing in Team Bath colours Superleague champions and (Tuesday). again for the 2013 Superleague England players Serena Guthrie, Rosie Allison and Stacey Francis campaign. also look set to return to the side Cookey is widely recognised as this year. one of the world’s best attacking She said: “Team Bath has always players and captained England in been my home and I think that’s the the recent series against Jamaica best place for me to be. and in last month’s Quad Series with Australia, New Zealand and “It was easier to make the decision to South Africa. She has 70 senior come back than it was to leave in the international caps to her name. first place, but I needed the season at Storm and enjoyed my time there. The 28-year-old University of Bath Business Administration graduate “I’m very excited about next season, had been involved with Team Bath it’s going to be really good,” she said. since she was 15 and was a “A few players are back who have member of Team Bath teams that been travelling and there are some won the Superleague titles in 2006, good young players here too, not to 2007, 2009 and 2010. mention Asha and Gemma.” Pre-season report by Jess “It’s great to welcome Pamela We all learned a lot and we’re court. We hope they’ll book early home to Team Bath, it just wasn’t hungrier than ever to get back to and be ready to cheer us on when the same without her,” said winning ways,” she added. “Having our campaign gets underway.” Garland. Pamela back in our squad will help us pursue our “aspirations.” “Team Bath has an impressive “Pamela returns to a team that will track record in the Superleague, have some young and exciting but “Our phase one home games will winning four of the seven of the mentally tough players. be really important to us as we try campaigns contested to date. to get our 2013 campaign off to a “And we haven’t finished yet – we’ll strong start. “In the absence of some of our have a strong team for 2013 and more experienced players last we’ll be aiming to make it five season, our young team had to “We’ve always said we have the Superleague titles next year. Who step up to the plate last year and best supporters in the country – knows, we may even make we came through a big journey. they always give us a real lift on Guinness World Records again.” New University Arrivals They covered some areas from A place to come to help me improve Last season the University of Bath and become the best netballer I First Team won the BUCS level to refresh your memory after a long summer and are always can be. championships. The team included there if you need to ask any NSL players Kadeen Corbin, Mia questions outside of lectures, So far I have really enjoyed my Ritchie, Kate McGinley, Kat Hayes whether it's to do with something time here, although I arrived here and Yasmin Parsons. For this you don't understand in a lecture or injured the support team have season the team will welcome former an assignment. really helped me with getting my NTL stars Lauren Brooks, Lauren fitness and confidence back again. The fact that all of the facilities are Dent, Simone Compton, Jazz Scott, Training is worked well around right on your doorstep is an extra Shaunagh Craig and England player lectures ensuring you don't miss anything. The other netballers are bonus. Not only has the netball Rosie Allison alongside Mia, Yasmin very welcoming allowing you to here been great but I have also and Kate. settle in quickly and making it more made some great friends’. enjoyable. We spoke to two new arrivals and this is what they told us: Lauren Dent describes her first few weeks at the University: ‘The reason I moved to Bath was Jazz Scott talks about finding her primarily due to the high work, life and netball balance! “Coming to the University of Bath performance netball programme has been an easy transition, in terms and I knew this would be the best of both degree and training. Yasmin Parsons in New Zealand So the England Netball Fast5 Squad have landed in I cannot wait to show the world what England have Auckland safely and looking forward to the Fast5 made of this game. I think the crowd are going to enjoy Competition coming up. it as much as we are. Its means a lot for me to be representing England and now we are going to show It has been an exciting few days leading up to the first the world what England are made of! Wish us luck! Fast5 competition. I am very privileged to be here. It’s an honour to represent my country and to be a part of the National Squad. This week we have been working on tactics and gaining a better understanding of this exciting new game. There is a lot of running! But with fast substitutions we have acknowledged how to make this game beneficial to the high intensity required by all 5 players. We have also had a chance to score from all 3 shooting zones; and if I must say so myself its good C courts player can't shoot! This weeks training has been very intense; with training and two practice matches against South Africa and Malawi; which we won! Team Bath Netball Holiday Camps There were fun and frolics a plenty during the half term break at the University of Bath. Team Bath Superleague players gave a coaching master class over two days. Team Bath Superleague players Kate McGinley and Mia Ritchie coached the girls on the first day and Team Bath and England player Stacey Francis took the girls on the second day. The course covered the basics of attacking and defensive netball skills alongside some conditioning sessions including a Cardio Tennis taster! The days finished with a competitive match to put their newly learned skills into practice. Stacey Francis (Team Bath NSL and England), Thea Grattidge (Team Bath For more information on future NTL and England U17s) with the girls and their certificates. events, contact Tom on [email protected] Academic Taster Day Preparation for the future Superleague players was Was looking at movement patterns and giving the girls well underway at the University of the 31st of October a taste of things to come, before settling down to watch as we held our second Academic Taster Day.