Athlete Spotlight

Former Elite Netball Academy athlete Grace started training with us in June 2020. Following successful selection, Grace is now part of the Leeds Rhinos Pathway and also plays GA/GS for her club Leeds Athletic Netball Club. Due to an intense netball schedule, in discussion with the Elite coaches, the decision was made for Grace to focus on her club and pathway commitments. So although Grace no longer trains with Elite, we have 1:2:1s with Grace and are still on hand to offer advice when needed and are looking forward to following her progress in the Rhinos academy. We caught up with Grace to find out why she loves netball and what she hopes to achieve in the game

Name: Grace

Age: 15

Club: Leeds Athletic Netball Club and Leeds Rhinos Pathway

Time playing netball: Six years

Favourite international players: Helen Housby and Nat Metcalf

Aspirations in netball: To play for England Roses and in Superleague

Pre-match food of choice: Omelette followed by a protein bar

Training with Elite Netball Academy: Two years

What keeps you motivated: Reward of playing and improving after hard work at training

Elite netball academy - athlete spotlight — Grace – Leeds Rhinos Pathway player

What drew you to Elite Netball Academy?

The incredible and committed coaching team at Elite, always helping me to be the best I can be.

What were your favourite sessions at Elite?

The technical sessions with Anna Carter were easily my favourite sessions. These sessions pushed us to reach our full potential, I got so much out of them tactically too.

How do you think Elite netball academy helped you develop as an athlete?

I think the tough, intense sessions and environment encouraged me to work hard at all times and get the most out of every session. I always come away from sessions feeling like I learned something new and I took my learnings into trials and matches at club level.

What did it feel like getting into the Rhinos Academy?

I’ve been training with the Rhinos since I was 12 years old. Over the last two years, after lots of help from Elite, I have been fortunate to compete and represent Rhinos in the U15 School Games. I am excited for the future and ,with the base Elite Netball Academy helped create for me, I feel like I’m ready for the challenge of pathway netball.

Tell us about the friends you have made through training with elite

Through Elite, I have made brilliant friends who I keep in touch with outside of netball and really looked forward to training with them every week. I have been able to share great memories with them through the Performance Camps and Netball Residential Camps too.

What would you say to anyone considering joining Elite netball academy?

That it is a brilliant way to better your netball and the experience of the coaches gives you knowledge and insight that is hard to find anywhere else.

What’s it like getting advice from your idol Nat Metcalf?

Nat gave me great insight into life as a professional netballer and also has a lot of knowledge of the game to pass on. It felt surreal to have the opportunity to train with Nat Metcalf and I will never forget the invaluable advice she passed on.

To enquire about how Elite Netball Academy could progress your netball training, please fill out the contact form below a member of the Elite team will be in touch: