Leeds Rhinos Netball, which launched in July 2017 as part of the Leeds Rhinos family, has revealed its first High Performance Academy squad.
Trials for the Academy squad were held during September and from those who tried out, Director of Netball, Anna Carter, has selected 21 athletes into the programme. The athletes are drawn from Leeds, all parts of Yorkshire and from the North West, with the professional sporting context of Rhinos, and the coaching team, being a magnet for some top-quality players.
The standard of players coming into the Academy is very high, with many of the athletes named in the Academy members of some of the top clubs in the country and one player has honours with the England National Academy.
Anna Carter, Director of Leeds Rhinos Netball said, “I am delighted with the player experience these athletes are getting, it will develop them brilliantly. The wrap around support we can access by being a part of the Leeds Rhinos family, the relationship with Leeds Beckett University and its sporting expertise, is exceptional.
“This programme will be a game changer for female sport, as amateur sports learn from professional sports. The girls are accessing specialist strength and conditioning, drug awareness, nutrition, individual development planning and other off court support, as well as a high quality weekly technical session.”
The process of finding more players and getting more people playing netball will continue through Leeds Rhinos Netball’s partnership with Leeds Rhinos Foundation. Coaches from Leeds Rhinos Netball will work alongside the charity to build new relationships with schools to find new talent and engage more girls in sporting opportunities, as it also strives to build a platform to deliver the ambition to become a Superleague franchise.
The High Performance Academy is one of three Academies that Leeds Rhinos Netball run, with an Under-15 and Under-13 Academy also available for aspiring netball players. These athletes will accesss a less intense programme, appropriate for their age, to get them ready for the next level. Members of the Academy receive high quality, weekly coaching from well-regarded coaches Maggie Birkinshaw and Gerry Plant.
Alongside the High Performance Academy, Leeds Rhinos Netball also run a series of Netball Hubs in a variety of locations for a range of different ages. Ranging from Mini Netball for young primary children, through to Hubs in East Lancashire, Leeds, Bishop Burton and York, and the Academies, which means more than 220 athletes are able to access regular netball.
Opportunities for new athletes mid-season will be available through Development Hubs, in East Lancashire and Leeds, for girls who would like to access good coaching and see what Leeds Rhinos Netball has to offer.
In addition to this, Leeds Rhinos Netball is in the middle of a series of prestigious workshops with top quality coaching from international coaches and players, as well as running sell out Netball Camps during the holiday period, that can inspire athletes to want to be their best.
Upcoming opportunities will include a Defence Workshop, an Easter Camp and an Annual Residential Boot Camp. For more information on Leeds Rhinos Netball and upcoming events visit www.leedsrhinosnetball.co.uk
Report courtesy of Leeds Rhinos
