#3 Podcast Pandemonium!

I’m a bit late to the podcast party but I have found myself eagerly finding and listening to various netball-themed podcasts. There have been so many launched recently,  anyone would think there was a World Cup happening! 😉

(Really, it’s ever since my Father in Law asked if i’d listened to new netball podcast ‘Netball Nation’. He’d never mentioned netball before but is a Leeds United fan and as such an Emma Louise Jones fan too! 😉)

Netball Nation remains my favourite.  I’ve listened to every episode of host Emma-Louise Jones with Sara Bayman and Maggie Birkenshaw and love their banter, their frankness and their commitment to delivering a show for everyone. They have covered everything from how the junior game can be developed for the better, memories of national clubs to the recent controversy over Ama Agbeze’s omission from the Rose’s World Cup Squad. The podcast is professionally done with a human touch. I look forward to it ‘dropping’ every week and normally listen to it on my way to training - extra motivation to smash rehab whilst I’m on the training sidelines!

Other UK-based podcasts worth a listen include the content-packed Netball Show, which can have multiple episodes a week dependent on what’s happening! They’ve always got great guests, the latest news and great opinion-packed pieces.

The original netball show has been going some time, so it seemed an odd decision by the BBC, recently launching their own netball podcast, to call it The BBC Netball Show! (Seriously - a little bit of competitor analysis needed and surely the Beeb’s creative minds could have come up with something a little more original!)

Outgoing Team Bath Director of Netball Jess Thirlby co-hosts The Netball Show on BBC Sounds. This provides a unique insight when it comes to match analysis, preview of games and squad selections. She freely admits to pulling in the ‘big guns’ for interviews too - we’ve had Serena Guthrie and I am personally looking forward to the next episode, where  we’ve been promised Aussie defensive legend Monia Gerard and Roses Coach Tracey Neville.  My #neek antennae went into overdrive!

From our overseas netball friends I’m loving brand new podcast ‘The Inner Circle’ with former Aussie Diamonds’  Sharelle McMahon and Bianca Chatfield.

It follows a similar format to Netball Nation, but focus is on Suncorp Super Netball. There has only been two episodes at the time of writing, both has been more than worth listening to. We’ve had debates on whether games should finish as a draw (watch out Vitality Superleague, broadcasters will have a big say in this!) interviews with the brilliant Sue Gaudion and Aussie GK Courtney Bruce and discussion on Diamonds World Cup selection and what Lisa Alexander might be considering in her final decisions.

As an aside I’ve picked up that Bianca Chatfield appeared in Aussie reality show ‘The Block’ and didn't see any of the Commonwealth games!

This makes me ask two questions:

1. Why ?!

2. Who is going to be the first England Rose / Retiree to feature on a UK reality show? Ama on ‘I’m a Celeb’ or Tamsin on ‘Strictly’  anyone?

Not only have I been regularly listening to Netball dedicated  programmes from the UK and abroad, but have even found a few more general  programmes featuring and interviewing our high profile netball community. Check out Jade Clarke on ‘Give me Strength’ with Alice Liveing, for a fab insight into our most capped English Rose netball journey. It was a compelling, well  interviewed and thought- provoking listen!

#2 Roses Rising 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌹

For me there were no real surprises in the England Roses Squad announcement - myself and some fellow #neek coaches had been discussing selection in the lead up  (along with majority of the netball family I am sure!)  and we’d near enough agreed with the 12 that was confirmed!

For every heartbreak and injury devastation there is a player who has an opportunity and in my opinion Panagarry, Guscoth & Williams are deserved call ups for the Agbeze, Gibson and Cobden shaped holes from Commonwealth Gold 2018. They’re the future and as with every 4 year cycle, there will be Roses retirements at the end of World Cup 2019.  We need to expose those coming through, to this level of competition, so we can continue our quest to be the best!

Attention will soon turn to our first World Cup game, which will be no pushover as we take on Uganda in the opening match. Any side featuring Peace Proscovia is going to be a threat and if nothing else we’ll see very early on who Tracey Neville’s starting 7 will be!

It’s still 49 days away (!) but my prediction would be Mentor, Guscoth, Clarke, Guthrie, Pitman, Housby & Harten. I personally prefer Haythornthwaite at WA but I’m a lowly UKCC Level 2 coach not doing a heap loads of practical at the moment - so I bow down to those far more knowledgable and not ‘coaching’ from the sofa!

I look forward to the build up to the World Cup in Liverpool with one eye on the media and marketing campaign. We have a HUGE opportunity, not just for Netball, but as a country and advocates of women’s sport to really put ourselves on the global sporting map.

Interestingly, I listened to the latest Netball Nation podcast earlier (I will save my Netball podcast recommendations for another blog but I have been listening to a lot lately!) Sara Bayman was pretty outspoken on the Ama Agbeze situation and gave some views that I am happy to admit I hadn’t considered. I will leave you to have a listen and form your own opinions!

It does make me more thoughtful about commercialism of netball though and the sacrifices we may have to make to take the sport in this new, evolving direction. Can it all be positive?

In terms of the World Cup, we  have the opportunity, as well as a responsibility in my view, to inspire, influence and engage with as many young girls and their mums, aunties, nans, teachers, etc as possible. You see, it’s not just about netball - our great game can be the vehicle that can improve health, empower and increase confidence, solve loneliness and bring about changes in skills and education. Super women can empower super women.

I have experienced netball changing lives - it is not a cliche. I only hope the work is being done in the background to be able to touch as many lives with Netball as possible. It’s not just about ‘getting bums on seats’ it’s having the understanding about what these women and girls need, having the resources in place and making it as accessible as possible.

Of course we want the GOLD medal 🥇 but there’s an opportunity with a home World  Cup to also leave a meaningful, long term legacy.

#1 50 days!

It’s just 50 days until the 2019 Netball World Cup in Liverpool and I cannot remember a more anticipated international netball competition!

I’m Debbie, self proclaimed Neek (Netball geek!)

Actually, my fabulous Back to Netballers first coined the phrase a few years ago and the term stuck! They now have an army of #neeks such was the impact of Back to Netball!

I coach, I umpire, I play (when fit - don’t get me started on my ACL injury! 🙄) I have a long history of volunteering in the game and I have supported England Roses 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🌹 for as long as I can remember. I used to work for the governing body (absolute dream job!) and now run ‘Netball in the Community’  - providing netball opportunities for the fab folk of Portsmouth & surrounding areas!

In my previous life (!) I trained as a journalist and started a career in PR & Marketing before full-time coaching came calling!

So, I thought, with World Cup fever due to hit,and the fact I have a fair few tickets (don’t tell the hubby I remortgaged 😉), I would put my Netball geekiness and writing skills to good use and start a blog!

It may be the most unsuccessful blog in the history of blogs but I get huge satisfaction for sharing the Netball love ❤️ 

I will give it my best shot! Here’s hoping for Jo Harten success rather than my 17 year old self coming off the bench and completely missing the net / post / ring in a County U18 fixture circa 1998! (Oh the memories!)

Here we go with my netball musings then......................

South Africa named their squad this morning - what more Sigi Burger had to do is anyone’s guess but I wouldn’t argue with the legend that is Norma Plummer!

Jamaica’s 12 has also been named with 3 out & out shooters in Aiken, Nelson & Fowler. Not a history of versatility in those players but how can you drop anyone  playing their netball in the best league in the world? Suncorp Super Netball LIVE app is a mainstay on my phone!

I have a strong feeling Jamaica have a huge upset in them and, out of the 6 top nations, are the ones we know least about!

Final word must be on Ama Agbeze: what an ambassador & trailblazer for our sport! She has been desperately unlucky this season with injuries & form and no one could have imagined, when  she lifted that Commonwealth trophy in April 2018, she wouldn’t be in the 12 for Liverpool 2019.

That is elite sport though: as cruel as it can be amazing.

I imagine it will be of little comfort at the moment but no one can take away what she has achieved and I have no doubt she was truly inspirational, as well as pivotal, in that Commonwealth Games winning Roses team! It’s a huge gap to fill for Liverpool 2019.