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OLDHAM VS GRANGETOWN

28/10/2019

On the face of it, Oldham’s 77-55 home success over Grangetown looks like just another regulation victory for the reigning Prem 1 champions, but the visitors showed plenty of determination and no little skill against the finest side in the country.

The hosts were 17 goals clear at half time, so it was very much to Grangetown’s credit that the deficit increased by only five goals over the subsequent 30 minutes.

The Oldham defence, marshalled by Kerry Almond, was tough and uncompromising; Taylor Cullen at wing defence possesses lightning pace and great anticipation; transition through the court was quick, incisive and at times thrilling to watch, with Maria McAndrew at the heart of so many flowing moves; and the attacking pairing of Kathryn Turner and Amy Clinton were simply superb and posed the sternest of tests for Grangetown’s defensive duo of Jenny Mrozik and Becks Thompson.

Oldham’s movement was tremendous; their squad has awareness, understanding, accuracy and pace in abundance; yet Grangetown refused to crumble when lesser teams could have been overwhelmed by such incessant pressure.

Grangetown were without the services of Katie Knox and Genevieve Slater, both of whom had been on international duty with Ireland at the Nations Cup in Singapore, as well as Tuaine Keenan; but Jenny and Becks did a sterling job in the defensive circle. Jenny’s athleticism and competitive spirit has been a feature of the squad for many years, but on only her second outing for the club, Becks had a really strong game (particularly at goal defence in the first three quarters) and was my choice as Grangetown’s Player of the Match.

In what was at times quite a physical encounter, Becks never backed down from the challenges posed by marking a player as talented as Kathryn Turner; and she looks to be a tremendous addition to the Grangetown squad.

The fixture was also memorable as it marked the first time in almost a decade that Ash Neal and her sister Kyra Jones had played on the same side. Over the recent years, the siblings had been regular Super League rivals, but when Kyra entered the fray as Grangetown centre at the start of the second quarter, their connection was immediately apparent and there were some sublime passages of attacking play involving Ash, Kyra and the ever-impressive Brie Grierson.

One of the main differences between the sides was the shooting accuracy, with Oldham taking full advantage of almost every opportunity. At times, Kathryn and Amy simply never looked like missing; confidence typified by Amy converting left-handed without even setting the shot on a number of occasions.

Oldham remain the standard against which other Prem 1 clubs are judged, a well-drilled, high-class outfit; but for Grangetown, this was another hugely encouraging afternoon. International commitments have meant that it has not been possible to send a full-strength squad out onto court so far this season, yet having already won two games and with performances continuing to improve, prospects for the remainder of the season certainly look very bright indeed.

Kyra and Ash

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GRANGETOWN VS HUCCLECOTE

13/10/2019

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photo by Andrew Taylor

Grangetown played host to Hucclecote in round 4 of the Prem 1 season. It was Grangetown’s third home fixture and an opportunity to consolidate the previous week’s success away to Leeds Athletic with a first home victory.

The sides had last met in 2017/18 when Hucclecote emerged victorious in the corresponding Prem 2 encounter, but it was Grangetown that ended the season as champions. Despite being arguably the best side in the division, Hucclecote missed out on promotion, a situation that was remedied in emphatic style in 2018/19 as the Gloucestershire side dominated the division and secured promotion and the championship with games to spare.

They had carried that form into the new season, with a notable opening-day win away to New Cambell and a narrow defeat against the all-conquering Oldham squad.

This fixture represented a new challenge for Hucclecote as they were without Paige Reed and Ella Powell-Davies, both of whom had been in action in the Fast 5 tournament the previous day. Also missing was Sam Cook, not only one of the finest defenders in the country but, as a member of the Severn Stars squad, one of the outstanding players in last season’s Super League.

The Fast 5 tournament also meant that Tuaine Keenan was unavailable for Grangetown, but Manchester Thunder’s Ash Neal was able to take her place in the starting seven. The Grangetown bench was strengthened by the return of Niamh McCall, the Scottish international having been named player of the tournament in the recent Netball Europe under 21 championships.

Grangetown: GK Katie Knox, GD Genevieve Slater, WD Vicky Rees, C Ria Small, WA Brie Grierson, GA Ash Neal, GS Abbie le Brocq, Bench (used) Niamh McCall

The game got off to a scrappy start with both sides losing possession twice before Hucclecote eventually opened the scoring. Abbie Le Brocq’s equaliser was the first of seven consecutive goals for Grangetown.

Vicky Rees forced an error, Genevieve Slater collected the ball, but possession was turned over down the court. Katie Knox interrupted the visitors’ attack and as the ball was heading out of play, the Ireland goal keeper did superbly well to flick the ball back into the arms of Genevieve, her international defensive partner. Ash Neal converted the subsequent opportunity.

Brie Grierson’s lob to Ash consolidated the goal against the centre pass before excellent pressure from the home defence forced a number of long lateral passes and an eventual error. Abbie netted twice, Ash converted Ria Small’s cross-court pass, and the next goal extended the lead to 7-1.

Sarah Adams and Harriet Sanderson combined to set up Rosie Allison, and an attacking penalty against Grangetown enabled the visitors to further reduce the deficit. However, pressure from Brie forced a three-second violation and Ash took the lead back to six.

Rosie did well to gather and convert a rebound, but Hucclecote were forced into an early change with Harriet Sanderson leaving the court, Shaunagh Craig moving from goal attack to goal defence and Jane Taylor coming on to partner Rosie.

Ash’s low bounce pass to Ria saw the centre loop the ball over the defence to set up Abbie for the score; and neat interplay between Bria and Ria allowed Ash to find the net. Hucclecote replied when Rosie did well to collect Jane’s bullet pass and the shooter netted again after three quick turnovers. Shona O’Dwyer fed Rosie to narrow the gap to three but Ash extended the lead after her attempted bounce pass one-two rebounded off Sarah Adams right back into the grateful arms of the Australian.

Jane scored from distance, but Abbie scored the final goal of an entertaining quarter when Ash collected the rebound from her own long—range shot and quickly fed her partner under the net.

Jane and Rosie combined well to take advantage of a lucky rebound, but there was nothing fortunate about Hucclecote’s next goal, Jane calmly scoring from distance after Shaunagh’s tremendous interception.

Katie Knox was penalised twice when she looked to have secured possession from two missed shots. Rosie netted from the penalty and only two goals separated the sides.

Clare Jones produced a tremendous piece of skill to get a hand to a Grangetown pass and flick the ball into play; unfortunately for the visitors, the ball flew straight to Brie who was bundled over, and Ash scored from the resulting penalty.

Grangetown benefited from more good fortune when a misplaced pass deflected off Clare straight into Ash’s safe hands, but Clare was soon back in the action, collecting a bouncing ball at pace to claim possession as the Grangetown players waited in vain for the umpire’s whistle. Her efforts were rewarded when Jane scored to again narrow the gap to just two goals.

The next four goals were shared with Rosie converting after a ricochet off a defender’s face had fallen perfectly for the shooter. Rosie then took advantage of another turnover, but good work from the Grangetown defence resulted in a replayed ball call. Abbie managed to tap a missed shot back into play; Ash grabbed the ball, and flicked it back to her partner for the score.

The goals were coming thick and fast Shona’s neat underarm feed set up Jane to score; and Jane then gave a lovely no-look pass, which Rosie converted. There were then misses at both ends before Hucclecote brought the scores level.

However, there was just time for Ash to score the two quick goals that were the difference between the sides as the half-time hooter sounded.

Some of Grangetown’s play had been of the highest quality, but Hucclecote never stopped working to force errors and turnovers and with both shooters being both consistent and confident, the result was very much in the balance.

Grangetown made a change during the interval, with Niamh McCall being introduced at goal attack, and Ash moving to goal shooter to replace Abbie.

Niamh was straight into the action with two goals, the second a high looping effort to round off a flowing move involving Ash and Ria.

The partnership between Ash and Niamh seemed to gel quickly and the Scottish international netted again with a beautifully-judged long-range effort.

Hucclecote replied after Shona’s clever movement round the back of the post gave her the chance to feed Jane, whose shot bobbled, but counted. Ash restored Grangetown’s six-goal lead, but the visitors replied and Chloe Cubello then made a crucial interception. Sarah picked out an unmarked Rosie to score, before Jane netted from distance and suddenly only three goals separated the sides.

Just as quickly as momentum seemed to be shifting towards the visitors, it was Grangetown who suddenly took control of the game as they extended their lead to eight. Niamh netted at the second attempt after defensive pressure had forced a held ball penalty; Niamh than passed the ball inside from the left, raced across the circle to gather the feed and finished off a fine move with a great finish.

An offside call against the Hucclecote defence handed possession back to Grangetown. Ash scored and Niamh then netted twice, the second from Brie’s excellent feed.

The home defence piled on the pressure, but Hucclecote remained calm and eventually created a chance for Jane, which she converted with a minimum of fuss.

Vicky got a hand to a low pass; the ball being collected by Katie. A quick transition saw a lovely ball from Niamh find Ash unmarked under the net; the two attackers exchanging a “low-five” after the goal was scored.

Niamh’s movement then attracted the attention of both defenders, allowing Brie to loop the ball over the top for Ash to take Grangetown’s advantage into double figures.

Again though, just when it looked like the home side were in control, so Hucclecote fought their way back into the game. The ten-goal gap became five and it was only Ash’s last-gasp goal that kept Grangetown six goals to the good as the game entered the final 15 minutes.

Niamh cleverly allowed a bouncing ball to bobble towards the posts before gathering to convert the scoring chance, but Jane replied superbly from distance despite barely setting herself for the shot.

Brie fed a quick ball, ran across court to collect the return pass, and immediately fed Niamh who was unerring from distance. Brie was again at the centre of the action as she managed to athletically keep the ball in play; Niamh dived forward to claim possession and when the ball reached the circle, the young Scot was on hand to find the net.

Katie’s fine game in defence continued as she forced another error and Ash’s next two goals gave the home side a ten-goal lead. Hucclecote replied when Sarah moved left and cleverly passed right to create a scoring opportunity, but when Shona and Jane combined nicely for Rosie to score, it looked likely to be little more than late consolation.

Nothing could have been further from the truth though, as Hucclecote increased the tempo to score five unanswered goals. Niamh’s successful conversion should have calmed any nerves, but the visitors simply refused to be denied and the gap narrowed to four, three and then two goals.

From being in total command, Grangetown were hanging on, but the hooter sounded just as Hucclecote scored the goal that brought the scores to 58-57.

It was hard to know what to make of the final quarter, and those closing minutes in particular. At times, Grangetown produced some sublime attacking netball, and some intense defence, with Katie Knox being my player of the match for a tremendous performance at goal keeper (the official award was given to Niamh McCall). However, Hucclecote’s spirit and determination were more than matched by their skill and athleticism at the games most decisive moments – goal attack Jane Taylor (below) in particular having a fine game.

For Grangetown it was another improvement on their performances so far this season. There are areas that will doubtless be reviewed and addressed, but it is hard to see Hucclecote losing many games this season, and to have played well enough to secure the five competition points makes this a result of real significance.

photo by Andrew Taylor

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LEEDS ATHLETIC VS GRANGETOWN

6/10/2019

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Grangetown’s first away fixture of the new Prem 1 season was the relatively short journey to their closest geographical rivals, Leeds Athletic.

Leeds had defeated Grangetown in the final fixture of the 2018/19 campaign, but after two games of the current season, both sides were still looking for their first win.

Although Grangetown were without Ireland defender Genevieve Slater, Head Coach Gel Williams was able to name a strong squad, which included all three players who appeared in the 2019 Super League, with Tuaine Keenan making her seasonal bow alongside Ash Neal and Brie Grierson.

Grangtown: GK Tuaine Keenan, GD Jenny Mrozik, WD Vicky Rees, C Ria Small, WA Brie Grierson, GA Ash Neal, GS Abbie le Brocq

Grangetown got off to a bright start, opening an early three-goal lead, before turning over possession soon after captain Vicky Rees had grabbed a fumbled Leeds pass. Francine Hall’s feed was nearly intercepted, but Annie James converted for the home side’s first goal.

Brie Grierson drilled a pass to Ash, and from the left of the post, the Australian-born goal attack found the net. Leeds then scored the next three goals, with Lydia Walker’s incisive pass allowing Annie to cancel out the one goal against a centre pass.

The next 12 goals were shared, with both sides guilty of a number of unenforced errors. Abbie le Brocq’s goal brought an end to a scrappy passage of play, before the Leeds attacking quartet combined well to set up another goal.

Abbie then parried and collected a hard, high pass from her shooting partner; she gave the ball to Ria Small on the left edge of the circle, who then fed Ash to score. Leeds were awarded possession despite the ball going out of court off one of their own players, and two turnovers and a penalty later, Leeds again levelled the scores.

From a backline restart, Ash cleverly swung her right arm around the back of the post to set up Abbie. Jenny Mrozik and Tuaine Keenan then combined for a crucial turnover; Vicky and Ria created a straightforward chance for Ash, and Vicky was involved again as she fed Brie who duly set up Abbie to consolidate the turnover.

Another long shot from Annie reduced the deficit to two and the first period ended with Grangetown leading 12-14.

Leeds had the better of the early exchanges in the second quarter, Lydia intercepting a telegraphed pass to create the equalising goal, and Maisie Bickerton edged the hosts in front, having been left free under the post when Tuaine narrowly failed with an attempted interception.

Ria then did really well to chase a misplaced pass and flick a speculative ball back into the circle, which was collected and converted by the Grangetown attack. Ash then produced a delightful pump-fake pass to unlock the Leeds defence, but the home side responded with a fine move of their own, a long ball through centre court finding Maisie completely unmarked under the post.

Abbie fed Ash after superbly catching a pass under intense pressure, and Abbie’s next shot gave Grangetown a two-goal advantage. Annie’s shooting, especially from distance, was becoming a real feature of the game, and another long shot was calmly converted; but quick goals from the visitors – including one from a great interception from Ash - extended the lead to six.

A rare miss from Annie was regathered by Grangetown, but a footwork call handed back possession to Leeds, and the goal attack was immediately back on target. Grangetown were penalised from the centre pass, with Francine Hall’s pass setting up Maisie for the goal.

Ria showed good strength to claim a loose ball on the edge of the circle, but Ash’s goal was cancelled out by another long-range effort from Annie.

As the clock ticked towards half time, Grangetown scored three more goals, the second of which came after another superb interception from Vicky; and Abbie’s fine one-handed grab allowed the shooter to net the final goal of the period.

Right from the restart, Alice Smith made an interception and Laura Kelly picked off another Grangetown pass, but only the first possession resulted in a Leeds goal. Some wayward Grangetown passing saw Leeds narrow the gap, and Alice’s second interception, a beautifully-read flying take, was arguably the game’s best piece of individual skill.

Francine’s no-look pass set up another opportunity and the momentum certainly seemed to be swinging the way of the home side. Jenny was unfortunate when a dropped Leeds pass touched her leg on the way out of court; the home side netting from the restart.

Jenny’s next involvement was to secure possession for her side; Grangetown made their way down court, but seemed to have lost the ball over the back line. Somewhat fortuitously, the decision went Grangetown’s way and the resulting goal was much-needed. Abbie netted from the Grangetown centre pass, before great Grangetown defence forced a poor pass and an easy turnover; and Abbie was able to restore the six-goal lead.

Once again though, Leeds rallied and halved the margin with Annie continuing to score from almost any distance. Francine athletically retrieved a ball that looks certain top bounce out of play and Annie netted as the hooter sounded to leave the score at 40-42 with just 15 minutes remaining.

Grangetown had made no changes during the game, and made the ideal start to the final period with two quick goals. Leeds replied after a footwork call against the visitors, and Lydia then set up Maisie with a great feed into the circle.

The Grangetown shooters kept calm under increasing pressure, and Brie’s interception resulted in Ash netting from distance. Grangetown then missed a simple chance to further extend the lead, and although a three-second violation handed the ball back to the visitors, another close-range effort was missed.

Ash’s floated shot seemed to settle the side. Vicky then claimed another crucial interception; the resulting goal widened the gap to six and effectively settled the result.

Leeds certainly never stopped fighting and forced two quick turnovers, but only converted on one occasion and Grangetown saved one of their best moves until the closing moments when Brie delivered a superb inside pass for Ash to set up Abbie for the score.

The hooter sounded with Grangetown recording a hard-fought but deserved 51-57 success. Vicky Rees had a fine game at wing defence and was my choice for Grangetown’s player of the match, but arguably the best performance came from the Leeds goal attack, Annie James, whose composure and shooting were tremendous throughout.

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In conversation with ... Cathy Hewitt

4/10/2019

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The first in-depth Grangetown Prem player interview of the new season features the youngest regular member of the squad, Cathy Hewitt.

Cathy made a number of appearances from the bench during Grangetown’s first year in the top division and, aged just 17, she has recently earned a place in the Leeds Rhinos U19 Elite Academy.

Being 17 also means she is able to start learning to drive, and we met up shortly after a lesson that appeared to have been ever-so-slightly stressful…

I made a mental note to avoid any mention of closed junctions, before asking Cathy about when her interest in netball began. “I first started playing when I was seven. We played netball at school and then Steph [Rule] started running this club on a Sunday morning; I joined the club and it was Steph who recommended Grangetown … and I’ve been here ever since!”

Cathy still plays netball at school [Teesside High School in Stockton] - actually she does a bit more than just playing netball: “I’m under 19 netball captain at school, I’m also Sports Captain, and I coach the year 7, 8 and 9 teams as well as our senior team.”

Clearly Cathy’s ability on the netball court has been apparent from an early age, but has that meant playing in higher age groups to allow her game to develop? “When I was younger, I just played with my age group, but when I was about 11, I remember having my first game for the under 19s. I also played in the under 14 national finals in Newcastle when I was 11; and I did the same the year after as well. When I was 13, I was picked for the under 16 national squad, but didn’t play; I was involved for the next two years though.”

So how hard was the transition from being one of the outstanding players in an age group, to one of the youngest players in an older squad where even a couple of years can make a big difference to strength, physical development and on-court experience?

“Yes, at first it’s quite hard to adapt,” Cathy admitted. “Skills like passing and catching are adaptable, but then you have to get used to the physicality and speed of the game. You have to learn to react quicker, and if you have to take a few more knocks, well that’s just part of the game. You work hard, you get stronger and quicker, and obviously the court experience is so important.”

And what about confidence? It’s not usually an issue when you’re starting out, but when you’re developing and improving so quickly, does there come a point when nerves or even doubt creep in?

“I never used to get nervous before games, even at national finals I was always fine; but yes it has changed as I’ve got a bit older. The importance of games changes though; a Saturday morning friendly is one thing, but when you’re playing Prem or for Leeds Rhinos, it’s a totally different kind of pressure; especially if you’re in one of the shooting positions where it’s really obvious if you’re not doing well. You’ve just got to take each game as it comes really.”

Oh no, you’ve just thrown in a cliché!

Cathy chuckled: “I love a little cliché!”

The importance of the mental aspect of sport cannot be overstated; and often, mental strength or the ability to perform to your best under the most intense pressure is what separates a fine athlete from an elite athlete…

“I remember at the under 14 national finals, we were going goal for goal with this team, I got the ball under the net and I suddenly thought ‘what if I miss this; it’s really important that I don’t miss’; and I missed…

“I can recall one of the coaches telling me a quote,” Cathy continued, “I think it was from Michael Jordan, about it not mattering how many shots you’ve missed, so long as you have the confidence to take the next one. The shot might be important, but it’s just a shot and you have to learn to try and put those negative thoughts out of your mind. Breathing is really important as is being able to just focus on the job in hand and not the consequences.”

But is that element of psychology something you’ve been coached, or something that you’ve had to deal with yourself?

“I think it’s probably a bit of both. Coaches will give you advice about how best to relax, but I’ve always had great support from my Dad. He’s a proper ‘netball Dad’, he would help me with my shooting technique when I was younger, and now he’ll talk to be about how to deal with pressure, how to take the context out of the situation, and just do what you’ve done so many times before.”

Moving on to Leeds Rhinos, you’ve been involved with the club for a while, and these are exciting times in West Yorkshire with a Super League franchise under Dan Ryan coming in 2021.

“Definitely. I was in the under 17 Elite Academy last season, and I always wanted to trial for the under19s this year; so initially I had to go for some screening at York University, then we had to go through another two weeks or so of screening to decide who would go into the Elite Academy and who would join the Futures Academy. There are around 20 players in the Elite squad, I think we play most of the Super League Academy sides over the next few months, and there’s a big NPL (Netball Performance League) tournament next summer.

“My head coach is Emily Perry, and her assistant is Jan Hemsley. I haven’t actually met Dan Ryan yet, but he’s awesome, and I definitely want to try and be a part of the Super League franchise. I am ambitious; I want to play Super League, I want to play Prem, and the dream is always to play for England isn’t it?! The Roses have achieved so much and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”

With experience at both the Rhinos and Grangetown, who does Cathy rate as the toughest players she’s come up against on court?

“I think that was last season’s Prem game against Oldham. I can remember when we were warming up, I looked down the court and thought ‘I’ve seen her on the TV’, or ‘she’s played for the Roses’, and then the realisation sets in that we’re actually playing them. Laura Malcolm or Kerry Almond would be two of the best I’ve faced so far… they’re just insanely good.”

Staying with Prem, your preferred position is goal attack. Grangetown are fortunate to have players like Ash [Neal] and Brie [Grierson] who are both top-class athletes. There must be some element of frustration if you don’t get court time; but also it must be great to have the chance to be around players of that ability.”

Cathy’s response was telling and revealed a lot about the teenager’s maturity and attitude: “If I didn’t find it frustrating or if I wasn’t bothered about not being on court; then I wouldn’t be able to achieve the right level of performance when the chances come; and that wouldn’t be right for me or for the team.

“Of course, there’s always a desire to be on court, but I do find it amazing watching Ash, Brie, Tuaine [Keenan], Genevieve [Slater], Billy [Katie Knox], Vicky [Rees], Ria [Small] and Jenny [Mrozik] all of these great players. I learn so much watching their court craft, their movement, the passes they make. When they’re on the bench between quarters talking about what they’re going to change or do better in the next 15 minutes, or what they’ve done well, I just pick up on everything, absorb it all, and try and bring new things into my game – like Ash’s no-look pass; that’s something I desperately want to be able to do!”

Cathy is in her final year at school, studying English Literature, History and Sport, all of which means that following the pressure of ‘A’ level exams, there will be the move into further education (the self-confessed “book nerd” is hoping to do a degree in English Literature). Will her association with the Rhinos have some bearing on her choice of university?

“Yes, I think so. The Universities I’m considering at the moment are all around the Yorkshire area: Leeds, Sheffield, York, York St John, and Manchester as well. It would make it much easier to get to training, and less time driving home however many nights a week.”

And fewer closed junctions…

Yes I know I ignored my mental note.

“Honestly Richard, coming to the junction, stopping, getting into first gear and checking both ways ... it’s just too much!

“But yeah, I’d want to be close to Leeds; I’d still like to be able to come up and play Prem at Grangetown too…”

Cathy rates Tamsin Greenway as one of her favourite all-time players: “For me, she’s one of the best wing attack/goal attacks that has ever played the game. Her court craft and vision are incredible. I was lucky enough to be coached by her at the Yorkshire Coaching Conference and it was brilliant; there was a reason for everything she said, and everything she said made so much sense.

“I really like Serena Guthrie too. She’s got incredible dedication and athleticism - and she’s as hard as nails as well. If we’re sticking to the Roses, there’s Natalie Haythornthwaite too; she’s awesome. But if we’re going international, I think I’d say Maria Folau. Her shooting is unbelievable. She makes it look effortless – she’ll shoot a three-pointer from outside the circle in Fast-5 as if it was the easiest thing in the world.”

That’s another interesting point though; Maria Folau is probably 6’2”, a “big lass” in Cathy’s words; but Cathy is never going to be 6’2”…

“No, that’s for sure!” she laughed. “I suppose there are positives and negatives to being fairly small. The positives are speed, bounce passes that tall defenders probably aren’t going to be able to reach, and if I run quickly, they won’t be able to see me over their shoulder!

“On the other hand, I’m never going to be able to hold for an over-ball … it just won’t happen; but you’ve just got to play to your skills, your strengths, and make it as hard as you can for whoever is marking you.”

Cathy then explained she’s hoping to develop as a wing attack in addition to her abilities in the goal attack role. I was interested to know whether that would give Cathy some sense of freedom, as she would not have the pressure associated with the shooting positions.

“There’s still pressure at wing attack; it’s just a different kind of pressure to the shooters. There’s pressure to get the centre pass, to feed the shooters and be an option; but so long as I’m helping my team and hopefully making a difference on court, I wouldn’t mind what position I was playing.”

I wanted to know if Cathy played any other sports, but I’d also heard she was quite musical…

“I play the saxophone, and I’ve got a grade 8 in singing as well.”

By now I was feeling increasingly inadequate. Is there anything Cathy isn’t good at?

“Driving! And Physics. I only got a ‘B’”

For the record I got an ‘A’ in Physics … some semblance of adequacy duly restored!

“As far as sports go, at school I always had the need to be in every single team: hockey, athletics, rounders, and all that jazz; but I’m focussing on netball now, because I know that’s what I have to do if I want to become a performance athlete.”

So when you put on that Roses dress for the first time, do I get free tickets..?

“Of course you do!”

And so with Cathy officially six minutes late for training that’s where our conversation ended.

There will be countless 17 year-old netballers aiming to reach the top of the sport, and so many diverse factors that will eventually determine the few who will achieve senior international honours. However, what struck me about Cathy is that despite clearly being gifted at pretty much everything she does, be it academic, sporting or musical, there is no trace of arrogance at all.

She is an outgoing, natural and engaging young woman, with a quiet assurance and confidence in her ability as a netballer; and is clearly both motivated and determined to work hard to become the best she can possibly be.

Cathy also has the awareness and maturity to recognise that she can learn from every game (whether playing or watching), every training session, and every conversation with her peers … frankly, taking everything into account, it’s difficult not to be anything other than hugely impressed.

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