Young netballers from around the region had the chance to hone their skills and gain an insight into the elite side of the sport earlier this week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Former Australian Diamond and Queensland Firebirds player Caitlyn Nevins along with Ipswich Jets and Queensland development player Charlie Bell were in town for clinics organised by New England Girls' School.
The school organised the clinic through PlayBook coaching and opened a session up to the wider region on Monday with athletes coming from all over the region to participate.
Tuesday saw members of the NEGS Talented Athlete Program delve into some of the finer points of the sport with the duo.
SEE ALSO:
They covered everything from skills and drills to nutrition and work-life-sport balance.
One of the leader's of the NEGS squad, Saskia Thomas, said it was eye opening and was grateful to have the opportunity to learn from top-level players.
"I love the way they talk to us and communicated," she said.
"They were very intimate and easy to ask questions, very approachable.
"The skills we learnt were very valuable and they were able to come up to us one-on-one and give us feedback on what we were doing.
"When we were asking questions it really helped with things I have been struggling with lately, especially my schoolwork and balancing the two."
The two days were full of highlights but Thomas was particularly rapt with meeting the pair face-to-face.
"I really loved meeting them, they were really sweet," she said.
"Just learning how they think about the game and implement the skills they learn in their training and how they have taught it to us."
Not only did they learn about the sport but with Bell a player from a regional area in Victoria, the group were reassured by the fact being from the country doesn't put them at a disadvantage.
"It makes us feel a part of the bigger netball scene," Thomas said of having clinics in Armidale.
"And it makes us feel like we are able to do it because a lot of the higher netball players come from the country as well, so it is a bit of motivation."
The school plans to host more clinics for both the community and their Talented Athlete Programs in the future.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark armidaleexpress.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @ArmidaleExpress
- Follow us on Instagram @armidale.express
- Follow us on Google News