Mid Sussex netballers looking forward to second return

As rumours began to circulate around the possibility of another lockdown, Mid Sussex clubs waited for guidance from England Netball; many optimising training down to the eve of restrictions.

The first lockdown saw clubs finding innovative ways to connect with all their players with an age range of 7 years-plus. Kirstie Gainey, MSN Head Coach said: “During lockdown we tried to keep our players engaged and fit through virtual training sessions, group zoom calls with squad friends, online Zumba sessions, Q & A sessions with national premier league players, age group challenges, tik tok group challenge videos and a full club pass the ball video.

“It was challenging, but all of our coaching and volunteer team worked hard to keep the girls motivated to keeping working on their fitness and skills.”

Whilst the second lockdown came as a surprise to our region, all clubs were ready to kick-start training sessions.

Within each club in Mid Sussex there is an army of volunteers working hard behind the scenes to ensure that players stay focused and motivated under any new restrictions.

Kistie Gainey said: “ I’m incredibly proud of MSN and all its members in how they have worked and are working together in these more challenging times.”

At least one club has managed to secure training and Q&s with English Roses and ANZ players which will go a long way to boost the morale of players.

Throughout this pandemic England Netball have constantly engaged with government to ensure that netball can be enjoyed safely.

Their road map has been very explicit of how the return of play could be instigated after the first lockdown.

According to their website they are feeling optimistic about the return of grass root netball: “We are currently anticipating a return to court in early December for community netball and whilst this is likely to be under the tiered system, this won’t keep us away for long.”

Hannah Sturdy, NDO for Sussex, said: “We will adapt our plans and roadmap accordingly. With the return of matchplay there were no reported covid cases spreading through our county clubs.”

This is great news for all clubs within Sussex whilst they eagerly await the lifting of restrictions.

This year has been testing for us all but with belief, creativity, determination and confidence; all the great attributes of a netball player; netball will continue to grow in Sussex.

The netball family encompasses a resilient bond among their players who will come back stronger than ever. With this air of positivity we look forward to returning to court #RiseAgain.

For further information about netball within the county please search for Sussex County Netball Association on Facebook.