Pre-Season at Bath Rugby

November 2012 NSL Home Fixtures Pre-Season at Bath Rugby 07/02/2012 @ 8pm Celtic Dragons: STV, Bath 01/03/2012 @ 8pm L Boro Lightning: STV, Bath 08/03/2012 @ 8pm Team Northumbria STV, Bath Welcome: Pg 1 NSL News: Pg 2 On a damp and dreary weekend in October, the Superleague girls had their annual preseason get together at the Bath Rugby s newly renovated stately home in Farleigh Hungerford. The weekend s activities were kept as a secret from the players including the fact that they would be bunking in tents rather than the warm lodgings of the main house! A range of activities were put on for the girls including an orienteering session around bath following the Bath Skyline walk. There was the chance to practice their seamanship in Canadian Canoes, a cross country bike ride mixed in with some on court sessions and some fun invasion games to end the weekend. Team Bath assistant coach Denise Ellis said of the weekend: Camping in October is not for the fainthearted, hopefully this will prepare the players for the hard work when the season starts in February. Blogs: Pg 3 Events: Pg 4 Coaching: Pg 5 Workshops: Pg 6 Player Profiles Pg 7 Spotlight On: Pg 8 Schedule: Pg 9 Sponsorship: Pg10 Contact: Pg11 The whole team ate out at local pubs for the two nights and looked to have bonded well for the new season. Team Bath s phase one fixtures kick-off when the team host Celtic Dragons at the Sports Training Village on Thursday 7 February. Guinness Record Breakers Team Bath s netballers feature in the 2013 edition of the Guinness World Records book as the most successful team in Superleague history. The Superleague, the UK s premier club netball competition, has only been contested on seven occasions, and Team Bath have won it four times in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. A photograph of last season s Team Bath Superleague squad is featured on the team sport pages the 2013 edition of Guinness World Records book. Follow the team!!! @teambathnetball The latest Guinness World Records book was published as Team Bath are completing their preparations for the 2013 Superleague campaign when they go in search of an historic fifth title. Jess Garland, Team Bath head coach, who won the Superleague with the team as both a player and a coach, said: It s fantastic to see the Team Bath franchise get the recognition we receive in the pages of such an internationally respected publication as Guinness World Records. You can find out more about Team Bath on our website teambath.com

Cookey comes home to Team Bath Pamela Cookey, one of England s top netballers, is returning to play for Team Bath in the Netball Superleague next season, Team Bath can announce today (Tuesday). Cookey is widely recognised as one of the world s best attacking players and captained England in the recent series against Jamaica and in last month s Quad Series with Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. She has 70 senior international caps to her name. The 28-year-old University of Bath Business Administration graduate had been involved with Team Bath since she was 15 and was a member of Team Bath teams that won the Superleague titles in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. She has spent a season playing for Surrey Storm, but Team Bath head coach Jess Garland said she is pleased and excited to have Cookey back playing in Team Bath colours again for the 2013 Superleague campaign. She said: Team Bath has always been my home and I think that s the best place for me to be. It was easier to make the decision to come back than it was to leave in the first place, but I needed the season at Storm and enjoyed my time there. I m very excited about next season, it s going to be really good, she said. A few players are back who have been travelling and there are some good young players here too, not to mention Asha and Gemma. The 2013 Superleague team is due to be announced at the beginning of December. The team has already received a boost as former Superleague champions and England players Serena Guthrie, Rosie Allison and Stacey Francis also look set to return to the side this year. Pre-season report by Jess It s great to welcome Pamela home to Team Bath, it just wasn t the same without her, said Garland. Pamela returns to a team that will have some young and exciting but mentally tough players. In the absence of some of our more experienced players last season, our young team had to step up to the plate last year and we came through a big journey. We all learned a lot and we re hungrier than ever to get back to winning ways, she added. Having Pamela back in our squad will help us pursue our aspirations. Our phase one home games will be really important to us as we try to get our 2013 campaign off to a strong start. We ve always said we have the best supporters in the country they always give us a real lift on court. We hope they ll book early and be ready to cheer us on when our campaign gets underway. Team Bath has an impressive track record in the Superleague, winning four of the seven of the campaigns contested to date. And we haven t finished yet we ll have a strong team for 2013 and we ll be aiming to make it five Superleague titles next year. Who knows, we may even make Guinness World Records again.

Last season the University of Bath First Team won the BUCS championships. The team included NSL players Kadeen Corbin, Mia Ritchie, Kate McGinley, Kat Hayes and Yasmin Parsons. For this season the team will welcome former NTL stars Lauren Brooks, Lauren Dent, Simone Compton, Jazz Scott, Shaunagh Craig and England player Rosie Allison alongside Mia, Yasmin and Kate. We spoke to two new arrivals and this is what they told us: Jazz Scott talks about finding her work, life and netball balance! Coming to the University of Bath has been an easy transition, in terms of both degree and training. New University Arrivals They covered some areas from A level to refresh your memory after a long summer and are always there if you need to ask any questions outside of lectures, whether it's to do with something you don't understand in a lecture or an assignment. Training is worked well around lectures ensuring you don't miss anything. The other netballers are very welcoming allowing you to settle in quickly and making it more enjoyable. Lauren Dent describes her first few weeks at the University: The reason I moved to Bath was primarily due to the high performance netball programme and I knew this would be the best Yasmin Parsons in New Zealand place to come to help me improve and become the best netballer I can be. So far I have really enjoyed my time here, although I arrived here injured the support team have really helped me with getting my fitness and confidence back again. The fact that all of the facilities are right on your doorstep is an extra bonus. Not only has the netball here been great but I have also made some great friends. So the England Netball Fast5 Squad have landed in Auckland safely and looking forward to the Fast5 Competition coming up. It has been an exciting few days leading up to the first Fast5 competition. I am very privileged to be here. It s an honour to represent my country and to be a part of the National Squad. This week we have been working on tactics and gaining a better understanding of this exciting new game. I cannot wait to show the world what England have made of this game. I think the crowd are going to enjoy it as much as we are. Its means a lot for me to be representing England and now we are going to show the world what England are made of! Wish us luck! There is a lot of running! But with fast substitutions we have acknowledged how to make this game beneficial to the high intensity required by all 5 players. We have also had a chance to score from all 3 shooting zones; and if I must say so myself its good C courts player can't shoot! This weeks training has been very intense; with training and two practice matches against South Africa and Malawi; which we won!

There were fun and frolics a plenty during the half term break at the University of Bath. Team Bath Superleague players gave a coaching master class over two days. Team Bath Superleague players Kate McGinley and Mia Ritchie coached the girls on the first day and Team Bath and England player Stacey Francis took the girls on the second day. The course covered the basics of attacking and defensive netball skills alongside some conditioning sessions including a Cardio Tennis taster! The days finished with a competitive match to put their newly learned skills into practice. For more information on future events, contact Tom on te256@bath.ac.uk Team Bath Netball Holiday Camps Stacey Francis (Team Bath NSL and England), Thea Grattidge (Team Bath NTL and England U17s) with the girls and their certificates. Academic Taster Day Preparation for the future Superleague players was well underway at the University of the 31 st of October as we held our second Academic Taster Day. A total of 10 potential players (all of whom play for NTL sides across the country) had a good look around the campus including our 30 million Sports Training Village. They then had talks from lecturers Nick Wilsmer and Haydn Morgan and from accommodation and sports scholarship representatives. They were then put through their paces on court by Strength and Conditioning Coach Pete Gascoigne who Was looking at movement patterns and giving the girls a taste of things to come, before settling down to watch the University of Bath 1 st team defeat University of Kent by 72 36. One of the parents, Sophie De Winton said Thanks for arranging the day, Honor feels much more informed about the course and really liked the lecturer. We picked up an information pack and enjoyed watching a bit of the BUCS match. We hope to hold another day in February 2013, if you or your daughter is in Sixth Form and is interested in training and playing at the University of Bath please contact Tom Ellis on te256@bath.ac.uk.

Current Thinking on Skill Acquisition in Sport Historically, skill acquisition has been described as the internal processes that bring about relatively permanent changes in the learners movement capabilities. How these changes occur have been theorized greatly within the literature. Traditional theories view the Brain (CNS) is responsible for creation, selection and timing of motor programmes, that storage of movement patterns is limited due to the size of the brain and that variability is negative during performance. Recent research suggests that one s perceptions, memories, intentions, plans and actions may not be best conceived of as entities stored in the CNS. Rather, they may be better understood as selforganising, macroscopic patterns formed by the interaction of the many system components and key constraints in the environment. The system components may include the neurons in the brain whilst the constraints can be grouped into three categories: Organismic, Environmental and task. Organismic constraints are the characteristics of the person including genetics, weight, cognitions, emotions etc Environmental Constraints are global, physical variables in nature such as light, temperature and altitude. Task constraints are more specific to the performance and context and can include task goals, playing area and playing surface. During activity, the interaction between the three constraints results in the emergence of different states of coordination (behaviour) that becomes refined through practice and experience. This theory is named as Dynamic Systems theory. Through guided discovery approaches to coaching (view coaches as facilitators rather than dictators of the learning process), these constraints can be manipulated to improve either technical or tactical aspects of the athletes performance through selforganisation. Some coaches however have misinterpreted discovery approaches to deemphasize the importance of technique and their session s amount to nothing more than game play, devoid of informed instruction. An example of how a netball coach could manipulate the constraints to increase the leg drive when shooting can be seen below: Task Court Dimensions: Increase the net post height Equipment: Resistance bands from below, Use a weighted ball Organismic Segment Coordination: Shoot kneeling Environmental Surface: Shooting from a mound of sand Access to sensory information: Watch a model performance Defence of the Centre Pass - Force the receivers high and wide so that it is more difficult to feed directly into the circle on the second phase. - If GA is key player force that player to receive the first centre pass and then restrict her in the following plays. - C to use variety sometimes at 0.9m from attacking Centre and sometimes back close to the transverse line in different places. - C and WD to develop good communication e.g. mark the WA and the WD pick up the opposition C after the Centre Pass has been delivered. - WA and GA have important role to play ensuring the opposition GD and WD are unable to provide an easy option. - Players should position so that they prevent quick, straight line play to the circle.

February 11 th and 12 th Camps In the October 2012 half term holidays, children in years 7, 8 and 9 are invited to come along and be coached for a netball master class. The course structure will include Technical skills; attack/ defence Unit work attack/defence Ball/Movement skills Gameplay situations Strength and Conditioning Time: 10.30-16.30 with breaks between 12.30-13.00 and 14.00-14.30. Please wear suitable clothing, supportive trainers and bring food and drink for the whole day. Cost: 45 inclusive for each day, or 80 for both days including a Team Bath t-shirt and signed certificate! Main Contact: Tom Ellis Email: te256@bath.ac.uk Tel: 01225 383791 Venue: THE SPORTS TRAINING VILLAGE, UNIVERSITY OF BATH, BA2 7AY For directions, car parking information and facilities at the venue please see our website at: www.teambath.com/about/getting-here/ To confirm your place please return the below booking form by email to te256@bath.ac.uk or to the netball office at the Sports Training Village, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY. Please make cheque payable to: The University of Bath. Dates chosen to accommodate varied school holiday dates. 11th 12 th tick all that apply Name.D.O.B.. Address: Post Code.. Parental Contact Name... Parental Contact Number.Email.... Medical Conditions... Consent I consent to my child taking part in the TEAM BATH Holiday Netball Camp. I understand that in the event of injury or illness all reasonable steps will be taken to contact me, and to deal with that injury/illness appropriately. I consent for my child to be photographed during activities at the Holiday Camp for promotional purposes for TEAM BATH. Parent/Guardian Signature:... Date: NB: Course fees are non refundable. If you are unable to attend your booked day, a future date can be attended.

Yasmin Parsons Position: WA, C Vocation: Student 1. Nickname: Yazza Team Bath Netball Player Profiles 2. Hobbies: Being with friends and family, being at the beach and art 3. Which netballer do you most admire? Jade Clarke 4. Best piece of advice you have ever been given? Live as if you were to die tomorrow, learn as if you were to live forever 5. How many hours a week do you train? 20+ 6. What is your proudest netball moment? When the GB team won the World University Championships Kadeen Corbin Position: GS, GA Vocation: Student 1. Nickname: Kads 2. Hobbies: Listening to music, dancing and roller skating 3. Which netballer do you most admire? Maria Tutaia 4. Best piece of advice you have ever been given? If you really want to achieve something, you will with hard work 5. How many hours a week do you train? 20 6. What is your proudest netball moment? Winning the world netball series.

Team Bath Spotlight on Kate McGinley I have just started a year s voluntary placement in the netball office as part of my degree in Sport and Social Sciences. My main responsibilities are to organise and be part of the coaching team for the Team Bath coaching camps which run over the school holidays, Increase participation of netball by running all of the 3:thirty clubs netball tournaments and recreational sessions and coaching a variety of different teams from a Back to Netball group to a Regional league 2 Team. I am still part of the Team Bath netball high performance centre and therefore have to juggle the demands of training 15 hours a week with a full time job. It is important for me to be organised and stay focussed throughout so that I can do my work to a high standard and play netball at the best of my ability. I really enjoy the interactive part of the job, where I get to coach and work with a variety of different netballing standards. It has been especially entertaining running the mixed interhalls netball tournament where it has been great to see so many guys wanting to get involved with netball. I would fully encourage anyone who is interested in a voluntary netball placement to get in contact with Denise Ellis, University of Bath Netball Assistant coach. good standard, thanks to coaches Pete Gascoigne and Dennis Ellis and their early morning sessions. This allowed me to play the entirety of the first two matches in which we won 55-25, 72 36! Next up it is Cardiff Met playing against NSL teammate Sam Cook! It will be tough to match what we achieved last year but we will give it a real good go! Kate s 2013 Priorities - To win BUCS for the second year running - To remain starting GA for Team Bath Toucans - To improve my coaching through experience and mentoring - To complete the Bath Half Marathon! The university season has just kicked off with important wins against Brunel, Kent and Gloucestershire. I started each match at GA, luckily my preseason training was of a really

Team Bath Netball Schedule 2012/2013 Date Time Fixture Venue Thursday 7 February 5.30pm Team Bath NTL v Junior Dragons Sports Training Village Thursday 7 February 8pm Team Bath v Celtic Dragons Sports Training Village Saturday 16 February 6pm Manchester Thunder v Team Bath Manchester Thunderdome Saturday 23 February 7pm Surrey Storm v Team Bath Surrey Sports Park Friday 1 March 5.30pm Team Bath NTL v West Midlands Warriors Sports Training Village Friday 1 March 8pm Team Bath v Loughborough Lightning Sports Training Village Friday 8 March 8pm Team Bath v Team Northumbria Sports Training Village Friday 15 March 8pm Yorkshire Jets v Team Bath Leeds Met University Friday 22 March 8pm Hertfordshire Mavericks v Team Bath University of Hertfordshire Buy your tickets at http://teambath.ticketline.co.uk/ or 0844 8884412. Individual phase one tickets are priced at 8 for adults and 6 for concessions. However, you can buy tickets for all three phase one home games for just 20 for adults and 14 for concessions if you buy them before 31 December. And for the first time Team Bath is offering a family ticket to games. Just 22 gets two adults and two children or one adult and three children in to see Team Bath tackle one of their Superleague opponents

Sponsor us in 2012/2013 As part of our ever expanding franchise we are looking for potential sponsors for the forthcoming Superleague season to come forward and express their interest. Alongside being the most successful Superleague franchise, we hold the highest attendance for a fixture and a burgeoning social media audience. There are different options for businesses small and large including player and shirt sponsorships, match day advertising boards and the headline franchise sponsor. Please email (te256@bath.ac.uk) or phone (01225 383791) Tom for an informal talk. Current sponsors of the franchise can be seen below: 2012/2013 Sponsorship Opportunities 1. Franchise Sponsor 2. Secondary Sponsor 3. Player Scholarship 4. Match day Sponsor 5. Match ball Sponsor 6. Perimeter Advertising 7. Court side Advertising 8. Community Partner 9. Travel Partner The above packages include programme advertising and complimentary tickets to a match of your choice. All packages can be tailored to your business and your individual needs. With four returning England players we are expecting a strong season so why not associate your business with excellence Player and Coaching Appearances Are you.. a) Looking for new coaching ideas? b) Trying to give your presentation evening and extra bit of sparkle? c) Keen on inspiring young pupils to play netball If you answered yes to the above, a Team Bath Superleague appearance may be your answer! Our players frequently visit schools and clubs throughout the South West region and beyond and would be happy to come to your facility 7 days a week (subject to availability). We always tailor our visits to your individual needs, please contact Tom on te256@bath.ac.uk to discuss your plans. Don t just take our word for it, here are some testimonials from the many schools and clubs we visited last year! Chris Shaw (Bridgwater Netball Club) said of a presentation by captain Asha Francis: it really was the icing on the cake for us and I hope you enjoyed being amongst us and our up and coming juniors. I had some fantastic feedback from players and their parents who really appreciated the time you gave to the girls. Thank you so much for organising it all. The pupils absolutely loved them and thoroughly enjoy the sessions. Samantha Ellington, Dean Close School Monday was great and so were the girls. We would love to have them in again for future events. Louisa Gwilliam, King Edwards School.

Twitter Stay in touch with us https://twitter.com/teambathnetball Content: - Match updates - Player news and views - Ticket details and offers - General netball news Website http://www.teambath.com/sport/netball/ Content: - In depth news - Programme details - Upcoming courses - Player and coach profiles Office Details Address: The Netball Office, Sports Training Village, The University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY Phone: 01225 383791 Email: te256@bath.ac.uk and netball@teambath.com Media Contact: Steve Ballinger, steve@matchtight.com Head Coach: Jessica Garland, j.j.garland@bath.ac.uk