Excel
Welcome to the talent section of the Netball East website. This section will give you useful information on the Excel pathway, details of the Netball East Regional Academy and local Academies. This is a great section for players, coaches and parents interested in talent development.
The Netball Excel Pathway is the England Netball Process for developing athletes with the attributes to attain excellence. The programmes within the pathway are focused on developing athletes to reach their potential and form the foundations to enable England Netball to be the “Number 1 Ranked Team in the World”.
A player who has experience of working her way through the excel pathway is Alice Ewer. Here she recalls her journey for us:
"I first played netball, when I was 10, at primary school and I continued playing when I moved to high school, but it wasn't until I got into the South Norfolk Satellite Academy that I started taking things more seriously. I first went for a satellite academy trial when I was 12, but didn't get in. The next year I trialled again and this time I was successful. It was then that I joined my first club and started playing junior league matches. At the end of the first year at satellite I got put forward to pre-county screen and I then got into the County Partnership Academy for the next season. I also got through to regional screening but I didn't get selected for the Regional Talent Development Programme. I started playing adult indoor league netball and continued with my club training. At the end of this season, year 10, I got put forward again for regional screening, and I was so happy when I got a Mavericks Youth Trial. I didn't make the squad then, and I began the Regional Talent Development Programme in September 2008. After our first training session, I got a phone call from our coach saying that Ella Clark had been invited into the senior squad and I was asked along to a training session for a trial. I got in and I played a quarter in the first match of the season. From here, I got selected for the match day squads and I kept training with Mavericks Youth, at the Excel Academy and with my club. In April 2009 I was put forward for national screening. I went with no expectations and I was delighted when I got selected for the National Excel Programme. I went to a 3 day Easter camp in Loughborough and a 5 day summer camp in Sheffield, where I trialled to stay in the programme. After this we had monthly weekend training sessions, first at Bath University and then in Sheffield, as well as fortnightly Excel Academy training in Colchester. During this time I also continued playing for Mavericks Youth as well as joining a Premier League 2 team to get more experience playing at a higher level. In December I had my trial to get into the squad of 12 for Netball Europe. It went really well and I made the team?. Since then we've had two weekend training camps where we've played against the Open squad which was wicked. In two weeks time we have the U19 Netball Europe competition in Loughborough (12th-14th March). I can't wait; this is what all of the hard work has been for and I'm so excited to walk out on court in and England dress. Hopefully it'll be the first time of many!"
Alice's story demonstrates waht can be achived with hard work and determination - and if at first you don't succeed try again! We wish Alice all the best in Netball Europe and look forward to seeing her on the international stage for many years to come.
