Netball Super League | VNSL Weekly Recap: Week 4

Emily Nicholl of Sirens features in our Weekly Recap.

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - APRIL 01: Emily Nicholl of Strathclyde Sirens in action during the Vitality Netball Superleague match between Strathclyde Sirens and Manchester Thunder at Emirates Arena on April 1, 2019 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images for England Netball)

With eleven teams gearing up for the 2021 season, the news comes thick and fast in the Vitality Netball Superleague.

We have compiled the biggest news and the best bits of social media over the last seven days to get you up to speed.

Storm and Mavericks confirm pathway coaches

Both Surrey Storm and Saracens Mavericks both disclosed their Pathway Coaches for the 2020/21 season.

Storm announced that Emily Nemeth would be continuing her work with the club as Head of Performance Pathway and she will be joined by recently retired defender Lorraine Kowalewska, who has made the step up from coaching the U15’s to U19’s.

We are delighted to announce our Pathway Coaches team for the new season!

Read more: https://t.co/homKQLtfm4 #StormRises 💙 pic.twitter.com/iKv2Lvg2Lg

— Surrey Storm (@SurreyStorm) September 9, 2020

Heading up Mavericks’ coaching team is Pathway Head Coach Sachel Grant. She will be joined by Mavs co-founder Maggie Jackson MBE who will be heading up the new ASPIRE Academy, aiming to develop older players who just missed out on the U19 and U21 sides.

Nemeth said that she was ‘delighted that people of this calibre have chosen to help nurture, educate and inspire’ their Pathway athletes while Grant said that her team will allow them to ‘delivering the best possible experience for every athlete within the East Region and surrounding areas’.

London Pulse announce six-figure partnership agreement

London Pulse once again grabbed the headlines with another off-season partnership announcement this time with local fund management firm Atlantic House Investments (AHI).

The three-year, six-figure deal means that Atlantic House will be a principal partner – sponsoring the VNSL and Pathway squads – and a high profile matchday sponsor at the Copper Box Arena.

Introducing our new principal partners Atlantic House Investments who join the Pulse Family in a ground breaking 3 year, 6 figure agreement https://t.co/DxxLvW8Y4m

We are excited to work together to raise the profile of elite netball in London & SE & connect with our communities pic.twitter.com/b9XaDMumt0

— London Pulse Netball 💗🖤 (@Pulse_Netball) September 10, 2020

Pulse hope that working with AHI will help them achieve their ambitions of delivering world class netball at VNSL level, developing player talent, and extending their fanbase across London.

London Pulse CEO Sam Bird said: “I’m delighted that London Pulse has worked successfully with Atlantic House Investments to be able to deliver a three-year, six-figure partnership agreement. Their generosity will allow London Pulse to grow commercially long term.”

Former Sirens boss takes ANZ Premiership role

Former Strathclyde Sirens and Scottish Thistles boss Gail Parata has been appointed Head Coach of Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership.

Parata arrived in Scotland from New Zealand in 2013 and cut her teeth coaching at international level with the Thistles, leading them to the Vitality Netball World Cup in Liverpool last year and their highest-ever world ranking of seventh.

Brilliant appointment @PulseNetball👏🏽 best of luck in your new role @Gail_Parata♥️ https://t.co/x48kZ8uHsy

— Strathclyde Sirens (@SirensNetball) September 8, 2020

The former New Zealand international also managed Sirens in 2017 and 2019 before stepping down to be replaced by Lesley MacDonald.

She returns Pulse – full name Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse – after a two-year spell as Assistant Coach in 2010 and 2011.

Congratulations roll in for Emily Nicholl

Congratulations were in order for Scotland international Emily Nicholl after she became a qualified solicitor.

The congratulatory messages duly rolled in for the defender on social media from her club, country and her Strathclyde Sirens teammates.

5 years of uni, a 2 year traineeship, 4 Superleague seasons with @SirensNetball, a Commonwelath Games and a World Cup later and I’m finally a qualified solicitor!

— Emily Nicholl (@NichollEmily) September 12, 2020

Nicholl – who has been with Sirens since their inception – announced the news on Twitter. She said: “Five years of university, a two-year traineeship, four Superleague seasons with Sirens, a Commonwealth Games and a World Cup later and I’m finally a qualified solicitor!”

Congratulations, Emily!

Baby to Baller with Vitality

Our partners at Vitality and former Vitality Netball Superleague winner Tracey Neville took on week three of the new Baby to Baller series.

Baby to Baller aims to encourage and enable women to get active again after having a baby. Neville, who led England to Commonwealth Games gold in 2018 and bronze at last year’s Netball World Cup, had her first child in March.

Join @traceynev and baby Nev for week 3 of our #BabyToBaller series, designed to help #newmums get active again after having your little one

Today we're looking at goal attack, but not the position! Tracey walks you through goal-setting for new mums. Let us know how you get on! pic.twitter.com/4xU1viuKlo

— Vitality UK (@Vitality_UK) September 8, 2020

The six-week series hit week three on Tuesday and, after looking at the core and strength training in previous weeks, looked at how new mums can set goals.

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