Netball stars handed a chance to shine

From September, the school will host a Severn Stars under-17 Nova Academy in partnership with Stars, which is a joint franchise between the University of Worcester and University of Gloucestershire.

Severn Stars currently run Nova Academies in educational centres across the West Midlands and South West region, including Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire.

The aim is to engage with the surrounding area and develop a pool of young talent. Each education centre that hosts a Nova Academy provides talented under-17 players with weekly training sessions, strength and conditioning programmes and provision, high level technical training, as well as sports therapy and off-court support.

Players attending the academies will be working towards competing in the Severn Stars under-17 National Performance League team and, beyond that, the under-19, under-21 and professional sides.

They have the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice when the Nova Academies compete against each other with monthly match play sessions. The season usually culminates in the Supernova Tournament in May. As part of the programme, the players receive a Severn Stars training kit, a training journal and a ticket to a Severn Stars home game.

Severn Stars’ executive director and co-founder, Anita Navin, is delighted with the latest link up.

“I am really thrilled to see the Nova Academy programme extend to partners in locations into the wider territory of the Severn Stars Super League Club,” she said.

“Oswestry School will add value to the programme in many ways and most of all give opportunity to a new cohort of developing players.”

Oswestry School has a proud reputation for the high quality of its sporting provision.

Netball is one of two main sports played by girls at Oswestry and the under-18 team won the County Plate competition in 2019 while the under-15 side are current North Shropshire Champions.

Sofie Suckley, assistant director of sport at Oswestry School, added: “We are delighted to be working with Severn Stars to offer performance netball provision for Oswestry and it’s wider community.

“The under-17 Oswestry Nova will provide an elite platform for young girls to enhance their game play and skills, both on and off the court. We are very lucky to have a superb indoor two court netball facility, plus access to our strength and conditioning studio along with our qualified expert.”

Oswestry School are in the process of recruiting coaches for the new Nova Academy, Anyone interested should email Sofie Suckley at sks@oswestryschool.org.uk

For further information regarding the Nova Academies and the Severn Stars Talent Pathway visit www.severnstars.co.uk/playerpathway