Girls compete in regional netball tournament

At the end of March, a group of students from Northampton Academy took to the court in a regional netball tournament against girls from other United Learning schools in the Midlands.

The tournament, which was held at Loughborough University, was hosted by the national schools group in order to give the girls a chance to test themselves against teams from across the region. The girls from Northampton Academy also had the opportunity to meet with other students from George Eliot Academy and Nuneaton Academy as they tested their skill and stamina in the games.

The event was one of three regional tournaments as part of United Learning’s group-wide sports initiative PARIS 2024, which aims to inspire both excellence and greater participation in sports ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. These activities have already seen girls from across the group’s schools enjoy running, rowing and rugby challenges, with a host more planned over the coming months.

To bring added excitement to this regional netball tournament, the students were joined by former England netball star Beth Cobden of Loughborough Lightningwho led an inspiring coaching Masterclass ahead of the tournament.

The students also had the opportunity to ask Bethquestions about her experience in the sport, and about life as a successful female athlete.

The day was a resounding success, which the girls thoroughly enjoyed. Whilst everyone played some brilliant netball, ultimately it was a team from Northampton Academy who were crowned champions and awarded the regional trophy.

A year 11 student from Northampton Academy, said:

“Thank you Beth – that was such a privilege.”

A teacher at Northampton Academy said:

“… the girls returned to school thrilled with the experience and proudly presented me with the trophy.”

Beth Cobden, netballer at Loughborough Lightning, said:

“It was brilliant to see United Learning hosting a tournament for the schools, you could see the progress they made in such a short space of time. Hopefully it can continue to grow next year.”

Shaun Dowling, Head of Sport at United Learning, said:

“It was fantastic to host our regional netball tournaments this week across the North, South and Midlands, and to see the high level of skill and effort from each of the schools’ teams over the course of the events. Most importantly, the feedback from the students and teachers has reinforced how much fun participation can be – at all levels of ability – and the importance of sport and physical activity in our lives. Thank you to all our schools who got involved and especially to our special guests – including Beth Cobden – for providing additional inspiration and insight for our students.”