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Nottingham Forest Netball head coach Chelsea Pitman says she hopes new community events with the city’s youth will create the next generation of netball stars.
The club recently launched their netball club ahead of their inaugural league season next year, with home games to be played at the Motorpoint Arena.
They’ve appointed Australia-born former England international Pitman to lead the side – after she retired from the sport this summer.
She took part in a community event at the Nottingham High School sports grounds on Friday (November 1), giving girls over the age of 10 a chance to train and gain insights into high-level netball.
Since the creation of Nottingham Forest Netball in May, the team have opened up several pathways for young people in the community to engage with the sport.
Their ‘community roots’ programme allows young athletes of all ages to have access to the team and get experience at the highest level.
Pitman, 36, says the experience of hosting her first session with young members of the community was special.
“As long as they learnt something but overall enjoyed the experience, that’s a win for me,” she said.
“I think the enjoyment factor is what we’re so great at doing. There’s a time and a place for it to be professional, serious and elite, but that’s not what this is about.”
She added that, as well as getting girls out to play netball, it’s crucial local people can find enjoyment in the sport and grow while playing.
“The 10-year plan is for every single girl to be from this region, and that comes down to community”, she said.
“If they can fall in love with the game of netball and stay playing it, I think it’s beneficial for live skills for the future as people get older.
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