Over the last weekend, pathway events took place in Wales and Scotland. Both development events were well attended by the players who will certainly be making an impact on the game soon, including young athletes and players new to the sport.
In Wales, 28 women’s pathway players joined the GB Women’s Senior team for a full training day experience in Cardiff at the home of Women’s Premier League team Cardiff Met Archers. The day began with a presentation from England Talent Manager, Justine Lucas, on fundamental on and off court behaviours essential to becoming a GB player. Assisting with this presentation, current GB athlete Jade Atkin and recently retired GB athlete Sarah Hope spoke about their journeys into the programme and what it takes to compete at the highest level.
Following the presentations, HPP coaches Simon Fisher, Michael Hanson-Morris and Rosie Williams, alongside Scotland 3×3 Coach Mark Stevenson, delivered two sessions on the fundamental skills that had been outlined earlier in the day.
Throughout the day, the pathway players showed enthusiasm and engagement with the programme, making the most of every opportunity. To finish the day, the pathway players watched the GB players train, with three pathway players being invited to take part in the scrimmages.
In Scotland, the U14 Jr.NBA players trained alongside the U18s – a fantastic opportunity for the younger players to gain skills and confidence in a fun environment. The U18s are currently completing their Level 1 Refereeing course, supporting by the Lord Taverners Junior Development Project. The NY Knicks vs Toronto Raptors match was a highlight of the day, refereed by the U18s who put their new skills to the test.