Abbey Junior Training 2023/2024
BRONZE - U11's (Yr 5 & 6) - RYE ST ANTONY SCHOOL SPORTS HALL - INDOORS
COACHES: TASH & SUKEY
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6 - 7pm MATCH DATES - Sundays
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6 - 7pm MATCH DATES - Sundays
SILVER - U13's (Yr 7 & 8) - RYE ST ANTONY SCHOOL SPORTS HALL - INDOORS
COACHES TASH WHITE & SUKEY McMASTER
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 7 - 8pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 7 - 8pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
GOLD - U15's (Yr 9 & 10) - OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HALL - INDOORS
COACHES ELLA, EMMA AND LILLY
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6-7pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6-7pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
PLATINUM - U17's (Yr 11 & 12) - HEADINGTON - INDOORS
COACHES TASH W & CAITLIN
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6.30 - 7.45pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
TRAINING DAY: WEDNESDAYS 6.30 - 7.45pm
MATCH DAYS: SUNDAYS
2022-23
ABBEY SILVER – Coaches Tash White & Sukey McMaster
It has been such a great year for the Silver Squad! Hurricanes won Division 1 (with Ice showing that they are fully on the heels of Hurricanes) and Lightning winning Division 3. We have run the teams with high numbers of players which we hope has allowed our squad members to balance other sports and interests which we really encourage at the U13 age group, we have also tried to keep the teams as fluid as possible to reward commitment and improvement. We also pushed ourselves to the limit for offering places at training, which is vital given that we still have an enormous waiting list for girls in Oxford wanting to join the club.
The girls have demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm and team spirit and really looked out for each other throughout training and match play. Although we had some gaps in the match play due to court availability the teams have always come out looking for the next win and really deserve this year's league results.
We have loved coaching the Silver Squad and really look forward to seeing what this brilliant group of girls do next!
U13 HURRICANES- ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 1st
U13 ICE - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 3rd
With Hurricanes and Ice in division 1 together we have seen some great matches between our two top teams (largely providing our main competition). Hurricanes really dominated the division and had some very convincing wins with large goal differences, these players are really ready for the challenge of moving up to the U15 Gold squad and testing their improved court skills against older players.
Being able to put a second team into division 1 that can finish mid table shows the great depth of players we have at Abbey. The Ice players were really hitting their stride by the end of the season, showing vastly improved court awareness and confidence in their movement.
Well done – a fantastic result for both teams!
U13 LIGHTNING - ONJL U13 Div 3 – League Position 1st
It is such a pleasure introducing young players into the game and the girls have been so enthusiastic about their netball! As always in the Bronze Squad we tend to gain players through the season as girls start to take an interest in the sport, the squad have been so welcoming to all the new faces that arrive and have demonstrated a lovely attitude to sport.
In our coaching, we have focused on movement to receive passes, creating space within the court, defence techniques to shut down attackers and shooting. Given that a lot of primary school netball now demands position switches during game/match play, we have also encouraged the players to try out all positions on the court.
All the players in the Bronze Squad have shown a huge improvement in their game play and ball skills and we are very excited about taking them onto the next level of training and match play. It has been a real pleasure to watch the player friendships that have developed within the squad, and for us, this is what club junior netball is about: combining a passion and drive for the sport and friendship with your fellow players. We look forward to seeing what these girls can achieve in September!
Bronze 2023 Awards:
Coaches Award - Brigitte Lee
Most Improved - Annabel Radford
Most Committed - Jessica Matthews
ABBEY GOLD – Coaches Ella Thompson & Aimee Peacock
U15 HURRICANES - ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 1st
A very strong season for our U15 Hurricanes, with them being unbeaten, despite at times struggling to have a whole team! The biggest highlight is beating a team by 1 goal despite having only 6 players and coming back from being 8 goals down at half time! There have been some fantastic attacking passages of play, with some stellar shooting and our defense making some fantastic tips & interceptions. Across the season they have scored 218 goals and have only conceded 81 – amazing results!
U15 ICE- ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 5th
Ice have played some great netball this season with the standard of netball getting better each week. This team has developed such a strong bond both in training and in matches with their being lots of laughs but also some teamwork being shown, with some amazing shooting (both long and short range), consistent defensive work and lovely passages of play which has helped us get the ball to goal. They should be very proud of what they have achieved this season!
U15 LIGHTNING - ONJL U15 Div 2 – League Position 5th
Once again Lightning have made great progress this season and it really shows through their match play, with them showcasing their team effort and drive to perform well and get the ball to goal.
Throughout training and the matches the players have worked hard to make sure they are driving forwards for the ball when attacking and that they are assertive in defense so that they can try and get all those important turnovers. Overall, there has been a fantastic effort and commitment throughout!
ABBEY PLATINUM U17s – Jo Davies & Caitlin Williams
U17 HURRICANES - ONJL U17 Div 1 – League Position 2nd
A talented group of players with a core stalwart who turned up each week. We regularly had 9-10 players available each week for matches, which actually gave us, the coaches a ‘good headache,’ as to who will start the matches. We were fortunate to have a core Defence with Anoushka, Toddy, & Tilly turning over the oppositions attacking passes. Centre Court was maintained safely by Punnapa, Harriet, Bea & Lola. Intercepting and ensuring the ball was kept safe until delivered to the Shooters. Evie, Jess & Ulyana were our formidable shooters, creating space and converting goals. Each week the team bonded further and more matches were being won. Banbury were our nemesis, as they were to everyone in our league! We finished a credible 2nd in the league. Majority of Hurricanes will be moving up to senior netball, we wish you all the luck with this next part of your netball journey and forthcoming exams.
U17 ICE - ONJL U17 Div 2 – League Position 3rd – Coaches Jo Davies & Caitlin Williams
A reasonable sized squad that improved hugely over the season. Some players left mid-season and others joined later in the season due to rehabilitating from injuries and other commitments, but they soon gelled into this squad. Ice were a very versatile squad by the end of the season. The Defence, Grace, Edie and Precious could play either GK or GD and interacted beautifully with each other and turning over lots of the oppositions passes. The Centre Court players Sophie, Dora, Lucy, Izzy and Ruby were also just as versatile often changing positions to ensure fresh legs. Their speed at receiving Centre passes and accelerating down the court was a pleasure to witness. Passing into our shooters Georgia and Racky who would respond with converting the passes into goals. Your timing and confidence grew with each match. Good luck to those moving onto senior netball and for those with exams looming.
It has been such a great year for the Silver Squad! Hurricanes won Division 1 (with Ice showing that they are fully on the heels of Hurricanes) and Lightning winning Division 3. We have run the teams with high numbers of players which we hope has allowed our squad members to balance other sports and interests which we really encourage at the U13 age group, we have also tried to keep the teams as fluid as possible to reward commitment and improvement. We also pushed ourselves to the limit for offering places at training, which is vital given that we still have an enormous waiting list for girls in Oxford wanting to join the club.
The girls have demonstrated fantastic enthusiasm and team spirit and really looked out for each other throughout training and match play. Although we had some gaps in the match play due to court availability the teams have always come out looking for the next win and really deserve this year's league results.
We have loved coaching the Silver Squad and really look forward to seeing what this brilliant group of girls do next!
U13 HURRICANES- ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 1st
U13 ICE - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 3rd
With Hurricanes and Ice in division 1 together we have seen some great matches between our two top teams (largely providing our main competition). Hurricanes really dominated the division and had some very convincing wins with large goal differences, these players are really ready for the challenge of moving up to the U15 Gold squad and testing their improved court skills against older players.
Being able to put a second team into division 1 that can finish mid table shows the great depth of players we have at Abbey. The Ice players were really hitting their stride by the end of the season, showing vastly improved court awareness and confidence in their movement.
Well done – a fantastic result for both teams!
U13 LIGHTNING - ONJL U13 Div 3 – League Position 1st
It is such a pleasure introducing young players into the game and the girls have been so enthusiastic about their netball! As always in the Bronze Squad we tend to gain players through the season as girls start to take an interest in the sport, the squad have been so welcoming to all the new faces that arrive and have demonstrated a lovely attitude to sport.
In our coaching, we have focused on movement to receive passes, creating space within the court, defence techniques to shut down attackers and shooting. Given that a lot of primary school netball now demands position switches during game/match play, we have also encouraged the players to try out all positions on the court.
All the players in the Bronze Squad have shown a huge improvement in their game play and ball skills and we are very excited about taking them onto the next level of training and match play. It has been a real pleasure to watch the player friendships that have developed within the squad, and for us, this is what club junior netball is about: combining a passion and drive for the sport and friendship with your fellow players. We look forward to seeing what these girls can achieve in September!
Bronze 2023 Awards:
Coaches Award - Brigitte Lee
Most Improved - Annabel Radford
Most Committed - Jessica Matthews
ABBEY GOLD – Coaches Ella Thompson & Aimee Peacock
U15 HURRICANES - ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 1st
A very strong season for our U15 Hurricanes, with them being unbeaten, despite at times struggling to have a whole team! The biggest highlight is beating a team by 1 goal despite having only 6 players and coming back from being 8 goals down at half time! There have been some fantastic attacking passages of play, with some stellar shooting and our defense making some fantastic tips & interceptions. Across the season they have scored 218 goals and have only conceded 81 – amazing results!
U15 ICE- ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 5th
Ice have played some great netball this season with the standard of netball getting better each week. This team has developed such a strong bond both in training and in matches with their being lots of laughs but also some teamwork being shown, with some amazing shooting (both long and short range), consistent defensive work and lovely passages of play which has helped us get the ball to goal. They should be very proud of what they have achieved this season!
U15 LIGHTNING - ONJL U15 Div 2 – League Position 5th
Once again Lightning have made great progress this season and it really shows through their match play, with them showcasing their team effort and drive to perform well and get the ball to goal.
Throughout training and the matches the players have worked hard to make sure they are driving forwards for the ball when attacking and that they are assertive in defense so that they can try and get all those important turnovers. Overall, there has been a fantastic effort and commitment throughout!
ABBEY PLATINUM U17s – Jo Davies & Caitlin Williams
U17 HURRICANES - ONJL U17 Div 1 – League Position 2nd
A talented group of players with a core stalwart who turned up each week. We regularly had 9-10 players available each week for matches, which actually gave us, the coaches a ‘good headache,’ as to who will start the matches. We were fortunate to have a core Defence with Anoushka, Toddy, & Tilly turning over the oppositions attacking passes. Centre Court was maintained safely by Punnapa, Harriet, Bea & Lola. Intercepting and ensuring the ball was kept safe until delivered to the Shooters. Evie, Jess & Ulyana were our formidable shooters, creating space and converting goals. Each week the team bonded further and more matches were being won. Banbury were our nemesis, as they were to everyone in our league! We finished a credible 2nd in the league. Majority of Hurricanes will be moving up to senior netball, we wish you all the luck with this next part of your netball journey and forthcoming exams.
U17 ICE - ONJL U17 Div 2 – League Position 3rd – Coaches Jo Davies & Caitlin Williams
A reasonable sized squad that improved hugely over the season. Some players left mid-season and others joined later in the season due to rehabilitating from injuries and other commitments, but they soon gelled into this squad. Ice were a very versatile squad by the end of the season. The Defence, Grace, Edie and Precious could play either GK or GD and interacted beautifully with each other and turning over lots of the oppositions passes. The Centre Court players Sophie, Dora, Lucy, Izzy and Ruby were also just as versatile often changing positions to ensure fresh legs. Their speed at receiving Centre passes and accelerating down the court was a pleasure to witness. Passing into our shooters Georgia and Racky who would respond with converting the passes into goals. Your timing and confidence grew with each match. Good luck to those moving onto senior netball and for those with exams looming.
2021-22 SEASON
JUNIOR CO-ORDINATORS REPORT – Jo Pearce
ABBEY PLATINUM U17s – Jo Pearce & Kerry Smith
Pre-Covid, our eldest age group (U17) was a pretty notorious age group. It’s an age where exam pressures and heightened expectations from school, peers and even family make commitment tricky - we’ve always understood it. We had expected that Covid could exacerbate such issues, hence we approached squad sizes and training commitment with caution.
How utterly fantastic to say we were completely wrong! The players have absolutely risen to their roles with Abbey, turning up in good numbers, with humour and enthusiasm and have made our Wednesday nights and Sunday Mornings just great fun. It’s not been without its challenges as girls have fallen ill or became injured: the OJNL rules for isolating if family members were ill further frustrated availability. However, we got through it, managed to field teams each Sunday, and played some great netball as well!
Huge credit to an age group that have borne the brunt of restrictions over the last couple of years. We are very proud of them!
U17 FIREFLIES - ONJL U17 Div 1 – League Position 4th
A talented group of players with a core stalwart who turned up each week and managed to avoid illness! Easily capable of top 3 in the top division of the league but ended up 4th by 1 point: particularly irritating as we comfortably beat Trinity in our penultimate game of the season- such is the sport I’m afraid. We benefitted hugely from Bea G and Katie L moving up from Bluebirds (sorry Bluebirds) after Christmas and when Tilly could come training after Christmas too. Retaining possession was a focus for development. We scored well, turned over ball pretty effortlessly and easily got out for centre passes (Tilly!!). When we consistently made good decisions with the ball in hand we worried the top 2 teams.
U17 BLUEBIRDS - ONJL U17 Div 2 – League Position 3rd
A large squad that improved hugely over the season to come 3rd in Division 2. It’s rare to have potentially 6 shooters in a squad but the players stepped up to share the load and play out of position regularly if needed (Racky!). Once the coaches (sorry for the delay!!) had worked out that it was our release point and passing that was our main issue, we became more patient with fewer errors. Players learnt their roles effectively and our performances became more consistent. It was only really Faringdon who properly troubled us; their height and physicality were pretty impressive.
Junior Summary
Many thanks to all our players and their parents who ferry them around and help on duty days 😊
A particular well done to Grace and Amber who came training each week: you have both improved so much and your involvement was genuinely appreciated.
Best of luck to all those with exams.
To those leaving Abbey or Junior Netball, thank you so very much for all the fun and commitment you’ve given us. Please keep playing.
ABBEY GOLD – Coaches Ella Thompson & Holly Chesser
U15 FIREFLIES - ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 1st
What a season this team have had, from the very start they have worked together cohesively to be unbeaten this whole season, despite at times struggling to have a whole team!
There has been some awesome shooting and attacking passages of play, with the defence working hard to make some fantastic tips & interceptions. Across the season they have scored 261 goals and have only conceded 103 – amazing results!
Well done to the following girls:
Chloe Izzy Emma Harriett Lexie
Lola Annabelle Alex Ruby Zoe
U15 BLUEBIRDS- ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 5th
Bluebirds have worked so hard throughout the season despite having some challenges with player injury meaning that getting a whole team out for matches was at times difficult – but they kept going and the standard of netball they have played this season has been fantastic.
During match play there has been some amazing shooting (both long and short range), strong defence work and some agile mid court passages of play which has helped us get the ball to goal. They should be very proud of what they have achieved this season!
Well done to the following:
Tilly Edie Sophie L Eleanor Evie
Natalya Sofia Sophie R Georgia Rosie
U15 BUMBLEBEES - ONJL U15 Div 4 – League Position 3rd
Bumblebee’s have made such amazing progress and it really shows through their commitment to not only training but the matches with them continuously having nearly the whole team each week.
Throughout the matches their confidence has grown with the passages of play showcasing their team effort and drive to perform well and get the ball to goal.
Over the course of the season the defensive play has been fantastic with us getting lots of turnovers, with the mid court being able to bring the ball through court (with them really taking on the coaching points given), then in the shooting circle, the movement and rotation in and around the circle edge has come together nicely with player partnerships really thriving by the end of the season. Fantastic effort and commitment throughout!
Well done to the following players:
Natalie Sofia Freya T Zahra
Matilda Gilly Elsie Izzy
Maisie Freya K Ellie
ABBEY SILVER – Coaches Tash White & Sukey McMaster
What an absolute privilege it has been for us to coach this really very special group of players this year. We started the year with many new faces and the players not knowing each other’s game well but their enthusiasm and joy in playing with their team was utterly contagious, truly, this became their secret weapon. Time and again the match umpires came off court to tell us what strong, skilled but also delightful teams we have. The sense of team spirit has flourished this year and we really think that this was reflected in the results we had.
In September we wanted to keep the teams as flexible as possible, there was a risk that would lead to uncertainty for the players, but we hope that the benefit was that we were able to move them around a lot more to reflect their improvement and commitment - and what improvement we saw! Without wanting to dwell too much on the last two years of upheaval, some of our younger, less experienced players had no real match play until September and so when they came on court for the seeding matches it was all very new! However, those girls re-grouped and came charging out of the blocks in the league games and took on the challenge, showing immense improvement week on week.
U13 FIREFLIES - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 1st
U13 BLUEBIRDS - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 4th
With Fireflies and Bluebirds in U13 division one, we were delighted to see Abbey see off the main competition from Trinity and win their division. We really had to wait till the end of the season to see this due to the delayed January matches being mostly against Trinity but the results were great. This success was a combined effort between the two teams as we blended them as much as possible, reflecting improvement in players but also due to the practicality of absences. Being able to put a second team into division 1 that can finish mid table shows the great depth of players we have at Abbey. The players in both of these teams improved enormously, showing great positioning on mid-court and dominance in the circle. Well done – a fantastic result!
U13 BUMBLEBEES - ONJL U13 Div 3 – League Position 1st
Bumblebees went from strength to strength this year. Being placed in division 3 was entirely appropriate but by the end of the season we felt that they could have had a good stab at division 2, such was their improvement. They absolutely dominated every match in their division and when it came to the last match of the season we could only put two of three teams out so we decided to concede the Bumblebees match instead of the division 1 Bluebirds Match so that the Bumblebees team had a chance to flex their muscles against division 1 Trinity. It was tough, but a really good marker for where we want these players to be aiming for in September. We can’t wait to see what you can all do next season!
We are immensely proud of the whole Silver squad , thank you for showing us such determination, team spirit and sheer enjoyment of the game - we hope that this stays with you throughout your time in sport. We look forward to seeing as many of the girls back in September to take on the next year of Netball and for those going up to Gold - wow they are lucky to have you!
ABBEY BRONZE – Coaches Tash White & Sukey McMaster
It is such a pleasure introducing young players into the game and this year’s Bronze group have been so enthusiastic! The squad this year had a mix of complete new starters and players who had some experience, despite being impacted by the restrictions of last winter. We had originally hoped to get more game play for some of the older players in this squad but as U13 is the youngest league in the Oxfordshire Netball League they would have had to play against year 8 players, which is a stretch given the very real differences in height.
In our coaching, we have focused on movement to receive passes, creating space within the court, defence techniques to shut down attackers and shooting. Given that a lot of primary school netball now demands position switches during game/match play, we have also encouraged the players to try out all positions on the court.
All the players in the Bronze Squad have shown a huge improvement in their game play and ball skills and we are very excited about taking them onto the next level of training and match play. It has been a real pleasure to watch the player friendships that have developed within the squad, and for us, this is what club junior netball is about: combining a passion and drive for the sport and friendship with your fellow players. We look forward to seeing what these girls can achieve in September!
ABBEY PLATINUM U17s – Jo Pearce & Kerry Smith
Pre-Covid, our eldest age group (U17) was a pretty notorious age group. It’s an age where exam pressures and heightened expectations from school, peers and even family make commitment tricky - we’ve always understood it. We had expected that Covid could exacerbate such issues, hence we approached squad sizes and training commitment with caution.
How utterly fantastic to say we were completely wrong! The players have absolutely risen to their roles with Abbey, turning up in good numbers, with humour and enthusiasm and have made our Wednesday nights and Sunday Mornings just great fun. It’s not been without its challenges as girls have fallen ill or became injured: the OJNL rules for isolating if family members were ill further frustrated availability. However, we got through it, managed to field teams each Sunday, and played some great netball as well!
Huge credit to an age group that have borne the brunt of restrictions over the last couple of years. We are very proud of them!
U17 FIREFLIES - ONJL U17 Div 1 – League Position 4th
A talented group of players with a core stalwart who turned up each week and managed to avoid illness! Easily capable of top 3 in the top division of the league but ended up 4th by 1 point: particularly irritating as we comfortably beat Trinity in our penultimate game of the season- such is the sport I’m afraid. We benefitted hugely from Bea G and Katie L moving up from Bluebirds (sorry Bluebirds) after Christmas and when Tilly could come training after Christmas too. Retaining possession was a focus for development. We scored well, turned over ball pretty effortlessly and easily got out for centre passes (Tilly!!). When we consistently made good decisions with the ball in hand we worried the top 2 teams.
U17 BLUEBIRDS - ONJL U17 Div 2 – League Position 3rd
A large squad that improved hugely over the season to come 3rd in Division 2. It’s rare to have potentially 6 shooters in a squad but the players stepped up to share the load and play out of position regularly if needed (Racky!). Once the coaches (sorry for the delay!!) had worked out that it was our release point and passing that was our main issue, we became more patient with fewer errors. Players learnt their roles effectively and our performances became more consistent. It was only really Faringdon who properly troubled us; their height and physicality were pretty impressive.
Junior Summary
Many thanks to all our players and their parents who ferry them around and help on duty days 😊
A particular well done to Grace and Amber who came training each week: you have both improved so much and your involvement was genuinely appreciated.
Best of luck to all those with exams.
To those leaving Abbey or Junior Netball, thank you so very much for all the fun and commitment you’ve given us. Please keep playing.
ABBEY GOLD – Coaches Ella Thompson & Holly Chesser
U15 FIREFLIES - ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 1st
What a season this team have had, from the very start they have worked together cohesively to be unbeaten this whole season, despite at times struggling to have a whole team!
There has been some awesome shooting and attacking passages of play, with the defence working hard to make some fantastic tips & interceptions. Across the season they have scored 261 goals and have only conceded 103 – amazing results!
Well done to the following girls:
Chloe Izzy Emma Harriett Lexie
Lola Annabelle Alex Ruby Zoe
U15 BLUEBIRDS- ONJL U15 Div 1 – League Position 5th
Bluebirds have worked so hard throughout the season despite having some challenges with player injury meaning that getting a whole team out for matches was at times difficult – but they kept going and the standard of netball they have played this season has been fantastic.
During match play there has been some amazing shooting (both long and short range), strong defence work and some agile mid court passages of play which has helped us get the ball to goal. They should be very proud of what they have achieved this season!
Well done to the following:
Tilly Edie Sophie L Eleanor Evie
Natalya Sofia Sophie R Georgia Rosie
U15 BUMBLEBEES - ONJL U15 Div 4 – League Position 3rd
Bumblebee’s have made such amazing progress and it really shows through their commitment to not only training but the matches with them continuously having nearly the whole team each week.
Throughout the matches their confidence has grown with the passages of play showcasing their team effort and drive to perform well and get the ball to goal.
Over the course of the season the defensive play has been fantastic with us getting lots of turnovers, with the mid court being able to bring the ball through court (with them really taking on the coaching points given), then in the shooting circle, the movement and rotation in and around the circle edge has come together nicely with player partnerships really thriving by the end of the season. Fantastic effort and commitment throughout!
Well done to the following players:
Natalie Sofia Freya T Zahra
Matilda Gilly Elsie Izzy
Maisie Freya K Ellie
ABBEY SILVER – Coaches Tash White & Sukey McMaster
What an absolute privilege it has been for us to coach this really very special group of players this year. We started the year with many new faces and the players not knowing each other’s game well but their enthusiasm and joy in playing with their team was utterly contagious, truly, this became their secret weapon. Time and again the match umpires came off court to tell us what strong, skilled but also delightful teams we have. The sense of team spirit has flourished this year and we really think that this was reflected in the results we had.
In September we wanted to keep the teams as flexible as possible, there was a risk that would lead to uncertainty for the players, but we hope that the benefit was that we were able to move them around a lot more to reflect their improvement and commitment - and what improvement we saw! Without wanting to dwell too much on the last two years of upheaval, some of our younger, less experienced players had no real match play until September and so when they came on court for the seeding matches it was all very new! However, those girls re-grouped and came charging out of the blocks in the league games and took on the challenge, showing immense improvement week on week.
U13 FIREFLIES - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 1st
U13 BLUEBIRDS - ONJL U13 Div 1 – League Position 4th
With Fireflies and Bluebirds in U13 division one, we were delighted to see Abbey see off the main competition from Trinity and win their division. We really had to wait till the end of the season to see this due to the delayed January matches being mostly against Trinity but the results were great. This success was a combined effort between the two teams as we blended them as much as possible, reflecting improvement in players but also due to the practicality of absences. Being able to put a second team into division 1 that can finish mid table shows the great depth of players we have at Abbey. The players in both of these teams improved enormously, showing great positioning on mid-court and dominance in the circle. Well done – a fantastic result!
U13 BUMBLEBEES - ONJL U13 Div 3 – League Position 1st
Bumblebees went from strength to strength this year. Being placed in division 3 was entirely appropriate but by the end of the season we felt that they could have had a good stab at division 2, such was their improvement. They absolutely dominated every match in their division and when it came to the last match of the season we could only put two of three teams out so we decided to concede the Bumblebees match instead of the division 1 Bluebirds Match so that the Bumblebees team had a chance to flex their muscles against division 1 Trinity. It was tough, but a really good marker for where we want these players to be aiming for in September. We can’t wait to see what you can all do next season!
We are immensely proud of the whole Silver squad , thank you for showing us such determination, team spirit and sheer enjoyment of the game - we hope that this stays with you throughout your time in sport. We look forward to seeing as many of the girls back in September to take on the next year of Netball and for those going up to Gold - wow they are lucky to have you!
ABBEY BRONZE – Coaches Tash White & Sukey McMaster
It is such a pleasure introducing young players into the game and this year’s Bronze group have been so enthusiastic! The squad this year had a mix of complete new starters and players who had some experience, despite being impacted by the restrictions of last winter. We had originally hoped to get more game play for some of the older players in this squad but as U13 is the youngest league in the Oxfordshire Netball League they would have had to play against year 8 players, which is a stretch given the very real differences in height.
In our coaching, we have focused on movement to receive passes, creating space within the court, defence techniques to shut down attackers and shooting. Given that a lot of primary school netball now demands position switches during game/match play, we have also encouraged the players to try out all positions on the court.
All the players in the Bronze Squad have shown a huge improvement in their game play and ball skills and we are very excited about taking them onto the next level of training and match play. It has been a real pleasure to watch the player friendships that have developed within the squad, and for us, this is what club junior netball is about: combining a passion and drive for the sport and friendship with your fellow players. We look forward to seeing what these girls can achieve in September!
2019/20
Platinum - Coaches - Jo Pearce & Kerry Smith
Fireflies
Fireflies finished an impressive 3rd in Division 1. A young squad, with plenty of versatility but also more development to come. Fireflies were also a large squad, which presented some selection challenges but also came into its own in the latter stage of the season when availability waned.
The standard was particularly high in Division 1: Banbury and Wallingford setting the tone and giving Fireflies (and the rest of the division) particularly hard competition. In these matches we need to strive for more consistency as we certainly matched them for parts of the game.
Very close matches, where we were able to pull away in the last quarters or hold off a last minute charge from the opposition, show good determination and resilience in the side. When we stick to task: sensible decision making in our passing and avoiding lateral and flat moves, the ball flowed beautifully down court though our centre-court: Bella showing promise at C. Worth mentioning in particular were our tenacious defence: Ruby, Bessie and Anoushka (ably supported by Karis- thanks Karis!). They created regular problems for the opposition circle and consistently turned ball over all season.
Our last match was an absolute nail-biter against Trinity: Fireflies dug deep and with some great consistent shooting from Paige, we pulled away and then hung onto a 3 goal lead. A great end to the season!
ABBEY PLATINUM – Fireflies Awards
Coach’s Player: Lily Taylor
Most Improved: Olivia Sawrey- Cookson
Most Committed: Bessie Chalmers
Player’s Player: Ruby Illsley
Fireflies finished an impressive 3rd in Division 1. A young squad, with plenty of versatility but also more development to come. Fireflies were also a large squad, which presented some selection challenges but also came into its own in the latter stage of the season when availability waned.
The standard was particularly high in Division 1: Banbury and Wallingford setting the tone and giving Fireflies (and the rest of the division) particularly hard competition. In these matches we need to strive for more consistency as we certainly matched them for parts of the game.
Very close matches, where we were able to pull away in the last quarters or hold off a last minute charge from the opposition, show good determination and resilience in the side. When we stick to task: sensible decision making in our passing and avoiding lateral and flat moves, the ball flowed beautifully down court though our centre-court: Bella showing promise at C. Worth mentioning in particular were our tenacious defence: Ruby, Bessie and Anoushka (ably supported by Karis- thanks Karis!). They created regular problems for the opposition circle and consistently turned ball over all season.
Our last match was an absolute nail-biter against Trinity: Fireflies dug deep and with some great consistent shooting from Paige, we pulled away and then hung onto a 3 goal lead. A great end to the season!
ABBEY PLATINUM – Fireflies Awards
Coach’s Player: Lily Taylor
Most Improved: Olivia Sawrey- Cookson
Most Committed: Bessie Chalmers
Player’s Player: Ruby Illsley
PLATINUM – Bluebirds
The squad finished second in their league (Division 3) with some fantastic performances over the season., Bluebirds have showed huge improvements in the control of their passing and efficiency of their movement. The girls have worked hard in training, noticeably improving their shooting accuracy and timing of their attacking moves. They more regularly drive towards the ball and are starting to make effective use of square passing to open up the three channels. They have learnt to read off each other in attack, balancing the court well and clearing out to make space. Ella proved to be a great target in the circle and some individuals settled into new positions, (being a somewhat shooter heavy squad!!) developing their versatility. Terris showed her potential at WD and Ana showed promise at WA. Defensive players, including Natalie and Tofunmi, have opened their body position so they can better track the ball better down the court as well as restrict their attackers moves. They became a formidable force and restricted the goals of opposing teams very effectively.
ABBEY PLATINUM – BLUEBIRDS AWARDS
Coach’s Player: Ana Sarwar
Most Improved: Natalie Bell
Most Committed: Iona Gibb
Player’s Player: Poppy Harris
County Players:
Oxon- Katie Sawrey-Cookson, Bella Alder & Paige Buffham
Bucks - Bessie Chalmers
Nomination
Tiger Award for most tenacious Platinum Player: Ruby Illsley
Caused problems all season for opposition shooters…almost felt sorry for them!
The squad finished second in their league (Division 3) with some fantastic performances over the season., Bluebirds have showed huge improvements in the control of their passing and efficiency of their movement. The girls have worked hard in training, noticeably improving their shooting accuracy and timing of their attacking moves. They more regularly drive towards the ball and are starting to make effective use of square passing to open up the three channels. They have learnt to read off each other in attack, balancing the court well and clearing out to make space. Ella proved to be a great target in the circle and some individuals settled into new positions, (being a somewhat shooter heavy squad!!) developing their versatility. Terris showed her potential at WD and Ana showed promise at WA. Defensive players, including Natalie and Tofunmi, have opened their body position so they can better track the ball better down the court as well as restrict their attackers moves. They became a formidable force and restricted the goals of opposing teams very effectively.
ABBEY PLATINUM – BLUEBIRDS AWARDS
Coach’s Player: Ana Sarwar
Most Improved: Natalie Bell
Most Committed: Iona Gibb
Player’s Player: Poppy Harris
County Players:
Oxon- Katie Sawrey-Cookson, Bella Alder & Paige Buffham
Bucks - Bessie Chalmers
Nomination
Tiger Award for most tenacious Platinum Player: Ruby Illsley
Caused problems all season for opposition shooters…almost felt sorry for them!
Gold - Coached by Rose Hodgson, Drew Murray-Gill, & Ella Thompson
ABBEY GOLD
WOW what can we say?!
Abbey Gold has had a fantastic season! Dragonflies, Bluebirds and Fireflies have all worked exceptionally hard in training and during matches, showcasing strong commitment and teamwork throughout the season. As coaches all the Gold girls have made us very proud, it’s been a pleasure to work with such intelligent, courteous and skilled young women, both on and off the court. You have really challenged us to plan better and think harder as coaches to get the most out of you – we thank you for that and all your hard work this season!
Well done all, rest up and let’s get ready to smash 2020-2021
ABBEY GOLD - Dragonflies
An amazing team and season! Firstly, our Dragonflies stood up and took on the challenge of U17’s division 2!!! Here they really made their mark, narrowly missing out on 3rd place (and even really 2nd place) with some incredible wins, using their creativeness on court and absolute team spirit each week. The Dragonflies have been committed to the game and to their team week in week out, and this evidently helped as the games became tighter and the girl’s passion grew as the season went on. We have been very impressed with the development of Dragonflies’ units of shooters, centre courts and defenders, gaining more consistency to work together to turn over the ball and bring it down court to ultimately score! They have worked hard together to learn how to apply pressure and make centre passes and turnovers more effective in both attack and defence, showing brilliant confidence and skill! Well done Dragonflies, you have all individually brought passion, talent and often sassiness to create a fantastic team and season to remember!
Players’ Player – Romilly Middlemiss
Coaches’ player – Bea Gelling
Most improved – Honey Valdiserri
Most Committed – Katie Lackenby
ABBEY GOLD - Fireflies
A brilliant (but difficult!!) season, but hey you all needed that challenge! At the start of the season, the fireflies team was made up of players with a lot of individual talent. By the end, we could see a strong team unit shining through! What a challenge to go into the top division (and for many, up an age group!)! You all stood tall, put 110% into each game to make each one highly contested and a pleasure to watch, to finally come 4th in a very demanding league, something you should be very proud of. The fireflies have come on leaps and bounds from basic use of space down the court to starting to communicate better and use set plays against teams, something we have been very impressed by! It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such a highly skilled team and as coaches very excited to see what we can bring to the league next season!! Let’s go for the win!!!
Players’ Player – Harriet Preston
Coaches’ player – Megan Jacobs
Most improved – Sophia Oppon
Most Committed – Leila May
Abbey Gold’s Tiger’s award nominee:
Imogen Watson-Sinclair – for her terrier-like tenacity, persistence and sassiness on and off the ball.
ABBEY GOLD - Bluebirds
Champions!!!! What a great season for Bluebirds, winning every match and standing tall at the top of table clear by 8 points! The girls never stopped fighting, even though sometimes it may have taken three quarters to get there!!! Each of the Bluebirds have shown how much they’ve improved from the start to finish of the season both as team players, player units, and also as individuals, making us very proud. Bluebirds have been amazing at taking feedback and coaching at training and at matches, using this to grow in confidence and make the right decisions on court. As coaches we have been impressed by Bluebirds’ brilliant use of space throughout the court, fantastic teamwork and communication, which has made them start stronger in every match as a team unit. We can’t wait to develop on what the girls have learnt from this season and hope their commitment, passion and concentration remains the same. Well done Bluebirds you fully deserved to win the league!!
Players’ Player – Shaan Bhomra
Coaches’ player – Charlotte Rothery
Most improved – Faith Woodruffe-Peacock
Most Committed – Dora Grandy
WOW what can we say?!
Abbey Gold has had a fantastic season! Dragonflies, Bluebirds and Fireflies have all worked exceptionally hard in training and during matches, showcasing strong commitment and teamwork throughout the season. As coaches all the Gold girls have made us very proud, it’s been a pleasure to work with such intelligent, courteous and skilled young women, both on and off the court. You have really challenged us to plan better and think harder as coaches to get the most out of you – we thank you for that and all your hard work this season!
Well done all, rest up and let’s get ready to smash 2020-2021
ABBEY GOLD - Dragonflies
An amazing team and season! Firstly, our Dragonflies stood up and took on the challenge of U17’s division 2!!! Here they really made their mark, narrowly missing out on 3rd place (and even really 2nd place) with some incredible wins, using their creativeness on court and absolute team spirit each week. The Dragonflies have been committed to the game and to their team week in week out, and this evidently helped as the games became tighter and the girl’s passion grew as the season went on. We have been very impressed with the development of Dragonflies’ units of shooters, centre courts and defenders, gaining more consistency to work together to turn over the ball and bring it down court to ultimately score! They have worked hard together to learn how to apply pressure and make centre passes and turnovers more effective in both attack and defence, showing brilliant confidence and skill! Well done Dragonflies, you have all individually brought passion, talent and often sassiness to create a fantastic team and season to remember!
Players’ Player – Romilly Middlemiss
Coaches’ player – Bea Gelling
Most improved – Honey Valdiserri
Most Committed – Katie Lackenby
ABBEY GOLD - Fireflies
A brilliant (but difficult!!) season, but hey you all needed that challenge! At the start of the season, the fireflies team was made up of players with a lot of individual talent. By the end, we could see a strong team unit shining through! What a challenge to go into the top division (and for many, up an age group!)! You all stood tall, put 110% into each game to make each one highly contested and a pleasure to watch, to finally come 4th in a very demanding league, something you should be very proud of. The fireflies have come on leaps and bounds from basic use of space down the court to starting to communicate better and use set plays against teams, something we have been very impressed by! It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such a highly skilled team and as coaches very excited to see what we can bring to the league next season!! Let’s go for the win!!!
Players’ Player – Harriet Preston
Coaches’ player – Megan Jacobs
Most improved – Sophia Oppon
Most Committed – Leila May
Abbey Gold’s Tiger’s award nominee:
Imogen Watson-Sinclair – for her terrier-like tenacity, persistence and sassiness on and off the ball.
ABBEY GOLD - Bluebirds
Champions!!!! What a great season for Bluebirds, winning every match and standing tall at the top of table clear by 8 points! The girls never stopped fighting, even though sometimes it may have taken three quarters to get there!!! Each of the Bluebirds have shown how much they’ve improved from the start to finish of the season both as team players, player units, and also as individuals, making us very proud. Bluebirds have been amazing at taking feedback and coaching at training and at matches, using this to grow in confidence and make the right decisions on court. As coaches we have been impressed by Bluebirds’ brilliant use of space throughout the court, fantastic teamwork and communication, which has made them start stronger in every match as a team unit. We can’t wait to develop on what the girls have learnt from this season and hope their commitment, passion and concentration remains the same. Well done Bluebirds you fully deserved to win the league!!
Players’ Player – Shaan Bhomra
Coaches’ player – Charlotte Rothery
Most improved – Faith Woodruffe-Peacock
Most Committed – Dora Grandy
Silver - Coached by Kate Ricks and Sue Lyons
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With the Oxfordshire League using a ‘seeding system’ to place teams in divisions, the girls did very well to ensure we had one team in Division 1 and one in Division 2. However, then the challenge really started with both teams having to work exceptionally hard each week against tough competition. Half way through the season, we really turned a corner with both teams starting to gel and deliver some great performances - and leaving the best to the last matches. Bluebirds beat Trinity Lynxes (who they were drawing with) to end 3rd in Division 2 and Fireflies beat Faringdon Thunder - with a 25 goal-difference - to finish 3rd in Division 1 – an excellent final result from both teams.
Some individual achievements to note: Bella was selected for Team Matrix U11s and Emma P has been asked to trial, and Harriet has been called back for an U12s trial. Plus, Izzy has been selected for the Oxfordshire Satellite group.
Fireflies
Players’ Player: Evie Pearce
Most committed: Harriet Haynes
Most improved: Izzy Adams
Coaches’ award: Lola Allen
Bluebirds
Players’ Player: Sarah Blackstock Grillo
Most committed: Isobel Boulter
Most improved: Emma Park
Coaches’ award: Milly Weaver
Some individual achievements to note: Bella was selected for Team Matrix U11s and Emma P has been asked to trial, and Harriet has been called back for an U12s trial. Plus, Izzy has been selected for the Oxfordshire Satellite group.
Fireflies
Players’ Player: Evie Pearce
Most committed: Harriet Haynes
Most improved: Izzy Adams
Coaches’ award: Lola Allen
Bluebirds
Players’ Player: Sarah Blackstock Grillo
Most committed: Isobel Boulter
Most improved: Emma Park
Coaches’ award: Milly Weaver
Bronze - Coached by Sue Lyons
This year with so many keen youngsters wanting to play netball we introduced two Bronze groups, both training bi-weekly and with one gaining some match play across the season. Splitting the girls across the two groups was difficult, as they are all still quite inexperienced when joining Abbey, so we ensured that throughout the season there was flexibility to move a player from one group to the other, as their skills improved. 3 girls moved to the match play squad this season, fitting in seamlessly when they joined. So many of the girls made great progress this season – ready for the challenge of match play next season.
With 24 girls in the match play group I was constantly challenged with rotating the girls to ensure they all gained Oxfordshire League experience. This resulted in very large squads on a Sunday morning as I juggled availability, experience and exposure to very tough competition week-on-week. However, every Sunday, without fail, the girls pulled out the stops. I have never coached a group of girls as enthusiastic and determined as our Dragonflies group has been this year – plus, they were always smiling! Also, I have never received as many compliments from fellow coaches and umpires about the endeavour of a team. Finishing 4th in Division 3 was no mean feat for such a young and inexperienced group (against much older and taller competition) – so a huge well done from me!
Some individual highlights to note: Freya H, Ruthie and Chrissy were all selected to train with Team Matrix U10s; and Clara and Aisha were invited to trial for the U11s.
Dragonflies
Players’ Player: Aisha Justilien
Most committed: Zahra Cheema
Most improved: Clara Walker
Coach’s award: Alexandra Miller
Bronze B
Most committed: Natasha Davis
Most improved: Emma Lee
Coach’s award: Chrissy Coney
With 24 girls in the match play group I was constantly challenged with rotating the girls to ensure they all gained Oxfordshire League experience. This resulted in very large squads on a Sunday morning as I juggled availability, experience and exposure to very tough competition week-on-week. However, every Sunday, without fail, the girls pulled out the stops. I have never coached a group of girls as enthusiastic and determined as our Dragonflies group has been this year – plus, they were always smiling! Also, I have never received as many compliments from fellow coaches and umpires about the endeavour of a team. Finishing 4th in Division 3 was no mean feat for such a young and inexperienced group (against much older and taller competition) – so a huge well done from me!
Some individual highlights to note: Freya H, Ruthie and Chrissy were all selected to train with Team Matrix U10s; and Clara and Aisha were invited to trial for the U11s.
Dragonflies
Players’ Player: Aisha Justilien
Most committed: Zahra Cheema
Most improved: Clara Walker
Coach’s award: Alexandra Miller
Bronze B
Most committed: Natasha Davis
Most improved: Emma Lee
Coach’s award: Chrissy Coney
2018/19
Season Summary (18/19): Abbey Juniors
U11s, coached by Sue: This is the second year of our U11s group, which has once again proved to be a great success in attracting young talented girls into the club. We are absolutely delighted that we have been able to reach out to a wider range of local primary schools where, in most instances, netball doesn't feature at all. Although only training bi-weekly and with no match play, the group has gone from strength to strength, with the standard of play significantly higher now than at the start of the season. This is largely due to the dedication and enthusiasm of so many girls and a good number of very competitive players. Having been runners-up in the U11s Versatility Tournament 2018 (entered last year for the first time); we're working hard to better our position on the 19th May. U12s, coached by Kate and Sue: This has been the most successful U12s training group for a very long time, with Fireflies winning Division 1 having been completely unbeaten all season. Their success, due to some very talented players, exceptionally good team spirit and individual commitment, is also a reflection of the extremely competitive edge placed on them by Bluebirds; who themselves should be congratulated on finishing fourth in Division 1, having won Division 2 in the first half of the season with no losses and an amazing 115 goal difference (the best across all U12 teams this season). Particular individual success: Venetia and Megan were selected as part of the County's Satellite Programme; Sophia and Giorgia were selected for the Team Matrix Regional U12 team; and Imogen W-S is part of the Team Matrix U11s Development Team.
U14’s coached by Patience and Rose: This year’s U14 group was huge and had weekly requests for new people to join. This meant, competition for teams were strong. We had 3 squads, Fireflies, Bluebirds and the long squad. We have had some great successes with Fireflies finishing 3rd in division 1, losing out to 2nd by just 1 point and Bluebirds finishing an impressive 6th in the same league! Great effort from a B team in an A league. The girls have shown a great commitment to training with around 30 girls showing up regularly and almost full squads on Sundays too. Thank you to the girls who turned up showing enthusiasm and motivation each week, ready to work hard and to improve as players and well done to all the girls who played in the league this year.
U16s have had a hugely successful year. Coached By Gemma M and Jo P.
Fireflies: Won Division 1 both before and after Christmas; won the U16 Versatility Tournament. Vast goal difference at the end of the season indicating great shooting and defensive stats. A fun, talented group of girls: mixture of U16s, 3 U15s and 3 U14s. Representative netballers: Rama, Sophie C, Grace and Lizzie representing Headington Nova Academy Severn Stars; Sophie T Oxfordshire County; Sophie T, Lizzie and Grace also playing for Matrix South Regional Div 1 – qualifying for National Club U14s Championships 2019.
Bluebirds : Division 2 winners, being promoted to Division 1 after Christmas, coming 6th. Hugely improved performances in Division 1 over the last few months- significantly more challenging netball which they adapted to and learnt plenty! Some very able netballers in this team: a mixture of U16S, U15s and 1 U14. Representative netballers: Maddie S Gloucestershire County Netball: Paige B playing for Trinity South Regional Div 2
Dragonflies: Formed after Christmas as Gemma and I were hugely impressed with both dedication and improvement of a group of Long Squad girls. They were entered into Division 3: eventually coming 4th out of 9 teams – amazing. Some pretty remarkable improvement from many of the girls. Delighted of the change to U17 for these girls as most are currently U16.
U14’s coached by Patience and Rose: This year’s U14 group was huge and had weekly requests for new people to join. This meant, competition for teams were strong. We had 3 squads, Fireflies, Bluebirds and the long squad. We have had some great successes with Fireflies finishing 3rd in division 1, losing out to 2nd by just 1 point and Bluebirds finishing an impressive 6th in the same league! Great effort from a B team in an A league. The girls have shown a great commitment to training with around 30 girls showing up regularly and almost full squads on Sundays too. Thank you to the girls who turned up showing enthusiasm and motivation each week, ready to work hard and to improve as players and well done to all the girls who played in the league this year.
U16s have had a hugely successful year. Coached By Gemma M and Jo P.
Fireflies: Won Division 1 both before and after Christmas; won the U16 Versatility Tournament. Vast goal difference at the end of the season indicating great shooting and defensive stats. A fun, talented group of girls: mixture of U16s, 3 U15s and 3 U14s. Representative netballers: Rama, Sophie C, Grace and Lizzie representing Headington Nova Academy Severn Stars; Sophie T Oxfordshire County; Sophie T, Lizzie and Grace also playing for Matrix South Regional Div 1 – qualifying for National Club U14s Championships 2019.
Bluebirds : Division 2 winners, being promoted to Division 1 after Christmas, coming 6th. Hugely improved performances in Division 1 over the last few months- significantly more challenging netball which they adapted to and learnt plenty! Some very able netballers in this team: a mixture of U16S, U15s and 1 U14. Representative netballers: Maddie S Gloucestershire County Netball: Paige B playing for Trinity South Regional Div 2
Dragonflies: Formed after Christmas as Gemma and I were hugely impressed with both dedication and improvement of a group of Long Squad girls. They were entered into Division 3: eventually coming 4th out of 9 teams – amazing. Some pretty remarkable improvement from many of the girls. Delighted of the change to U17 for these girls as most are currently U16.
Season Summary (17/18): Abbey Juniors
Abbey has always enjoyed the challenge of keeping up with a very strong group of junior players, arriving charged and enthusiastic each week with the commitment that has once again stood them in good stead. Every year group has benefitted from some individual brilliance, but it’s the commitment to training each week that has delivered great improvement across the board.
U11s, coached by Sue: This newly formed group for 2017/18 has been a great success, thanks to a great group of enthusiastic and keen youngsters. Having started, largely, with girls from Year 5, we have been able to accommodate some Year 4s who have fitted in really well. Although only training bi-weekly and with no match play, our U11s team was runners-up in the end of season Versatility Tournament – absolutely brilliant!
U12s, coached by Kate and Sue: We’ve had some great success this season, with the Fireflies team finishing runners-up in Division 1 and the highest goal difference of any team. The Bluebirds finished a very credible third place in Division 2. The group has shown a real commitment to training and matches, which has delivered some very impressive improvements from individuals and both teams. Particular individual success was noted for Bella, Maisie and Romily who were selected as part of the County’s U12 Development Group.
U14s, coached by Patience and Gemma: The U14s group was huge, with weekly requests for new girls to join, which we tried to accommodate by enlisting the support of additional volunteer coaches. Having such a large group meant there was strong competition for teams and match play, which in turn has helped to deliver an outstanding set of results, with Fireflies only losing one match all season and the Bluebirds only 2. This meant that both teams topped their division – very impressive – and the Bluebirds had the greatest goal difference in Division 2. Individual success for Grace O’Gorman who was selected for the County Satellite Programme, played regional netball with Team Matrix and was selected for Mini Mavericks, a Super League Development Squad. Paige too was selected for the Northampton Satellite Programme. Well done both!
U16s, coached by Gemma and Jo: This year we made a decision to move 4 very strong U14s up to join the U16s group; all of which have integrated very well into a very successful year group. The whole group improved throughout the year with the Fireflies having a very successful season, winning Division 1 and Bluebirds pipped to 3rd place in Division 2 (due to goal difference). With such a large and enthusiastic group, the coaches entered 3 teams into the Versatility Tournament, all of which were in the top half of their group at lunch time and the Fireflies team going on to win the Cup – fantastic!
Of particular note are 4 girls, Lizzie, Rama, Sophie C and Sophie T. Lizzie and Sophie T were both selected for the county pathway and Mini Mavericks, and played regional netball with Team Matrix, winning the U13s South Region League. Rama and Sophie C are also in the County Pathway, and Rama made it through to the second round of the Wasps U18s Development selection, a great achievement!
U11s, coached by Sue: This newly formed group for 2017/18 has been a great success, thanks to a great group of enthusiastic and keen youngsters. Having started, largely, with girls from Year 5, we have been able to accommodate some Year 4s who have fitted in really well. Although only training bi-weekly and with no match play, our U11s team was runners-up in the end of season Versatility Tournament – absolutely brilliant!
U12s, coached by Kate and Sue: We’ve had some great success this season, with the Fireflies team finishing runners-up in Division 1 and the highest goal difference of any team. The Bluebirds finished a very credible third place in Division 2. The group has shown a real commitment to training and matches, which has delivered some very impressive improvements from individuals and both teams. Particular individual success was noted for Bella, Maisie and Romily who were selected as part of the County’s U12 Development Group.
U14s, coached by Patience and Gemma: The U14s group was huge, with weekly requests for new girls to join, which we tried to accommodate by enlisting the support of additional volunteer coaches. Having such a large group meant there was strong competition for teams and match play, which in turn has helped to deliver an outstanding set of results, with Fireflies only losing one match all season and the Bluebirds only 2. This meant that both teams topped their division – very impressive – and the Bluebirds had the greatest goal difference in Division 2. Individual success for Grace O’Gorman who was selected for the County Satellite Programme, played regional netball with Team Matrix and was selected for Mini Mavericks, a Super League Development Squad. Paige too was selected for the Northampton Satellite Programme. Well done both!
U16s, coached by Gemma and Jo: This year we made a decision to move 4 very strong U14s up to join the U16s group; all of which have integrated very well into a very successful year group. The whole group improved throughout the year with the Fireflies having a very successful season, winning Division 1 and Bluebirds pipped to 3rd place in Division 2 (due to goal difference). With such a large and enthusiastic group, the coaches entered 3 teams into the Versatility Tournament, all of which were in the top half of their group at lunch time and the Fireflies team going on to win the Cup – fantastic!
Of particular note are 4 girls, Lizzie, Rama, Sophie C and Sophie T. Lizzie and Sophie T were both selected for the county pathway and Mini Mavericks, and played regional netball with Team Matrix, winning the U13s South Region League. Rama and Sophie C are also in the County Pathway, and Rama made it through to the second round of the Wasps U18s Development selection, a great achievement!
End of 2016/17 Winter season round up
U12s: A good season for the U12s where we have seen some fantastic defensive play across the board this year! Particular praise must go to the Bluebirds though, they had the lowest number of goals against them of any U12 team in any division. A brilliant achievement – well done!
We have been delighted with the commitment of all girls and a huge well done to Grace, Beatrix, Ruby and Kitty, who were all selected to be part of the U12 Development Group.
U14s: The U14 group was particularly large this year and of a very high standard too. So much so that both teams competed in Division 1, a first for this year group.
Excellent attendance at training and the commitment to improve all the way to the end of the season, meant that the Bluebirds’ last match was their best and the Fireflies finished the season with the highest number of points in Division 1, only narrowly missing out on the top slot to Trinity on goal difference. An excellent performance from a very young squad.
Well done to all girls, with individual praise to Sophie C, Sophie T, Rama, Paige, Hensly, and Lizzie; all of whom are in a County Satellite group and Petch who was selected for the County Academy.
U16s: The U16 group was as large as usual, with a consistently high standard. So much so that we found it particularly difficult selecting a distinct Fireflies and Bluebirds team. Indeed there were many Bluebirds players who improved at such a high rate this season that they played several matches for Fireflies towards the end of the season. The Bluebirds had a particularly strong first half of the season, which was rewarded with medals for finishing second in their division.
Well done to all players for their commitment to training and Sunday morning matches and to Sabina who was selected to be part of the Satellite group.
We have been delighted with the commitment of all girls and a huge well done to Grace, Beatrix, Ruby and Kitty, who were all selected to be part of the U12 Development Group.
U14s: The U14 group was particularly large this year and of a very high standard too. So much so that both teams competed in Division 1, a first for this year group.
Excellent attendance at training and the commitment to improve all the way to the end of the season, meant that the Bluebirds’ last match was their best and the Fireflies finished the season with the highest number of points in Division 1, only narrowly missing out on the top slot to Trinity on goal difference. An excellent performance from a very young squad.
Well done to all girls, with individual praise to Sophie C, Sophie T, Rama, Paige, Hensly, and Lizzie; all of whom are in a County Satellite group and Petch who was selected for the County Academy.
U16s: The U16 group was as large as usual, with a consistently high standard. So much so that we found it particularly difficult selecting a distinct Fireflies and Bluebirds team. Indeed there were many Bluebirds players who improved at such a high rate this season that they played several matches for Fireflies towards the end of the season. The Bluebirds had a particularly strong first half of the season, which was rewarded with medals for finishing second in their division.
Well done to all players for their commitment to training and Sunday morning matches and to Sabina who was selected to be part of the Satellite group.
Abbey Netball Juniors - the season so far....
An enthusiastic start to the season with record levels of juniors across the three age ranges: U12, U14 and U16. With numbers at an all-time high, we have 6, great squads of competitive and talented players.
Abbey Juniors are represented with a team in the Oxfordshire Junior League Division 1 for all age groups. Plus, the U12s and U14s have a second team in this Division and U16 Abbey Bluebirds are currently top of Division 2!
We have also had a particularly good start to the season with many Abbey Junior players being selected to be part of England Netball’s Performance Pathway. The girls train on a regular basis, with other elite athletes from across the county in one of the following groups: U12 Development, Satellite 1 and Satellite 2. Some of our outstanding older juniors are also playing in the Oxfordshire Senior League, where we support them to play at this higher level.
Abbey Juniors are represented with a team in the Oxfordshire Junior League Division 1 for all age groups. Plus, the U12s and U14s have a second team in this Division and U16 Abbey Bluebirds are currently top of Division 2!
We have also had a particularly good start to the season with many Abbey Junior players being selected to be part of England Netball’s Performance Pathway. The girls train on a regular basis, with other elite athletes from across the county in one of the following groups: U12 Development, Satellite 1 and Satellite 2. Some of our outstanding older juniors are also playing in the Oxfordshire Senior League, where we support them to play at this higher level.
"If your aim as a club was to provide a fun, nurturing environment where players are developed, then I think you are succeeding in spades!!" - Parent
Safeguarding Officer
Lesley Williams - Please contact abbeynetballoxford@googlemail.com if you have any questions or queries.
End of 15/16 Winter Season Roundup
Under 12s
The Fireflies team was particularly strong this year, only losing 2 matches all season and ending up 2nd in Division 1. This was a very versatile team, resulting in their excellent win of the Oxfordshire U12 Versatility Tournament.
Particular commendation must go to Lizzie who was selected for the County U12 Development Squad.
The Bluebirds finished a very credible 4th in Division 2 - a great achievement, especially as the majority of the girls are Year 6!
Under 14s
The Fireflies team represented Abbey in Division 1, a particularly strong division where they finished 3rd. This was an incredibly versatile team, demonstrated by winning the cup in the Oxfordshire Versatility Tournament. We were all very proud of Jess, who was also awarded the Oxfordshire League Players’ Player!
The Bluebirds team, including many new faces this year, played in Division 2 (out of 3 divisions) and finished a very credible 5th.
Under 16s
The Fireflies played in a very difficult top division – finishing 2nd was an excellent result. Plus, Olivia was presented with the League Players’ Player award, a remarkable achievement!
The Bluebirds played in Division 2, finishing 5th in a group of strong teams, with some great individual performances and huge team improvement as the season progressed.
The Fireflies team was particularly strong this year, only losing 2 matches all season and ending up 2nd in Division 1. This was a very versatile team, resulting in their excellent win of the Oxfordshire U12 Versatility Tournament.
Particular commendation must go to Lizzie who was selected for the County U12 Development Squad.
The Bluebirds finished a very credible 4th in Division 2 - a great achievement, especially as the majority of the girls are Year 6!
Under 14s
The Fireflies team represented Abbey in Division 1, a particularly strong division where they finished 3rd. This was an incredibly versatile team, demonstrated by winning the cup in the Oxfordshire Versatility Tournament. We were all very proud of Jess, who was also awarded the Oxfordshire League Players’ Player!
The Bluebirds team, including many new faces this year, played in Division 2 (out of 3 divisions) and finished a very credible 5th.
Under 16s
The Fireflies played in a very difficult top division – finishing 2nd was an excellent result. Plus, Olivia was presented with the League Players’ Player award, a remarkable achievement!
The Bluebirds played in Division 2, finishing 5th in a group of strong teams, with some great individual performances and huge team improvement as the season progressed.
