Abbey Junior Training 2019/2020
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.
