Netball: North West regional academy side achieves stunning national success

National champions – doesn’t that sound just amazing?

That was the achievement of the North West Bangor Regional netball side crowned Wales Academy U17 title winners last week.

Both the Under-15 and U17 squads represented the North West at a national tournament in Cardiff, with all teams producing excellent performances.

Here is how it all happened…

Background

There are 8 netball regional academies in Wales. In the North West we have the Bangor Regional Academy, who train weekly with two ages groups: U15 and U17.

The Academy hosts trials in September and 26 players are selected from the North West Talent pool. The Academies train from September through to July and the curriculum is skills based in a bid to improve the standard of netball across Wales and provide a bigger pool of athletes to select from at the National Academy Level.

This season has seen a higher number of North West athletes selected into the National Academy with Amalie Jones (Llandudno), Efa Dwyfor-Clark (Bryn Refail/Thundercats), Hanna Jones (Bryn Refail/Thundercats), Beca Parry (Arfon Ladies) and Lacey Williams (Llandudno) all being selected.

Lacey was also chosen to represent Wales at the U17 European Championships held in Gibraltar in May 2024 and has been asked to train with the U21 Wales Squad ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers in September.

At the end of each season all Academies come together in Cardiff to compete in a Regional Academy Tournament. The players selected to compete and represent Bangor were:

UNDER-15

Abi Kay
Anest Hickey
Cara Davies
Daisy Doodson
Efa Roberts
Erin Quinn
Erin Roberts
Hana Parry
Hanna Jones
Jasmine Baylis
Jessica Williams
Leila Williams
Madi Humphreys
Medi Williams
Megan Thomas
Mia Evans
Mirain Llwyd
Nia Davies
Olivia Jones
Pola Golaski
Sophia Jones

UNDER-17

Alaw Swyn
Alys Lees
Amy Owen
Cassie Ogilvy
Ceri O’Neill
Cira Williams
Dinah Hardington
Efa Dwyfor Clark
Ela Parry
Ela Thomas
Ellie Gosset
Erin Jones
Ffion Jones
Fflur Thomas
Isobel Lomax
Lacey Williams
Lily Doodson
Luned Roberts
Martha Hughes
Saran Griffiths

This year saw Bangor placed in a pool with Gwent, USW/Cymoedd and NPTC.

The U15 teams competed on Saturday 6th July and the U17’s on Sunday 7th July in the House of Sport Cardiff.

There was one aim for the weekend across all teams … enjoy the game and have fun. No other aims or objectives, every player has worked hard all season in training – now was the time to show that off and just have fun enjoying the game we all love.

Under-15s

The U15’s came into the tournament with a mixture of nerves and excitement with it being their first time playing at this level for most of the players.

The team captains organised their team quickly including sorting ribbons and green glitter to represent the North West. The teams warmed up and got ready to play 3 pool games before moving onto the knockout stages.

There was lots of incredible and exciting play from both teams with relentless defending, fast through court transition and calm steady shooting.

At the end of the pool rounds, both teams went into classification matches with the B team coming away with a win and the A team narrowly missing out on a win by 2 goals.

This meant the B team then went into the 5/6th play off for their pool and the A team into 7/8th play off.

Both teams won their final games of the day leaving the B team placing 5th and the A team 7th in their respective groups.

Pola Golaski, U15 Club Captain said:

“I love being part of the Academy, the experience has been amazing and the improvement in my netball over the year has made me a better netballer than ever. The tournament in Cardiff was a great experience for me and the rest of the players. Proving that our level of netball is very high and challenging teams from the South of Wales really shows how our training over the year has impacted our play. I cannot wait for what next season brings and hopefully get to play in Cardiff once again and fight for the final, as well as improve my netball to an even higher standard.“

Leila Williams, U15 Club Captain said:

“I really enjoy being part of the academy. Not only have I made new friends but I feel I have improved as a netball player and learnt many new things in training. I enjoy training as it is always challenging but fun. I enjoyed every second of the tournament, it was an unforgettable experience. I feel grateful to be part of the academy and for the opportunities that my coaches have given me. I am extremely looking forward to see what next season will bring.”

Daisy Doodson, U15 Club Captain said:

“I enjoy being part of the academy and I love making new friends and being able to train with new people. I feel that I have improved a lot whilst being part of the academy and I have learnt a lot. I really enjoyed the day of the Academy Tournament because it was a chance for me to experience playing different Academies and play against tough opposition. I am very excited for next season and I’m excited to see what happens next with this group of players.”

Under-17s

The U17s arrived on Sunday raring to go after hearing about how well the U15s did and some having prior experience from the previous year’s tournament where they placed 4th and 2nd.

The B team started strong against Gwent with a number of interceptions from Ffion Jones, steady through court from Fflur Thomas and calm long distance shooting from Dinah Hardington.

The team continued to build confidence throughout the 18 minutes of their first match, getting all players on court and shaking off any nerves. They walked away from their first game with a solid win.

Their second game against USW/Cymoedd was similar with everyone putting all they had learnt into practice and leaving it all out on the court. The B team came away with another win under their belt leaving them one game away from placing top of their group.

B went into their final game confident and started strong, NPTC had been watching the team throughout and came prepared. The game was fast and fierce with back and forward netball, both teams were hungry to come out on top and win their group.

The B team came out with a narrow loss leaving them 2nd. They faced Cardiff in the Semi-Final which was another well-matched game going backwards and forwards, both teams winning interceptions, chasing everything down and working to their shooters hoping to take the win.

Fatigue had set in which saw a slight dip in performance resulting in a narrow loss, resulting in the team heading into the 3/4th play off to meet NPTC who they had lost to earlier in the day.

After a debrief led by captain Martha Hughes, time to reset and watching the A team perform, the B team shook off their earlier loss and put their game faces on.

They approached the game as competitors, did not take their foot off the gas throughout and came away with a convincing win leaving them in 3rd place overall. A fantastic achievement for a team of predominantly new academy players this season.

Martha Hughes (B Team Captain) said:

“My time in Regional Academy has been so beneficial to developing my skills as well as my confidence on and off the court. Throughout the year Simone and Cara have helped me to learn new skills and understand the game from a new perspective.
“Having such supportive team mates has made my time so enjoyable and special. I believe this bond helped us all perform so well in Cardiff at the tournament, we performed as such a strong team.
“As sad as I am to be leaving the Academy for university, the skills I have developed will stand me in good stead when I wish to trial for university teams. I am thankful for all the support I have received this season and I’ll do my best to make my coaches proud in the future.”

THE A TEAM arrived oozing with confidence with academy captain Lily Doodson stating they had all agreed they were here to win and nothing less.

The girls were in high spirits from the start of the day and did not seem to show any nerves at all. They stepped onto court and took no prisoners, they stepped up to the plate, looked National Academy girls in the eyes and said we’re from the North West and we are here to win today.

Every single player had stand out performances throughout the day from the dogged defence to the slick shooting. The team finished top of their group and went into a Semi-Final against Coleg Cambria who they knew were a phenomenal team. This did not phase the girls with them again stating they had it in the bag and they were going to be leaving as champions.

The Semi-Final had everyone on their edge of their seats with both teams being relentless and the game being goal for goal. A disallowed goal for Bangor before the final whistle saw the game ending in a draw, after a quick check of the rule book there would be a further 2 minutes played and then golden goal.

It was a tense 2 minutes with both teams scoring and continuing as a draw, this saw the organiser inform both coaches that the next goal would win – unbeknown to the players who couldn’t hear a thing.

An interception from Lily Doodson and a fast transition to the shooting circle saw Lacey Williams end the game with a golden goal seeing Bangor into the Final against USW/Cymoedd who they had faced earlier in the day.

They had beaten this opponent earlier in the day but knew this didn’t mean anything and that the team would be coming back at them in the final.

The girls continued how they started the day with confidence, they were strong, solid and steady for the entire 18 minutes pulling away with a lead and maintaining it throughout.

After 18 minutes of outstanding netball the U17 Bangor Regional Team were crowned as champions of the 2024 Tournament!

Cassie Ogilvy, U17 Club Captain said:

“I have really enjoyed my time in the Academy for the last two seasons. Simone and Cara have helped every single player in the Academy and have pushed us to our full potential in every training session and matches we have played throughout the season.
“This resulted in us being winners of the Regional Academy Tournament last week which was the best feeling ever for the whole of North West Wales! I believe that I have massively improved from being part of the Academy and have learnt so many new things but most importantly made such amazing friends that feel like family.
“The competition day was full of different emotions, the nerves, the excitement, tears of happiness – it was the best day! We backed each other up on and off the court, went into every game with our heads held high and ready to give our all to make ourselves, the team, the parents and friends, but most importantly our coaches that have worked so hard proud. It was a day I’ll never forget and I am so excited for next season to see what more we can bring as the North West.”

Simone Gould, Head Coach said:

“I’m incredibly proud of the U15s, for most of them it is their first time playing at this level which is not easy going up against some of the best players in the country and some who play within the National Academies and NPL pathways. The girls held their own and only got stronger throughout the day as they gained more and more confidence.
“We saw some fantastic netball from the players, with some stand out performances and some future stars within our squad. The U15 academy has only been running for 10 months and we’ve seen such growth in these girls, I’m excited to see what next year brings for them.

“The U17’s have absolutely blown me away, they have been exciting to coach throughout the season and have shown so much potential throughout the year. Seeing their confidence throughout the tournament and watching them play with such tenacity and flair left me proud and emotional. These girls are the future of this sport and are a very exciting bunch.
“The A team were something else on the day, they stood out from the get-go and were not leaving without the trophy. They played some of the best netball I have ever seen, they were clinical, persistent and supportive of each other throughout. I’m so proud of both teams and how they performed.
“I love coaching at the Academy, bringing girls together from different clubs and across different age groups, being able to build on the solid foundations the girls already have from school, college and clubs developing their netball to the next level and providing them with a platform in performance netball. The girls are hungry to develop and improve, they’ve been outstanding all year. The future of the NW is bright and bringing a new U13 Academy to the area in September will only add to the talent being produced. “

Cara Roberts Assistant Coach:

“It’s an honour to be able to pay back to a community where it all started for me as a player, and hopefully do my former coaches and teachers proud. It’s a huge honour to be playing a small part in helping the Netball community here grow.
“There is no greater feeling than watching these young girls build their confidence, have such belief and be proud to represent their region. Our standards and expectations as coaches are incredibly high, but the girls have achieved beyond what we thought was possible in such a small space of time and they continue to inspire us week in and week out.
“We are grateful to everyone who has played a part in helping the Academy thrive – from the clubs, parents, umpires and volunteers – it truly takes a village.
“It feels like we are at the start of something really exciting and are now more determined than ever to grow the sport in this community”

Tournament Awards:

Players Player U15 A: Erin Roberts (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Players Player U15 B: Erin Quinn (Urdd Gwyrdd)
Players Player U17 A: Alys Lees (Llandudno)
Players Player U17 B: Ffion Jones (Walis)

Season Awards:

U15s

Players Player: Daisy Doodson (Pwllheli) and Cara Davies (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Welsh Spirit: Abi Kay (Walis)
Future Star: Erin Quinn (Urdd Gwyrdd)
Leadership Award: Pola Golaski (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Most Improved: Jasmine Baylis (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Coaches Player: Leila Williams (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Assistant Coaches Player: Sophia Jones (Llandudno) and Abi Kay (Walis)
Player of the Season: Daisy Doodson (Pwllheli)

U17s

Players Player: Lily Doodson (Pwllheli) and Martha Hughes (Llandudno)
Welsh Spirit: Emily Walker (Menai Bridge)
Future Star: Hanna Jones (Bryn Refail/Thundercats)
Leadership Award: Martha Hughes (Llandudno)
Most Improved: Ellie Gosset (Walis) and Dinah Hardington (Thundercats)
Coaches Player: Ela Parry (Walis)
Assistant Coaches Player: Alys Lees (Llandudno)
Player of the Season: Erin Jones (Walis)