Girl power goes long way at club

Girl power goes long way at club

27 March 2013

DOWN Netball Club, which was established in 1998, is going from strength to strength. Having previously trained in St. Mary’s High School, Down High School and Down Leisure Centre, the club is now firmly established in the Ballymote Sports and Well-being Centre ion Downpatrick.

The club has progressed from junior to senior level and currently has approximately 90 members in total and have members from Newcastle, Ballynahinch, Saul, Strangford, Castlewellan, Newcastle, Downpatrick, Crossgar and Carryduff.

The club currently has two Netball Northern Ireland-qualified umpires — Oonagh Rowden and Vanessa Robinson — and four Netball Northern Ireland-qualified Level 2 coaches — Jennifer Bell, Leah Milligan, Vanessa Robinson and Oonagh Rowden.

It also has one NNI Level 1 qualified umpire in Kelly Hanna and two trainee coaches — Emma Boyle and Orla McNeill.

Within the last two years the club, in conjunction with Netball Northern Ireland, was successful through Sport NI in obtaining the services of Gemma Toland, an active communities coach and former NI Netball open squad player.

Gemma plays a very active role in the coaching programme within the club, coaching netball at all levels from primary age to senior level.

The club currently has two U-14 teams and two U-16 teams, which play in the Northern Ireland Junior Development League, and a senior team, which takes part in the NI Netball League.

The Sports Council for Northern Ireland’s Junior Club Accreditation Scheme, the Junior Clubmark/Goldmark, was introduced in NI in 1988 and its man aim was to: raise the standard of Junior Clubs across NI, reward those clubs who are working towards/have achieved quality provision, provide a mechanism whereby the public can be directed towards quality clubs, provide a framework in which clubs can take their standards, monitor and recognise their achievements.

Down Netball Club was awarded NI Junior Clubmark status in 1999 and has recently received renewed accreditation in September 2012 from Sport NI.

Training is on Wednesday nights, P5-P7 6-7pm; Year 8-10 7-8pm, Year 11-12 8-9pm and senior 8.30-10pm.

The season runs from September to end of April. Further information regarding joining can be obtained by e-mailing the club’s e-mail address, Downnetball@

hotmail.co.uk.