Former England player and Superleague coach will lead bid to take UCLan netball to the next level
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has officially partnered with Elite Netball Academy to develop its performance team and scholarship recruitment.
Netball is a focal sport for UCLan and, led by Head Coach Anna Carter, Elite Netball Academy will seek to elevate the standard of netball at the University through weekly performance training sessions and support at games and tournaments throughout the year.
The Academy already works with international netballers, franchise coaches and players to improve the standard of netball in the UK. Anna, who founded Elite Netball Academy, is a UCLan graduate and former England player. In her coaching career Anna has been a pathway selector and a Superleague coach, taking her franchise team to the Superleague Grand final in 2018.
"There’s already an impressive netball programme in place. We hope to create an environment that further develops and enhances UCLan’s netball performance team’s position in BUCS sport."
— Elite Netball Academy Head Coach Anna Carter
She said: “As a former student and netball player at UCLan, I’m delighted to be back and working with the University’s netball team.
“There’s already an impressive netball programme in place. We hope to create an environment that further develops and enhances UCLan’s netball performance team’s position in BUCS sport. In the league, we want them to be known as a strong, competitive team, who are hard to beat.”
Kate Youngman, Sport Development Manager at UCLan, hopes the academy’s involvement with the University side will attract exciting young netball talent.
"Anna Carter and the team at Elite Netball Academy have an outstanding reputation, and their involvement in our netball performance team will push us to new heights."
— Kate Youngman, Sport Development Manager at UCLan
She said: “In 2022, UCLan won the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) league and was promoted to BUCS EY Northern Tier 3. They have started 2023 as they mean to go on, remaining unbeaten in this league. Anna Carter and the team at Elite Netball Academy have an outstanding reputation, and their involvement in our netball performance team will push us to new heights.”
The strength of UCLan’s netball team is evolving and talented players can access scholarships across three levels of bronze, silver and gold.
Currently, there are six netball scholars in the performance team and, in addition to weekly coaching, Anna and the team at Elite Netball Academy will help to identify potential UCLan athletes and assess their suitability to join the performance netball team on a scholarship.
"We are actively recruiting netball scholars looking to represent UCLan in BUCS sports or BUCS Para sport."
— Kate Youngman, Sport Development Manager at UCLan
Kate added: “We are actively recruiting netball scholars looking to represent UCLan in BUCS sports or BUCS Para sport.
“Through the scholarship programme, we offer a financial incentive of up to £5,000 cash to support essential elements of any performance athletes’ journey, such as physiotherapy, strength and condition training, nutrition or psychological support.”
Abigail Martin chairs UCLan’s netball society and is on a bronze level scholarship for her sports coaching and performance degree.
She said: “We’re very honoured as a team to have Anna working with us. She has so much experience to share because she’s been there and done it all. After the success we had this season so far, it’s exciting to build on that and see where Anna and her team can take us.”
"We’re very honoured as a team to have Anna working with us. She has so much experience to share because she’s been there and done it all. "
— Abigail Martin, bronze scholarship student and UCLan netball chair
The UCLan Netball Performance Team’s progress can be monitored via the UCLan and Elite Netball Academy social media pages.
More information on sports scholarships at UCLan is available on the University’s website.
