Twenty-three players aged 10 to 13 participated in the first of two clinics with Sam, a professional netballer who plays defence for the Western Sydney Giants in the Suncorp Super League.

Sam is a home grown hero having played at Newcastle and the Hunter Academy of Sport. 

At 190cm tall, Sam was amazing at giving the girls excellent tips for defending, especially in the circle, but the clinic covered so much more than defence.

Using the science behind movement and physiology, Sam taught the young players how to warm-up and ensure they remain warmed up on the court, the art of using bursts of speed to reach the ball and then slow down quickly without having a large impact on the body, and techniques for dodging an attacking player.

The girls were given exercises to build leg strength, develop balance, and pass more effectively. They were also taught drills to take back to their club or rep teams in 2018.

To finish, the players were taught a fun game which used netball rules and relied on speed, accuracy and teamwork to score points in a modified court without goal posts.

Teams were given 10 seconds to talk and develop plans before jumping straight into a game, which was fun and extremely fast.

Although tired after a gruelling yet very informative session, many girls stayed behind to speak with Sam personally and ask for tips and advice.