We aim to answer all questions sent to us on email or via Facebook in a timely manner, however here are a few FAQ’s. All answers are updated for the 2021/22 season.
What days will sessions be on ?
The Aspire programme has all dates and coaches confirmed and will start with the Elite group in September. All sessions will be on Tuesday evenings.
Positional training and specialist sessions will be on selected Tuesdays (between 2&5 sessions depending on group) Experience days at university will be during school holidays and all dates will be confirmed to you and announced upon successful trial outcome.
How many sessions will i get?
Elite plus, Elite, Advanced and Foundation groups will have experience days in school holidays and specialist S&C sessions at a gym with an instructor – over and above the sessions below.
Foundation
10 sessions 2 positional and 1 specialist spread through the season
Advanced
12 sessions
2 specialist
2 positional spread throughout the season
Elite
24 sessions
3 specialist
2 unit positional spread throughout the season
Elite plus
Monthly extended on court sessions (avoiding exam periods)
3 specialist
2 unit positional
How much will the programme cost?
At Aspire we are aligned with Sport England’s principle that “the biggest issue for talented athletes is the costs of travel, accommodation etc as they climb the ladder of success on the national and international stage. “
We also understand what it takes as a family to support your elite, high performance athlete and we have reflected this in our programme prices.
The costs for the groups will be :
Foundation £tbc
Advanced £tbc
Elite £tbc
Elite Plus £tbc
Please note prices are subject to final confirmation. In addition we are planning for 2019/20 additional experience days which costs are TBC.
Kit is included in the price to varying degrees through the group levels and all athletes will get a training ball. Match day kit will be loaned to players for match events. Transport isn’t included. Full payment will be required upon acceptance of a place in the programme, refunds are not available unless in exceptional circumstances, e.g serious injury.
We will consider payment options and plans based on individual needs, feel free to discuss confidentially with coaching staff.
What are the progression routes?
Our Coaches will actively signpost athletes to a wide range of opportunities which they feel will help them to develop as an elite performance netball player.
Aspire coaches will work closely with those athletes who have aspirations in this direction. Coaches will signpost and actively promote franchise opportunities during the season as they become available and are appropriate for our athletes.
Equally some of our older elite athletes may have an eye on University already and so may choose to go down a route that involves early exposure to the British University & Colleges Sport (BUCS) netball environment through our partner Universities. Again our Aspire Coaches will help support the athletes who are wanting to progress down this avenue.
At Aspire we firmly believe in developing the all-round netball athlete so don’t be surprised if our coaches suggest that your elite athlete tries out a new sport to complement their netball development! It’s amazing how many sports can help develop an elite netball performer so our Aspire Coaches will be on the lookout for those opportunities too for our athletes.
We run a fluid progression system giving athletes opportunities to “try” the next level training group when the coaches feel it’s appropriate and will promote athletes up during the season as and when deamed right for their progression.
Can an aspire player also be part of the county or other pathway?
Yes, all players are able to participate in both our programme and a pathway if they choose. This is also the case for any franchise hub. Open trials for the regional franchise programmes such as Loughborough Lightning and Leeds Rhinos mean you no longer have to be part of a county to be nominated for onward progression. This allows a wider choice of elite performance programmes to expand your training opportunities, like Aspire. Aspire already have a large number of athletes in the Loughborough Lightning and Leeds Rhinos training programmes too.
As a parent of / or an athlete you can decide where you want to train and develop. What is important to consider is the commitment required, the training location, the content of the programme.
We can only show you what we have already done so far at Aspire and reading the parent and player testimonials will give further insight into our results so far. Feel free to contact the Aspire coaches for any questions in strictest confidence.
Will there be an opportunity to play games for aspire?
Yes game play is recognised as important and matches are scheduled in the programme. Court time and squads will be on a selection basis.
Past seasons included matchplay against Northern Ireland and Netball Ireland international squads, Manchester Thunder, Northants Storm, Hull University, Humberside county and Loughborough Lightning!