“DREAM BIG AND REACH FOR THE STARS!”

Team Mintridge visited the wonderful Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School for a fantastic and fun filled day of netball with Commonwealth gold medallist, Eboni Usoro-Brown.

Having received 104 caps playing netball for England, Eboni was the best person to inspire and get the students from Our Lady’s active and moving. At the beginning of this wonderful Bronze programme, Eboni spoke to the students virtually all about her successful sporting journey and the highs and lows she has experienced on the way. One big high being the incredible Commonwealth gold medal win in 2018. Eboni brought along her amazing gold medal to show and inspire the students, which they all were amazed to see and hear about in her presentation. Eboni then went on to speak about role models in her life and how you must appreciate those around you and utilise your support network, when you need help or advice.

After this initial introduction at the start of the day, Eboni then delivered multiple netball coaching sessions with the year 3, 4, 5 and 6 students, focussing on passing, footwork and movement on the court. Some students had never tried netball before but absolutely loved Eboni teaching them her top level ball control skills and movement drills that they do in the England camp. The students worked extremely well together and during the small competitions, they cheered each other on and supported each other, which was great for Eboni to see.

The students loved how active these sessions were and didn’t stop moving throughout their time with Eboni. In the England training camps, Eboni and her teammates do a variety of ball handling drills, working on reaction times and concentration which Eboni showcased to the students so that they could have a go themselves. Eboni even challenged the students to throw the ball in the air, spin and clap five times, which some of the students mastered on their first attempt!

Throughout these wonderful sessions, the students were very enthusiastic and keen to learn new skills from the best of the best and listened well when Eboni was explaining how to change direction and move effectively on the court. Eboni also highlighted how the skills she was teaching the students can be transferable to other sports and it is important that at a young age, they try and take part in as many different sports as possible, to gain lots of different fundamental skills. From a young age herself, Eboni has always loved and enjoyed playing netball, so she left the students with an important final message, which was to “always enjoy what you do, as that is what is going to give you the drive and determination to succeed!”

At the end of the day, Eboni led a Q&A session for the students at Our Lady’s and the students asked some brilliant questions, which can be seen below;

Do boys play netball?

How many years have you been playing for?

What do you eat before a game?

How do you deal with nerves?

How often do you train?

What is your favourite song?

What other sport would you play if you didn’t play netball?

The students also posted multiple questions in our gold post box throughout the day, so we asked Eboni to answer some of the best ones, which you can also see the answers to, in the video below.

We would like to say a big thank you to the staff and students at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School for inviting us to spend the day with them for this fantastic Bronze netball programme and especially the staff for supporting us to organise this day. We look forward to visiting you again very soon.

If a young person you know is interested in joining a local netball club, please see the links below that will provide further information on the clubs near Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School.

Northants JM’s  - multiple locations near Wellingborough.

Alfa Netball Club - Wellingborough School Sports Hall, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, Northants, NN8 2BX

England Netball also have a search tool finder to find a local club near you!  

If you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with Eboni Usoro-Brown or any of our other inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website at www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk or with Katie at katie@mintridge.org.uk.

The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.

Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.

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