The Netball Show
S7 Ep91: Ella Bowen (28th Nov 2024)
(upbeat music) - Hi, this is Nat Metcoff. Flyhawk have developed a unique 3D kit designer that's fully customizable. So if you're looking for a new kit for your team for the new season, visit flyhawk.com or email info@flyhawk.com with your ideas now. - Nation Player is the easy to use, one-stop radio and audio app. Download Nation Player now on the Apple App Store or Google Play. Nation Player, where on are you? - The net will show with Flyhawk. Raising the bar for netball and winning sports. - It's a netball show with Flyhawk. Always good to speak to players to support them as they launch their dedicated camps. And if I was to give you a few clues on today's guest, somebody that first known the sport in the Rose's Academy at just 15, Defender as part of the squads that won under 17 netball Europe in early 2019, lighting in player of the season 2019 and a move to Thunder in 2023. We've got it, Ella Bowen, Ella, quite a build-up. And if any of that was wrong, I blame wiki. - Oh, no, exactly silly, don't be silly. No, thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be on the show. - Wanted to get you on, 'cause obviously you're gonna have battle launch even, transform net, your new coaching company and almost bring in elite level netball to those that are really interested and those that want to get involved with something like this? - Yeah, and I also kind of have the idea that I wanted to kind of do some netball in the Northeast for a while now. And kind of just thought it was an amazing opportunity to do so. So kind of transform that, really, if I kind of just go like a little British friend and I thought it is. It's just kind of like a company that I found in the Northeast, which offers like elite level netball coaching for all ages, nor skill level, just through like specialized workshops, weekly training hubs, camps, and then like one to one sessions. But kind of I want to back that all up by like just mentorship. So like ongoing, getting to know the players, getting to know people as athletes and as people outside of netball. But aim is really to kind of like open up a welcoming space for like all players to come and like enjoy sessions without feeling kind of any pressure to perform. Obviously want it to be like elite level, but I want players to feel like they can just enjoy their netball. But yeah, we kind of focusing on like kind of helping players progress from like that grassroots level up to kind of elite playing and just provide that extra support really. But I think something that I'm super keen to do is kind of work with clubs and kind of we've got a great club structure, a great county structure in the Northeast. So like just to bring that extra little bit into the Northeast is something that I'm just really keen to do and really keen to kind of get involved with. Obviously based in the Northeast as well, the exact locations will be confirmed soon. And while we maybe haven't had a super league franchise here in the Northeast for quite some time, shall we say, the talent is still here, isn't it in prem, for example? Yeah, so I think, well, I think it's been six years since kind of we lost Team Northumbria. And kind of this, the Northeast like holds like a really special place in my heart. Like it's a place where I kind of started my netball and learned to love the game. So I think just to be able to come back to the Northeast is something I'm really like proud to be able to say. I've worked within lots of like community side of franchises. So I worked within the community side of Thunder, done bits of the lightning. And I'm now currently doing bits with rhinos. But I think a lot of regions have regular access to super league players all the time to be able to have coaching learns from them. And yeah, the Northeast is an area that kind of doesn't have that and hasn't had that in the last six years. So I think, yeah, something that I want to be able to do is kind of create that fun, inspiring space that people can come and kind of learn directly from super league players. And obviously at this moment in time, it's just me, but like my goals for the company and for my businesses to kind of bring in NSL players that are specialising like different areas of the court and kind of be able to show their expertise and give their expertise to kids in the area and kind of develop them and teach them to grow but ultimately like really enjoying their journey. But yeah, I think, as I said before, like I feel like I'm in an amazing position and I feel super grateful to be able to make it happen and to be able to come back to this region and giving back to those kids that kind of were in the similar position to like me at that age. But ultimately we were able to be able to look up and kind of watch two North America. So I think, yeah, being able to give them access to super league players is something that I'm like, yeah, really, really passionate about. - You mentioned it there, what in particular is your connections to the North East? Apart from it being a blooming awesome place. - Yeah, so there is like such an amazing pool of talent in the North East, as I said, like I grew up in the North East. And I think I just got that really strong connection to the North East, like I started playing it outside that book club. And I kind of, I just see it as like an amazing opportunity to develop those kids and just, yeah, I think it's just, it's a great region, you've got great club structures, you've got everything. And I just think it would be fab to give them like opportunity. And I've worked with a few kids that traveled so far to be able to have the opportunity to be coached within that well-by NSL players. And I just think to have that on their doorstep is something that like, yeah, would just be amazing for them. - Something you wanted to do for a long time then? - Definitely something I've wanted to do for a long time. Like I love, I absolutely love my coaching. I kind of went to university, did sport next-to-side science and then finished up that I've done my coaching level two. And I just think it's just the perfect time I'm going over to Ryan who's obviously for this coming season. So I'm kind of gonna be returning back home to the North East a lot more. And I'll be staying, my mum lives in the North East still, my dad lives in the North East. So I'll be staying around there a little bit more and kind of will have more opportunity to do my camp, to do my workshops, hubs. So yeah, I get so much from my coaching. Not only kind of, do I feel like it's amazing kind of seeing those players develop on court, but I think off court as well, I feel like massively strong about. So I think it's amazing to be able to kind of mentor those players. And I think, well, as I said, like I've been doing coaching for a while now and I had an amazing kind of experience where kind of an athlete came up to me with her mum and kind of felt open enough and close enough to be able to open up about their dyslexia. And I think being able to teach kids who may be struggling to learn in certain ways is something that I feel really strongly about and something that kind of I had growing up. So when I was growing up, well, I always have dyslexia. So when I was being coached, I had an amazing sports system around me, but I always used to be like, well, why don't I understand it? Why can't I grasp things as much as others? So I think one thing that I'm super keen to kind of develop or kind of exaggerate is how players that maybe learn in different unique ways or need more repetition than others. That's not an issue. And like, don't be afraid to ask questions. And I think having that really welcome in an opening space, the players of all sorts of levels, ages, to be able to come in and feel comfortable to ask questions, say, can you repeat that? Can you demonstrate that? Is something that, yeah, really want to work on and develop? Cause I think players learn differently. Everyone has different ways of learning. And I think to be able to kind of hone down on that and develop everyone as an individual is something that I feel really strongly about. - And definitely all ages and abilities really as well and about sharing your vast experience. Is it going to be workshops, weekly sessions? Maybe one at once as well? - Yeah, so kind of we've got workshops which you'll kind of focus in on specific areas of the court. So for example, you might have a workshop on defense or circle defense in which we'll focus on those areas. But that's not to say that anyone can book on. If you want to develop that certain area, we will focus on that for an hour and a half. And that'll be that workshop. Alternatively, it might be on attack or lots of different areas. And then we'll have camps which are like ran from nine in the morning till three in the afternoon. And I feel like that's just an amazing time to be able to have a bit of fun in the school holidays, learn both attack to defense, but also have a little bit of match playing, a little bit of kind of competition within the learn meet lots of new people, meet lots of friends. So I think that'll be what I'm really excited to kind of get going with that. And then we've kind of got one-to-ones which will be led by me. So one-to-ones are all small group sessions depending on what kind of the request is. So yeah, all around the Northeast, but I'm even within that, happy to go over to Combre or Yorkshire Way for those on-to-ones, but mainly the camps workshops will be like mainly held in the Northeast. And then on top of that, what we're gonna do is some like hubs. So just a four-week block of weekly training in different areas around the Northeast. So I think the first one's coming up around Barna Castle and then hoping to go into other areas such as Newcastle, Middlesbrough, all around there. So yeah, really excited to kind of get it all going and get to meet everyone. But yeah, I know I've got lots of exciting stuff kind of in my locker that I'm like gonna be bringing out, but yeah. - I've not only just been announced really, but you'd be able to draw on teammates as well to come along as guest coaches. - Yeah, definitely. And that's something that, as I say, is something that I'm really keen to do. So be able to bring them in with lots of different kind of, they'll have different ways of coaching, different ways, different specialities. So might have a different way to look at certain things. So yeah, I think it'll be great to kind of bring people in. And also ultimately, as I said at the start, be able to give athletes in the Northeast opportunity to meet players and kind of show them obviously with this netball 2.0 coming in. I think one thing that I'm excited to be able to kind of show to kids is that netball's not just a game, it's not just a schoolgirl game that you play, and kind of that's that like it can be a career and it's really exciting time for netball at the moment. So like to be for young and athletes to be able to kind of look up to us and be able to see like that, I want to do that one day. Like I want to be playing in the NFL. Like I want to play professional netball or something that I'm keen for kids to be able to kind of see and yeah, and kind of be able to look up to. - Best place to find out more on Instagram, maybe so we can then. - Yes, no. - Yeah, definitely. So everything will be based on Instagram. So if you drop principal net, a follow, everything will be upload on to that. We've got Facebook page as well. So yeah, keep up to date with that. That'll be where we kind of drop all the information about how to book. - The netball show is now also available via SkyQ and Sky Glass. Select sports and we're on the podcast trail.
Ella Bowen, future England Rose and Rhino joins us as she has launced TransformNET - her own coaching company