The Positive Impact of Sport
Mighty Netball has been running netball sessions since 2017. A non-competitive, inclusive and welcoming organisation championing and actively promoting grassroots sport, Mighty Netball welcomes all children, in particular girls, where demand is strong, but available, accessible opportunities still don’t reflect this demand.
Children want to play and have fun with friends. Mighty strives to offer this to all primary-aged children with zero barriers to them doing so.
One of the first ever Mighty Netballers – Ella, started when she was just six years old at Mighty Netball Hemel Hempstead – right at the very start of Mighty Netball.
Both Ella and Mum, Rebecca, were keen to find a regular team sport Ella could enjoy with friends. They discovered Mighty, which Ella and friends joined and attended every week. Ella will freely admit, that at first, the Sunday morning sessions were more about having fun with friends, rather than the netball itself – the netball obsession part came later.
The enjoyment Ella and her friends had at their netball sessions was always enhanced by the fact their coaches, co-founder Corinne and then assistant coach Lucy, made the sessions so engaging and fun.
Ella continued to play netball at Mighty Netball until she graduated in 2021, where by this point, her netball passion was well and truly instilled for life.
Ella has ADHD, which can bring challenges to everyday life. Netball has had an extremely positive impact on Ella and her whole family. Mum Rebecca explained how playing team sport has given Ella so much confidence, resilience, and ambition; as well as learning key skills that help manage her ADHD such as patience, perseverance, and accountability. Having ADHD has meant that Ella often struggled when something wasn’t, in her eyes, as it should be, such as an umpire’s decision in a match. Over time, learning and accepting that sporting decisions are objective and sometimes variable, has helped in so many other key areas of Ella’s life.
Perhaps the biggest gain of all has been meeting the most incredible group of friends. Friendships have been solidified by the winning and losing of matches graciously together and learning the true importance of teamwork. Ella is acutely aware that netball is only successful when the seven players in a team work together. Meeting netball friends at Mighty Netball throughout her primary years greatly eased Ella’s transition to secondary school, by having a ready-made friendship group from day one.
Fast forward seven years from when she first started Mighty – Ella is now thirteen, plays club netball at least five times a week, and is completely obsessed. She plays in a regional youth league and has recently got into the Saracen Mavericks Futures programme, a huge achievement in a very competitive environment. On top of attending as many Superleague matches as possible means, Ella is a very busy girl!
Rebecca says, ‘The many hours of travelling to matches and training has been great for our mother/daughter bond, it has really strengthened our relationship sharing a joint passion for netball – I can’t imagine either of our lives without netball now.’
Ella’s life ambition is to work her way up the netball ladder and play for the England Roses. We have nothing but support and pride for all Ella has achieved. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for her.
Find out more at: www.mightynetball.co.uk.
