Claire Nelson will be leaving her role as CEO of both Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens Netball Super League Club at the end of May to take on the newly created position of Netball Super League Managing Director where she will lead the professionalisation of the sport in the UK.

Claire joined Netball Scotland in October 2015 after having previously held a position as a non-executive Director on the Board. She came in with a huge passion for the sport and a clear vision for what she wanted to achieve and has been on a mission to take netball in Scotland to new levels ever since. Now an award-winning and globally recognized National Governing Body, Netball Scotland has been ground-breaking in its approach to challenging the gender equity gap on and off the court through participation, performance and profile, and with Sirens they have created one of the most engaging, game-changing and innovative women’s sports brands today.

On leaving her post Claire said: “Making the decision to leave Netball Scotland and Sirens has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do because leading this sport and organisation has been so much more than just a job for me. It has wholly and unequivocally been a labour of love. I have poured my heart and soul into building a business that can stand tall not only in women’s sport, but in the industry as a whole, and I really believe we’ve done that. I am so proud of all we have achieved on and off the court, the impact that we have made, the barriers that we have broken down, the standards we have set, and the bar we have raised. We have led the way in what it means to be a women’s sports brand and business. We have grown and strengthened the domestic netball system and pathway to create more and better opportunities to enjoy, develop and thrive in our sport. And most importantly we have inspired, engaged, and meaningfully impacted tens of thousands of people along the way as we remained committed to our purpose of trying to change the game for a better, fairer future for the women and girls of Scotland and beyond.

“Whilst it will be extremely difficult to leave Scotland, my new role presents to me the same opportunity that I was faced with when I took on the NS CEO role nearly 8 years ago – the opportunity to lead, shape and influence what netball should and could like. But this time I will be doing it on a bigger scale, and I am ready for that challenge. Our sport, and the nations and Clubs within it, will thrive when we have the best professional domestic Leagues across the world, and I am committed to ensuring the UK builds the best.

“It has been an absolute honour to lead Netball Scotland and I am beyond grateful that I’ve been able to work with the most incredible people, from the NS staff and Board to our members, players, partners, and fans. Our Netball Family here in Scotland is the most supportive community of people, and I’d like to personally thank every single one of you who makes our sport what it is. I will miss you all terribly.

“I will be proud to pass the baton on to the next CEO who will lead the organisation into the next, and arguably most important, phase of our journey where we will strive to seize the immense opportunities ahead of us as a sport. Netball in Scotland is only just getting going and there is a very bright future ahead!”

Chair of Netball Scotland, Lucy Faulkner, added: “On behalf of the Netball Scotland Board I would like to express our deep gratitude and thanks to Claire for what she has done for netball over the last seven and half years. Claire’s leadership, fortitude, resilience, creativity, and innovation has raised the profile of our sport, influenced many people to support it, and helped them recognise the power of netball. Claire has been a gamechanger for our sport and this is evident in the vision, ambition and drive Claire has demonstrated to build relationships and secure commercial income to establish Strathclyde Sirens in the Netball Super League.

“Through her leadership, we have made a difference in the lives of many thousands of women and girls, and this has never been more evident than through the work of her team with young people, supporting and nurturing them through adolescence and beyond to choose a healthy lifestyle, be proud of their bodies, and to approach life with a positive mental attitude.

“Claire has a great skill of bringing the best people to Netball Scotland whilst building, supporting, and developing the incredible domestic talent we have in coaching, administration and officiating, and during her tenure the Scottish Thistles reached a peak ranking of 7th in the world, have remained in the top 10 and have consistently qualified for the Netball World Cup.

“The search for her successor has already begun and I am confident that we will attract a range of excellent candidates. Our new CEO will have the opportunity to build on Claire’s successes and support us to take netball in Scotland to the next level. We look forward to working with Claire in her new role as MD of the Netball Super League and wish her well in it.”

Three female sport stars are giving back to the sports that they love through the sportscotland Coaching Futures programme.

Olympian Sally Conway (judo), Rachel Cremin (netball), and Maddy Jennings (canoeing) have all been named as apprentice coaches with their respective governing bodies of sport.

Coaching Futures is sportscotland’s performance athlete to coach apprenticeship programme, designed to increase the number of ‘home-grown’ coaches working in Scotland. The programme helps Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGBs) to harness the experience of performance athletes and to create opportunities for them to transition into coaching.

The programme provides a unique opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’ as apprentices will be given time to learn through study and by working alongside some of Scotland’s most experienced coaches and coach developers. Most importantly, it provides opportunity to learn through experience and gives the apprentice the tools they need to direct the development of their coaching practice.

Mike Whittingham, Director of High Performance at the sportscotland institute of sport said:

“We are absolutely delighted that three athletes of the calibre of Sally, Rachel and Maddy have been successful in securing places on the Coaching Futures programme.

“At the sportscotland institute of sport our role is to work with the governing bodies of sport to nurture athletes as they progress in their careers and that doesn’t end when they stop competing. As athletes, all three have learned a great deal about coaching and performance environments so it is fantastic that this expertise will be retained in Scottish sport. I wish them every success in their new careers.”

Sally Conway has competed at the highest level in her sport having won medals at Olympic, Commonwealth, World and European level, making her Scotland’s most successful judoka. She announced her retirement earlier this month but thanks to the Coaching Futures programme, her expertise will not be lost to the sport, but will inspire future generations.

Commenting on Sally’s appointment, Ronnie Saez, Chair of JudoScotland, said:

“I am delighted that Sally has decided to join JudoScotland’s performance coaching team. It is a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to learn from the most successful Scottish Judoka of recent years, and we wish her every success as she embarks on her coaching career”

While Sally herself said: “I’m so excited to be a part of the Coaching Futures programme. I’m looking forward to learning all I can from the coaches at JudoScotland and others I come in contact with. I can’t wait to get started!”

Rachel Cremin is currently Strathclyde Sirens U21 Lead Coach and the Director of Netball at the University of Strathclyde. She has competed at the highest club level and captained the Scottish University squad at the Home Nations event where she was awarded player of the tournament.

Rachel has already been recognised for her contribution to coaching, being named Netball Scotland’s Junior Coach of the Year. Rachel made a successful transition to performance coaching and led Scotland U21s to a silver medal at Netball Europe.

Claire Nelson, Chief Executive, Netball Scotland said:

“We are delighted to have been awarded funding against the Coaching Futures programme again as this investment proved to be hugely significant in enhancing our performance programme through people when we successfully secured this investment five years ago. Then we were able to appoint Lesley MacDonald into the CFC role, and since then she has gone on to play a major role in our High Performance Coaching team as an assistant National Coach, and now as our Strathclyde Sirens Head Coach.

“This funding empowers us to develop our talented coaches and drive towards achieving our performance targets as a sport, and we are grateful to be able to support Rachel Cremin through this programme. We are all excited to see what she achieves in this role.”

Rachel is excited to be taking on a new challenge:

“I feel incredibly lucky to do the job that I do. Having volunteered in the sport that I love for 12 years, I am now privileged enough to say that this is my career and no longer my hobby.

“I love what I do, I love my sport and I want to continue to develop my skills, knowledge and expertise both as a Performance Coach and as a Leader in Sport.”

Maddy Jennings is a world class Canoe Slalom paddler who has represented Great Britain at European Championships, as well as competing extensively in Europe, racing for Scotland.

Jon Schofield, Head of Performance and Pathways at the Scottish Canoe Association is looking forward to having Maddy on board:

“Maddy has been progressing towards coaching over the last couple of years, working as a volunteer with young paddlers across Scotland with characteristic enthusiasm and passion for the sport.

“She has also been a driving force in the sport, sitting on the Scottish Canoe Slalom Committee and serving as the organiser for the Scottish Championships. Alongside her paddling and coaching commitments, she has been studying for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Napier University making her the most perfectly qualified candidate for this apprenticeship.”

Maddy is excited about what lies ahead: “The Coaching Futures programme is like a condensed and bespoke degree course without the stress and the rules, but all of the challenge and opportunity.

“I’m passionate about providing paddlers with a good experience in the sport and giving them the opportunity to excel on the world stage. I’m looking to learn as much as possible from this apprenticeship and look forward to my coaching journey evolving over the next two years.

“Starting this journey with the SCA has already been one of my best decisions.”

The three apprentices announced today are part of the third cohort of athletes to take part in the programme. Fifteen athletes across 11 sports have already benefited from Coaching Futures and have gone on to coaching positions in Scotland, Great Britain and internationally.

Did you know that 62% of Netball Scotland members are below the age of 21?

The VOICES: Young People’s Forum has been set up to make sure we represent our younger members, listen to what they have to say and support them on their Netball journey. So far, our Forums have been well attended and of great value to those who have taken part.

Our next Young People Forums will take place on:

• Wednesday the 27^th of January (6:30pm-7:30pm)
• Friday the 29^th of January (6:30pm-7:30pm)

If you would like to attend or if you have any questions please email ross.hutton@netballscotland.com

We will be joined by Netball Scotland Board Director, and Board Wellbeing Champion Lucy Faulkner who will deliver a session on creating your own Vision Board which is a great way for you to display images that represent whatever you want to be, do or have in your life.

Netball Scotland are pleased to announce the appointment of former Chair, Freda Hutchison MBE, as the inaugural President of the organisation.

This prestigious new role sees Freda take on an important ambassadorial position for the organisation where she will be a public figurehead for the sport and its people, both domestically and on the international stage. A champion for our members, and an inspirational representative of the values and ambitions of Netball in Scotland, Freda will support and advocate for the work of the Board and staff.

As a previous Chair of the Netball Scotland Board from 2011 to 2017, Freda has contributed to the outstanding progress of Netball in Scotland setting the pace for meaningful change.  Outside of Netball, Freda has had an impressive career in education spanning 36 years, holding multiple teaching roles including Head of PE, Principle Teacher and Equal Opportunities and Development Support Officer, before being appointed as the Head Teacher at Earnock High School and then finally at Calderside Academy before her retirement in 2010.

Since joining Netball Scotland’s Board of Directors in 2010 Freda has dedicated herself to boosting the sport’s growth and profile, an achievement which was recognised in December 2018 when she was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace for Services to Netball.

Speaking on her appointment, Freda says: “I feel very honoured and proud to be appointed as the first ever President of Netball Scotland. As a previous Chair of the Netball Scotland Board until 2017, I’m absolutely delighted to be involved again. I look forward to working with the new Chair, Ed Crozier, whilst supporting the fantastic and ongoing progress achieved by our CEO, Claire Nelson, the Board, the Netball Scotland staff and also all of our hard-working volunteers.

I am very excited to get started soon in my new role as President. I will wholeheartedly support Netball Scotland’s tremendous work ethic and extensive developmental initiatives to ensure we enhance our profile and status both at home and on the world stage. I want to play a very positive part in achieving this vision of our Netball future.”

As part of her role as President, Freda will continue the work she began on the Netball Scotland Board and will be a visible champion for driving participation, involvement, and opportunities within Netball.

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland added: “I am beyond delighted to welcome the incredible Freda Hutchison MBE into this high profile new role with Netball Scotland. As we continue to grow as a sport we felt it was important to ensure that we had an organisational figurehead who would not only be an impassioned, respected and influential ambassador for Netball in Scotland, but that would also provide our members, fans and volunteers with a champion who would effectively engage, listen and represent their views to the staff and Board.

Freda appointed me as CEO back in 2015 and has supported my vision and drive for our sport ever since, and so it brings me absolute joy to announce her as our first ever President. I know that she will do all of us, and our sport, proud throughout her term of office.”

Freda will commence her role in the new year.

Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens are delighted to announce Nike, the world leading sports apparel company, as their official kit supplier from the 2020/21 season onwards.

This partnership will see Nike manufacture and supply all of the official playing, training and travel wear for Netball Scotland’s national teams, including the Scottish Thistles currently ranked 8^th in the world, and for their Vitality Netball Superleague Franchise, the Strathclyde Sirens. Nike will also supply official replica kit and fan merchandise in this ground-breaking multi-year deal.

CEO of Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens, Claire Nelson, said of the Partnership: “ I am absolutely delighted to welcome Nike into the Netball Scotland Family, and am proud to once again demonstrate the vision and ambition that we have for our sport. To be able to work with such a globally iconic and industry leading brand such as Nike will empower us further as we embark on our new journey of growth and development, and I have no doubts that they will be an incredible partner for netball in Scotland.  

As a top 8 netballing nation we are renowned for our kit designs at both an International and Superleague level, and our brand image has played a critical part in our success both on and off the court, so we are excited to take this to another level with Nike. As a brand, Nike reflects and aligns with our vision, goals and passion, and I am personally really looking forward to working with the whole team as we design a bold and ambitious new future for netball and its people.”

The new deal will also include a partnership with Scottish based sportswear supplier, PSL Team Sports, who will supply Netball Scotland Clubs and Members with personalised kit, teamwear and equipment. PSL will also work closely with Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens to develop an exciting digital retail proposition, bringing quality netball, fitness and leisure clothing, footwear and equipment to consumers through a brand new online shop.

Divisional Managing Director at PSL Rennie Keith said: “Everyone at PSL is absolutely delighted to be working with Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens and are proud to be part of such an exciting partnership journey together. Our profile in Netball has grown rapidly over the past few years with many clubs now using our online shop services to kit out their members, and this new agreement further cements our commitment to Women and Girls Sport in Scotland.  Working closely beside the world’s leading sports brand, Nike, we are thrilled to launch a range of fantastic new on and off court ranges over the coming weeks.”

Shop our brand-new Nike retail range today including hoodies, t-shirts, leggings, sports bras and more on our bespoke online shop at PSL Team Sports here.

For all things netball and lifestyle in Scotland:

Download our App – IOS and Android

Like us on Facebook – @SirensNSL / @NetballScotland

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Netball Scotland are delighted to announce that Ed Crozier has been appointed as the new Chair of the Board. He will be replacing Pam Radage who has been interim Chair since Caroline Mansley stepped down from the role due to personal reasons last year.

No stranger to the world of sport, Ed was the 126th President of the Scottish Rugby Union and served on the Board of the SRU through a period of significant transition and growth into the successful professional sport it is today. Formerly a rugby referee, Ed is passionate about grassroots and community sport and has long been a champion for women in sport.

Professionally, Ed is an executive producer in film and theatre, and joins Netball Scotland after having completed two terms as Chair of Dancebase Scotland where he was instrumental in leading transformational change for the organisation and it’s members. Ed has also worked at Senior Partner level in the financial services industry and was also a founding Director of Glasgow Life CIC Board so brings with him an extensive portfolio of expertise across sport, business, politics, culture and finance.

Speaking about his new appointment Ed says: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Netball Scotland as Chair and am excited to start working with Claire Nelson and the wonderful staff and Board in the organisation to further realise the ongoing potential of Netball in Scotland, both on and off the court. Collectively we have huge ambitions for the sport, from growing opportunities for everyone to connect with the game at a community and grassroots level to increasing our impact and engagement with young people in schools. At an elite level, we want to see our National Team, the Scottish Thistles, progress up the world rankings with a real focus on achieving our best ever results at the Netball World Cup in South Africa 2023, and developing our Superleague Franchise, the Strathclyde Sirens, into a fully professional team that challenges for the UK League title.

There has been a huge movement happening in women’s sport, with netball at the forefront of increasing visibility, innovating through digital and developing new opportunities for women and girls to play, volunteer, watch, coach, officiate and support – I am thrilled and extremely motivated to be a part of the next important stage of this journey.”

CEO of Netball Scotland, Claire Nelson, added: “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Ed as the new Chair of Netball Scotland. He is joining the organisation at probably one of the most critical times in our history as we navigate our way through this pandemic and focus on rebuilding into being a stronger, bigger and more successful sport, brand and business for the future. Ed understands and is passionate about our vision for netball and we believe that his proven track record, his expertise and his profile will help us to achieve our ambitions as a sport and organisation. I am really looking forward to working with Ed as we continue to keep #ChangingTheGame for netball and for women’s sport in Scotland.”

Interim Chair of Netball Scotland, Pam Radage, added: “I am so pleased that Ed is joining our Board at this crucial time. He adds a lot of strength and profile to the organisation and we believe that he is absolutely the person to lead us through the challenges we face as a result of COVID and onto realising our strategic vision and ambitions. Ed’s experience provides our sport and members with a great opportunity to learn, grow and develop, and I am confident that it will be an exciting time ahead for all of us.”

Ed officially commences his role on 1st December 2020.

FWB Park Brown Ltd led the search process for the Netball Scotland Chair.