Shooting star Lily is aiming to shine

Exciting young shooter Lily Jones says she can’t wait to learn from her role models after becoming the latest player to progress through the Team Bath Netball talent development network into the Superleague squad.

The 18-year-old from Jersey has been named in the Haines Wattssponsored Blue & Gold squad for the 2022 Vitality Superleague campaign after excelling as captain of Team Bath’s U19s last season.

She also caught the eye in a number of training matches, which helped the 2021 Superleague team prepare during a Covid-effected pre-season, and gained more toplevel development time as part of the England Roses Academy long squad.

“I’m really excited to be stepping up to the Superleague squad this year, pushing on and improving my game,” said Jones, who trained at the Team Bath Netball Academy Development Centre at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire last season. The U19s trained at the same time as the Superleague squad last season and seeing them really wants to make you work even harder to join them. There are so many role models in the squad, it’s just incredible, and they are lovely people too.

“They really try to develop you as a player. My main aim for the year ahead is to improve my game and regularly training alongside people like Kim Borger can only help.”

As well as playing there for the U19s, former Hartpury College student Jones has also been a regular visitor to the Team Bath Arena as a spectator for Superleague matches – something she is grateful fans will have the chance to do again during 2022 as the competition reverts to a home and away format.

“I’ve been to watch Superleague games before and it is such a good atmosphere,” said Jones, who played club netball for Premier Romans in Bristol and is now with Team Bath Toucans. “To be one of the players I’ve looked up to, who I’ve come to watch and thought ‘I want to be like you one day,’ is amazing.”

Jones is the second Academy graduate to be promoted to the 2022 Superleague squad, also backed by Rengen, joining England U21 captain Molly Hole in the senior ranks.

As well as Kim Borger, Lily-may Catling has also been announced as part of the 2022 Superleague alongside Jones and Hole.

When Catling first took to the Team Bath Arena court for a junior tournament at the age of 12, she looked around and thought ‘I want to play Superleague netball here.’

Fourteen years on and the defender will get to fulfil that dream. Having grown up in Wimborne Minster in Dorset and played for Team Bath U19s in NPL after coming through the club’s Academy system, Catling moved to Australia after what started as a backpacking adventure turned into a permanent stay.

She continued to play netball in her new country, most recently for USC Thunder on the Sunshine Coast, before returning to the UK earlier this year to play for Wasps in the Superleague.

Now she will continue that topflight journey with the club from her home region.

“This is a bit of a homecoming for me,” said Catling, who can play goal defence, wing defence and goal keeper. “I grew up in the south of England and played all of my junior netball here before moving to Australia when I was 19.

“I first played at the Team Bath Sports Training Village in an U13 competition with Bournemouth Junior Netball Club. I vividly remember walking into the Arena. They had all of the Superleague players’ names on big blue and gold cards at the back of the stands, and I remember us all saying ‘one day, that’s going to be our names on there.’

“It’s still a really vivid moment, walking into that sports hall and deciding I wanted to pursue being an athlete.

“I also went to many Team Bath Superleague matches as a fan when I was younger and the atmosphere is just incredible. For me, it is extra special because all of my family live in the south of England so it is really exciting that they’ll be able to come and watch me play this year. They haven’t really seen me play since I was in the U19s so to know they could be in the stands is incredible, as well as the coaches who played an integral part in my career.

“I had a lovely chat with [head coach] Anna Stembridge and after hearing all about the team ethos, the family environment, the professionalism at Bath and how everything is so readily available for players, it just felt like a great opportunity that I couldn’t turn down, especially with the calibre of coaches and players here,” she said.

“It was really exciting to see Team Bath in the final last year. I think this squad is phenomenal, the quality of athletes is just insane. There is so much talent and so much hard work, it will be a real privilege to train alongside them.

“I’m fully sure this team can go all the way. I’m sure it was bittersweet last season, missing out in the final, but the team will have learnt a lot from that experience and it will only serve us well this year.”

Tickets for the 2022 Superleague season will go on sale later this month. Visit netball.teambath. com/tickets for more information.

Team Bath Netball is supported by its Principal and Pathway Partner, chartered accountants Haines Watts; Rengen Developments, who are an overall Team Bath Partner;

Centurion Chartered Financial Planners and Ecus Ltd, are their environment partner. Team Bath’s suppliers include O’neills, 2XU, Pulseroll and Halo Hydration.

I’m really excited to be stepping up to the Superleague squad this year. Lily Jones