Farewell...
Lightning head coach to step down
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning Netball have revealed that head coach Karen Atkinson will be stepping down from her position as head coach due to an impending move to Italy.
Atkinson, who has been part of the Loughborough University franchise as both a player and coach, leaves the programme in fantastic shape after a tremendous 2016/17 season. Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) grand finalists and league winners.
An England international centre court and former captain, Atkinson was a key player in the early days of the franchise, before returning three years ago as head coach.
She turned the franchise from one which had won few games in the Superleague into one of the most promising in the league, with the 2016/17 season Lightning’s most successful ever.
Atkinson said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as head coach of Loughborough Lightning and I am sad to be leaving at such an exciting time for the programme. The players, coaches and support staff have been a pleasure to work with and I will have so many fond memories of my time at Loughborough.
“The opportunity we have as a young family to live overseas and immerse ourselves in a new culture is extremely exciting and one we could not turn down, but I hope one day to be back working within netball in England and I will be keeping up-to-date with the Superleague from afar, supporting Lightning as much as I can.”
Loughborough Sport Executive Director John Steele said: “Karen has made a huge impact across perfor- mance netball at Loughborough in her three seasons with us. She has shaped and developed a highly effective performance culture and we have seen results within both the Vitality Netball Superleague and BUCS competitions, most notably as VNSL League winners and Grand Finalists in 2017.
“We are also very proud of the players who have gone on to international honours during Karen’s time with us, and thank Karen for the pivotal role she has played in their development. Loughborough University wishes Karen and her family well with their overseas adventure and look forward to continuing our relationship with her over the coming years.”
Lightning Netball will now commence the recruitment process to identify a new head coach ready for the 2017/18 VNSL season.