Head coach of the SPAR National Netball Team Elize Kotze believes the players are well on track in their preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.
The squad took part in a training camp at the Tuks High Performance centre from 25-29 April and Kotze said it had been an ideal opportunity to monitor the progress of the players and the success of the training programmes they were all following.
“We had a few injuries and a couple of players were laid low by flu and bronchitis, but it was an ideal opportunity to see how the younger players were shaping up against the more senior players,” said Kotze.
“I am happy with the progress of the squad. There are always things to work on, but everyone is very committed and they are sticking to their individual fitness programmes.
She said visual skills coach Dr Sherylle Calder had been working with the players to improve their reaction time. Calder is a world authority, and has been credited with helping England and South Africa to win the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and 2007, and golfer Ernie Els to win the British Open in 2012.
“Sherylle is a former Protea hockey player and she knows all about the pressure of international sport,” said Kotze.
“We know that having her working with the team will give them an edge. I am also very happy that the whole medical support team is coming together and this will be valuable for us as we prepare for the Commonwealth Games.”
Kotze said she was also very excited about the Netball Premier League (NPL), which gets under way next month, because it meant the top players would be playing high-level netball for six weeks. “All the SPAR Proteas and all the squad members will be playing.
“They are spread around the ten NPL teams and so the standard of play will be high. We will watch them closely, and the team for the Commonwealth Games will be announced after the NPL final,” she said.
The team will play a three match series against Scotland in Cape Town in June in preparation for Glasgow.
Photo caption: SPAR Proteas national coach Elize Kotze is satisfied with her team’s preparations ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, in July. In this file photo, the SA Invitational team celebrate after winning the Diamond Challenge final trophy, beating Zimbabwe at the Vodacom NMMU Indoor Stadium on 30 October, 2013, in Port Elizabeth. Photo: Michael Sheehan/Gallo Images
(With editing by gsport)
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