Ballarat Pride tunes up for new VNL season

Updated November 2 2012 - 12:45pm, first published November 23 2009 - 11:46am
TUNING UP: Ballarat Pride championship player Lauren Atkinson, pictured here during Dela PowerFM's The Athletes Foot Cup preliminary final loss to Brown Hill SB,  has been busy with Ballarat Pride's pre-season training. Picture: Jeremy Bannister
TUNING UP: Ballarat Pride championship player Lauren Atkinson, pictured here during Dela PowerFM's The Athletes Foot Cup preliminary final loss to Brown Hill SB, has been busy with Ballarat Pride's pre-season training. Picture: Jeremy Bannister

BODIES and techniques are being fine-tuned ahead of Ballarat Pride's second season in the Victorian Netball League.Pride players - championship, division one and 19-under - have combined as one for the opening two weeks of pre-season training, which continue tomorrow night.Session one, on November 13, was held at White Flat Oval before week two saw players participate in a 3km time trial at Lake Wendouree. Playground facilities were used for some body conditioning work.Specialist goalers coach Di Hanslow has already had one session with some of Pride's sharp-shooters and is expected to have another session before the squad enjoys a month break across the festive season.Hanslow, regarded as one of the best country netballers through the 1980s and 1990s, will attend Pride fixtures throughout the season, offering advice during and after matches.Pride has also attracted the services of University of Ballarat tutor Ryan Bradshaw and Human Movement students Rhiannon Fisher and Scott Ware, continuing the association between club and university. The trio will share up-to-date knowledge with the players, while gaining experience with a high-level sporting team."Our fitness sessions, in the last eight years, that role has been taken by the University of Ballarat Sports Science students," Pride championship coach Jo Dash said. "It is a win, win situation _ for us and for the students, and the university."Dash said the university members would prepare programs for the players to continue while pre-season training goes on hold for a month following the December 18 session.Meanwhile, Matt McDonald from Ballarat's Maximum Drive Health and Fitness Solutions is again on board this season after joining Pride for their inaugural VNL season last year."(He) came on board last year and that was great. His pre-season involved a cross-over of strength conditioning and cardio," Dash said.Pride will run from Ballarat Netball Association to Maximum Drive Health and Fitness Solutions tomorrow night, and complete a strength session before returning to the netball courts for a 30-minute lecture from Bradshaw, Fisher and Ware on recovery.The 2010 VNL season begins with the pre-season cup on February 3. The season proper is set to start on March 10.* DELA Mums kicked off Ballarat Netball Association's week of grand finals with victory yesterday.In a clash between the two standout teams of the season, Dela Mums started strongly and held their quarter time lead for much of the match to run out 28-23 winners over Wiggles.Dela's Lisa McDonald was named most valuable player for the grand final.Dela Mums had previously lost the semi-final to yesterday's rivals by one goal.Grand finals will continue tonight, tomorrow and Thursday, coming to a close with The Athletes Foot Cup decider between Dela Assuntas and Brown Hill SB at 7.45pm.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Ballarat news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.