MORE than 80 budding Penola netballers will learned from the best when Adelaide Thunderbirds players Fiona Fowler and Kate Shimmin hosted four training sessions at McCorquindale Park on Thursday.
The two Suncorp Super netballers lead two Net Set Go trainings, before putting the Penola Netball Club juniors through their sessions.
Both play in defence for the Adelaide Thunderbirds and offered their time to develop the netballers at the Eagles’ nest.
Penola’s Net Set Go coordinator and head organiser of the star appearance Trish Wooding said she was pleased with the support the two professional netballers had thrown at the region.
“Fiona Fowler is a Net Set Go ambassador and she is bringing Kate with her,” she said.
“They are doing a trainings for all the younger netballers and have kindly offered to stay on a do a bit of a training for the Penola Netball Club juniors – so from 13 and Under through to 17 and Under.”
Wooding said while she was not certain Penola has never had such netball athletes visit the town, she is positive it has been several years since high-profile netballers had hosted a session with the community.
“It is exciting, they will adapt to the different skill levels well and cater for all the netballers with different drills,” she said.
“Hopefully they can teach some new skills, tricks and perhaps give coaches some new plays and drills to work on as the season approaches finals.”
While Wooding said Fowler has been a breeze to work with, she admitted the event did take some organising.
“In Adelaide kids seem to be getting clinics through the school holidays, so I thought I would ring the Net Set Go coordinator in Adelaide and see if we could organise something for Penola,” she said.
“We were able to work something out and now Fiona and Kate are coming down tomorrow.
“It has been a bit of a juggle to get a date that suited us both, but Fiona has been really good to work with, which has made it easier.”
The Net Set Go session is covered by Netball SA, while the junior training for Penola was paid for by both the club and a sausage sizzle fundraiser hosted by Wooding and several parents at the Auskick and Net Set Go each Friday afternoon at McCorquindale Park.
“Parents help every week at the sausage sizzle and their work is greatly appreciated,” Wooding said.
“It allows us to fund these clinics and will also go towards purchasing some new footballs for the Auskick next year.”
To be involved in the Net Set Go training, entrants will need to be registered.
It is open for those aged between five and 11, while all Penola junior netballers are encouraged to take part in the later sessions.
“We are trying to get anyone who is involved in netball in Penola to take part,” Wooding said.
