South West Sydney Athletes Empowered At 2026 Netball NSW Academy Camp

Written on the 12 March 2026

Photo Credit: Kellie Nolan @sport_by_kellienolan

Emerging netball athletes from across the Regional Academies of Sport network gathered over the weekend for the 2026 Netball NSW Academy Camp, hosted by Netball NSW.

The two-day camp provided athletes, coaches and umpires with a unique opportunity to develop their skills both on and off the court through a series of high-performance training sessions, specialist coaching workshops and athlete education seminars.

Centered around the theme “Empower You: Own Your Identity. Ignite Your Impact.”, the camp focused on helping young athletes recognise that elite performance is driven not only by physical ability, but also by personal growth, leadership and resilience.

Throughout the weekend, athletes participated in a comprehensive program including speed and agility training, specialist netball sessions, education workshops and match play, while also gaining insights from some of the sport’s most respected high-performance coaches and practitioners.

The camp featured presentations and on-court sessions from an impressive lineup of guest presenters including:

• Ranell Hobbs, Founder of Academy of Sport Speed Australia and leading strength and conditioning coach
• Dylan Nexhip, NSW Swifts Assistant Coach and former Australian Kelpies captain
• Margaret Hamley, Athlete Wellbeing & Engagement Manager at Rowing Australia

Athletes also benefitted from off-court education sessions delivered by prominent figures in the sport including Jo Harten, former GIANTS Netball captain and England international, Ali Miller, specialist coach with the GIANTS Netball Academy, and internationally accredited umpire Bronwen Adams.

In addition to athlete development, the program provided valuable professional development opportunities for coaches and umpires, reinforcing the Regional Academies of Sport’s commitment to supporting the entire high-performance pathway.

Sunday’s schedule concluded with full match play across all courts, giving athletes the chance to apply the skills and insights gained across the weekend in a competitive environment.

Regional Academies of Sport representatives praised the camp as an important opportunity for regional athletes to connect with the broader Netball NSW pathway while learning from leading experts in the sport.

The South West Sydney Academy of Sport extends its sincere thanks to Netball NSW for hosting the camp.

Through initiatives such as the Academy Camp, the Regional Academies of Sport network continues to play a critical role in identifying and nurturing the next generation of netball talent across the state.