September 2026 Newsletter
Coaches' Quarter
Coaches' Message
Welcome to a new season with the Fareham Fireflys! It is brilliant to see so many familiar faces returning to the court, as well as some wonderful new players joining our ranks. The coaching team is incredibly excited about what we can achieve together this year.
With some hard work and commitment, we know we are going to see fantastic improvements and development across the board. We are particularly looking forward to our involvement in Hampshire this season and seeing the incredible potential across all of our age groups. There is so much to look forward to regarding what this upcoming season means for both our wider squads and individual teams. Let’s make it a brilliant year!
The Coaching Team.
Welcome, Coach Bailey
We are massive fans of continually growing our coaching talent and bringing in the absolute best people to support our squads. That’s why we are thrilled to announce that Bailey Smith, a qualified Level 2 Coach, is officially joining the Fareham Fireflys family!
Bailey brings absolute stacks of energy to the court, alongside top-tier netball knowledge. What really stands out is her brilliant coaching style. She is incredibly focused on getting the very best out of our players, pushing them to reach their potential while ensuring that every session remains fun, engaging and supportive.
Bailey is going to be a fantastic addition to our coaching team this season.
Membership Update
England Netball membership renewals have now been completed for everyone who asked the club to renew on their behalf.
A small number of members still have outstanding membership actions to complete. Please check your private messages on Heja and respond promptly if you have received a request from the club. Completing these actions will ensure your membership is fully up to date for the season ahead.
Heja
Please respond to all training and match invitations on Heja as soon as possible, even if you are unavailable. Timely responses allow coaches and team managers to plan effective sessions, confirm squads and ensure teams have enough players for upcoming fixtures.
If your availability changes, please update your response promptly. Fixtures, venue information and important team announcements will also be shared through Heja, so please check the app regularly.
Training Venues and Times
| Team | Day and time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| U10 and U11 | Monday 5:00pm to 6:15pm | Castle View Academy |
| U12 and U13 | Monday 6:15pm to 7:30pm | Castle View Academy |
| U14 | Tuesday 6:00pm to 7:15pm | West Hill Park |
| U15 | Tuesday 5:00pm to 6:15pm | Castle View Academy |
| U16 | Tuesday 7:15pm to 8:30pm | West Hill Park |
| U19 and Adults | Tuesday 6:15pm to 7:30pm | Castle View Academy |
Changes to Training Schedule
The following changes apply to teams that normally train at Castle View Academy. Unless advised otherwise on Heja, the usual training times will continue.
Minis (U10 & U11) and U12
Monday 9 November
5:00pm to 6:00pm
Henry Cort Community College
U13
Thursday 12 November
5:00pm to 6:30pm
Henry Cort Community College
U15
Thursday 12 November
5:00pm to 6:30pm
Henry Cort Community College
U19 and Adults
Arrangements are to be confirmed. Castle View Academy will not
be available.
Minis (U10 & U11) and U12
Monday 16 November
5:00pm to 6:00pm
Henry Cort Community College
U13
Thursday 19 November
5:00pm to 6:30pm
Henry Cort Community College
U15
Thursday 19 November
5:00pm to 6:30pm
Henry Cort Community College
U19 and Adults
Arrangements are to be confirmed. Castle View Academy will not
be available.
Club Dresses Wanted
We are currently experiencing a shortage of Fareham Fireflys club dresses and are actively looking into options to improve availability.
If you have an old or unwanted club dress in suitable condition, the club will buy it back for £10. The dress will then be made available to another member for the same price of £10.
Please contact our Kit Coordinator, Amber Driscoll (kit.fireflysnc@gmail.com), if you have a dress you would like to sell back to the club.
Strength and Conditioning Training
Following the success of the summer strength and conditioning sessions, Kelly from Umoya Barbell will continue to offer training throughout the season. These sessions will be delivered independently by Kelly rather than as Fareham Fireflys club training. Kelly will be responsible for organising, coaching and managing the sessions, including the relevant insurance and safeguarding arrangements.
We recognise that junior members already balance netball training and matches with school and other sporting commitments. The sessions will therefore focus primarily on strength development, while conditioning will continue to form part of regular netball training and match play.
Strength and conditioning supports many of the physical skills required for netball, including balance, stability, coordination, acceleration, controlled changes of direction and safe landing technique. Activities will be age-appropriate and adapted to suit players at different stages of development, with an emphasis on good technique, controlled movement and gradual progression.
Sessions will include:
Squat movement patterns: Developing lower-body coordination and control while supporting strength and stability around the knees and hips.
Upper-body strength: Improving pushing and pulling movements to develop coordination, confidence and overall athletic ability.
Power development: Introducing appropriately coached Olympic lifting movements, including the power snatch and power clean and jerk, alongside activities such as box jumps and broad jumps. These exercises can help develop explosive movement, jumping ability and confidence when changing direction at speed.
Gymnastics: Building on the activities that proved popular during the summer, including rope climbs, handstands and other suitable gymnastics movements to keep the sessions varied and engaging.
The sessions are intended to complement on-court coaching, helping players build confidence in their movement, improve their overall fitness and develop positive training habits.
When: Every Sunday, 11:00am to 12:00pm
Where: CrossFit Fareham
Who: All junior members
Cost: £5 per session
Capacity: Maximum of 12 participants per session
Sessions will be advertised and booked through Heja on a first come, first served basis. To join the S&C Heja team, use team code FE-258127.
If a session already has 12 participants booked, please still register your interest through Heja. If there is sufficient demand, we can explore the possibility of offering an additional session afterwards.
We would also like to understand whether there is interest in separate strength and conditioning sessions for U16, U19 and adult members. Anyone in these age groups who would be interested in taking part should contact the Chair to register their interest.
Fixtures and Match Days
Cams League
Hampshire League
Hampshire League fixtures are now available on Heja. Matches are played at several different venues, so please check the venue details carefully before travelling to each fixture. All matches are played indoors, meaning cancellations due to poor weather are unlikely.
Players are expected to wear their official Fareham Fireflys club dress and socks for all Hampshire League matches.
Hampshire League match fees are not included in the usual monthly Fareham Fireflys payments. Team Managers will therefore collect a £6 fee from each player attending on the day of the match.
XBotGo Filming
We plan to film selected Hampshire League matches and selected training sessions using the club’s Xbot camera system. Reviewing footage can help players and coaches identify strengths, better understand positioning and decision-making, revisit key moments and agree clear areas for development.
Video analysis also gives teams an opportunity to see how work completed during training transfers into competitive matches. Footage can support constructive coaching conversations and the continued development of individual players and teams.
All footage will be hosted privately and accessed through an unlisted YouTube link rather than being published publicly. If a member or parent has any questions or concerns about filming, privacy or participation, please contact the club.
Dates for the Diary
The coaching team is actively looking for suitable tournaments for our teams to enter throughout the season. Details of any confirmed tournaments, including dates, venues and participating age groups, will be communicated through Heja in due course.
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