The South Coast Blaze has re-signed its two senior head coaches Marji Parr (opens) and Regan Tweddle (under 23s), ahead of the Netball NSW Premier League side's assault on the 2022 season.
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Following Netball NSW's abandonment of the 2021 season on August 4, due to the Greater Sydney lockdown, the Blaze has shifted its focus to a successful third year in the court.
"We are thrilled to welcome Marji and Regan back to Blaze for the 2022 season," South Coast Blaze chairperson Karina Franke said.
"With this year's season cut short, we are looking forward to seeing them and each team continue to build on their last two years.
"I believe that Blaze has proved itself as a force to be reckoned with in the NSW Premier League and we encourage players 16 and over who want to join our elite pathway and the Blaze family to attend trials."
Parr, who was also recently appointed as assistant coach of the Capital Darters that will be competing in the Australian National Championships for the first time since 2016, is proud of what her team, featuring Shoalhaven products Elecia Parrott and Shelby Mallon, achieved this year and is hopeful for next season.
"With the Premier League 2021 season abruptly ending, the opens were unable to continue in their push through the second half of competition to improve on last season's inaugural placings," Parr said.
"The team's confidence, trust and belief in each other has enabled each player to demonstrate strong high-performance behaviours both on and off the court, in particular the way they have contributed back to our netball community during current lockdown restrictions.
"I anticipate next season that we will continue to be extremely focused, competitive and supportive as a team and enjoy a full season competition again.
"We are always looking to build on team and club values and there is always room for a skilled athlete, who has the drive and dedication and an elite team player mindset, to represent our region, the red dress and play at the top level."
Tweddle, whose team was sitting in third on the ladder, was gearing her players up for another finals series this season but is now looking ahead to 2022.
"Although I completely understand the reasoning behind Netball NSW abandoning the 2021 Premier League season, it was a shame as the under 23s were sitting in third, just two points behind second and four points behind first position," Tweddle said.
"We were finishing strong and peaking at the right time of the year to make another semi-finals appearance and better our result from last year.
"I am excited for the Blaze's under 23s program in 2022, with nominations being open and the opportunity for dedicated athletes 16 and over to showcase their netball ability at trials.
"It is always interesting to see who is able to make the transition into a high-performance team and elite pathway in netball both on and off the court."
As Franke, Parr and Tweddle allude to, players who want to be considered for the Blaze opens and under 23s teams in 2022 are required to apply online before 5pm Saturday, September 18 and be available to attend selections, with new trial dates to be confirmed in the coming month.
To apply, visit the South Coast Blaze website.
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