Posted 4th Feb 2020

Natalie Roddy looking to grow Team Bath Netball Futures Pathway programme after being appointed as Academy Head Coach

Natalie Roddy is hoping to give more aspiring young netballers in the South West region the chance to benefit from top-class training and support with Team Bath Netball after being appointed as the new Academy Head Coach.

Roddy – who has more than 20 years’ experience in netball as a player, coach and administrator – is taking the reins from Lois Jackson and is keen to build on her predecessor’s work in establishing a successful Futures Pathway talent development programme at hubs and academies across the region, stretching from Bristol to Cornwall.

“Lois has done an amazing job from a standing start with the Futures programme and it is having results, as can be seen by the players selected for England age-group squads,” said Roddy.

“My goal is to continue that work but also create more opportunities for talented young players right across the South West to access the top-class coaching and support network that we offer at Team Bath Netball.

“I am coming into the system with a fresh perspective and I am excited to see where we can progress and build.”

Roddy is no stranger to Team Bath Netball, with her involvement dating right back to the club’s formation.

“I played for Toucans Netball Club in Middlesex in the late 1990s and we came to the University of Bath to play a National Premier League game,” she recalled.

“The University’s high-performance netball programme was just being established and there were players like Claire Elsley and Tamsin Greenway who needed access to league netball, so we eventually joined forces and became Team Bath Toucans.

“Playing at that level allowed Team Bath to enter the Super Cup in 2002, which eventually grew into the national Superleague competition and the rest is history.”

Roddy was also involved in the formation of Team Bath Community Netball Club in 2007, following a merger with Bath NC, and has served as chairman ever since for a thriving set-up which now fields 18 teams, from U12s through to the National Premier League.

“I really love being part of the netball community and creating opportunities for people to get involved,” said Roddy, who has also enjoyed a successful coaching career at The Royal High School Bath.

Jackson has stepped back from the Academy Head Coach role due to her commitments with husband Ed’s charity, M2M Presents, but remains involved in the Futures Pathway programme and is Head Coach of Team Bath’s U19 NPL squad.

Around 100 netballers aged between 14 and 19 are currently part of the Futures Pathway, which has Academies in Bath and Exeter plus Hubs in Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset. Click here to find out more.

Other news articles

Team Bath Netball player Alanna Pullen on the Team Bath Arena court, holding the ball above her head as she prepares to pass. She is being watched by a crowd of spectators and her team-mates on the bench.
Team Bath Netball NXT Gen star Alanna Pullen joining Birmingham Panthers for 2026 Super League season

Team Bath Netball NXT Gen League star Alanna Pullen has followed up her Netball World Youth Cup selection by being awarded a 2026 Super League contract by Birmingham Panthers. It comes after a standout season in Blue & Gold...

Read More
A composite image of Team Bath Netball U19 players (from left) Neve Marsden, Ane De Wet and Jess Hollingbery. They are wearing Blue & Gold kit and have end-of-season award medals around their necks.
Team Bath Netball trio selected in Roses Academy U19 long squad for 2025-26 season

A trio of talented Team Bath Netball Player Pathway athletes have been selected into the England Netball Roses Academy U19 long squad for the 2025-26 season. Versatile attacking player Ané De Wet, the national U19 Player of the Season...

Read More
Profile pictures of netballers Alanna Pullen and Sophie Kelly, with an AI-generated England flag behind them.
England call on Team Bath’s Alanna Pullen and scholar Sophie Kelly for 2025 Netball World Youth Cup

Team Bath Netball’s Alanna Pullen and University of Bath sporting scholar Sophie Kelly have been named in the England U21 squad for the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup, taking place in Gibraltar from 19-28 September. Trendell Sporting Scholar Jayda...

Read More
Team Bath Netball Sponsors
Partners and Suppliers