London Pulse Multi-Sport Programme

London Pulse is delighted to have launched its multi-sport programme last week in East London.

The programme is for Year 7-9 athletes who have been selected following recommendations by schools and clubs as being exceptionally talented and the strongest in their year group sports cohort.

The athletes will train with professional technical coaches in various sports, under the London Pulse multi-sport programme.

We are delighted to have started with Basketball this month with the athletes learning basketball skills, layups, and shooting technique with match play. This programme is supported by the West Ham United Foundation (football); Sunrisers (cricket); Harlequins Foundation (Rugby); and London Pulse Netball, who will all deliver specialist sessions.

London Pulse believes that its athletes should be well rounded sportspeople, not just netball players, and the programme has been designed to invest in and develop the future talent of our club in a fun, social and competitive way which compliments the existing School Games/County Academy and U15 London Pulse Hub coaching programmes.

It also gives coaches a good chance to see these young athletes in terms of their skills, adherence to training, passion for sport and willingness to learn, as well as adopting the values of London Pulse. The best ones will be invited to trials for London Pulse Performance Hubs next Summer.

Our multi-sport athletes also benefit from the London Pulse Educate Train and Inspire Programme, which means they can listen to Vitality Netball Superleague athletes’ stories about “What it takes”, have access to nutrition education as well as learning to study and train effectively. They may also attend performance camps with the older athletes in the netball pathway.

Sam Bird CEO London Pulse:

There is compelling research which shows that participating in a number of sports and avoiding early specialisation is very important in the long-term success of netball athletes. Many skills learned in one game are transferrable also to netball.

We wanted to find the best young athletes to put into our multi-sport programme to promote this training behaviour and ideology. Most of our VNSL athletes have excelled in multiple activities when younger and the transference of those skills has been an important part of their career development.

My thanks to West Ham United Foundation, Harlequins Foundation and Sunrisers in particular for their support of the programme, as well as the London Pulse staff, Lauren, Dannii, Lisa and Alison for making this happen.

Congratulations to all athletes selected: