We caught up with Mel Mansfield this week to hear more about her new role as London Mavericks NSL Feeder Squad Head Coach, which will run alongside her role as Head of Netball at the University of Hertfordshire.
She told us how important it is to her and the club to invest in and support young players, and explained a bit more about how beneficial the partnership between London Mavericks and the University of Hertfordshire will be.
“To know there is a Super League franchise on the doorstep, with such a strong link to the uni, will be a key attraction for talented young players,” she said.
“Players will often return to study so they can stay involved in the university’s netball programme and extend their netball careers. The club will also have this incredible talent to draw on.
“We want to provide a programme which really looks after and supports young players with everything from nutrition to recovery to well-being, alongside skills development.
“It’s important to ensure players have a good experience through the pathway to the feeder league and want to stay with London Mavericks long-term. Player retention and consistency is always key to building successful squads. Every time we get together on or off the court should be a good experience. Happy teams win games.”
Mansfield also told us why she is so looking forward to teaming back up with Tamsin Greenway and Mikki Austin, and to working with Camilla Buchanan, saying:
“I absolutely can’t wait to being part of the wider coaching team, to meet up with Camilla, who I’ve previously coached as a player, and of course to work side-by-side with Tamsin and Mikki on the feeder squad.
“Tamsin and I had a great partnership at Storm and Wasps and created a culture and squad environment to be proud of. She is also the best tactical coach I have ever worked with, who always has a solution. I love that about her. If you need to break down opposition, Tamsin always has a plan.
“She’s also been a great friend and supporter over the years. Coaching can sometimes be a lonely place, so it’s so important to have people you trust to be constructively critical or to provide that essential support network, so you don’t feel isolated. Gone are the days of a coach being able to do everything by themselves.
“At Storm, I had the best two years coaching alongside Mikki. We had a really good thing going on in terms of how we worked together and trusted each other. She’s a bundle of energy and an inspirational coach. I think we laughed most of the way through our two years coaching together. I loved being back with the Storm fans, and I am hoping they will come on this journey with us.
“It really excites me that Mikki and I can continue working together. I think we care about players in the same way and give that extra thought to the pastoral side. My role in education, alongside being mum to an 18-year-old daughter, who also plays performance netball and a 22-year-old son, also gives me that good understanding of how to look after people in this age group and how to ensure they feel supported or driven to fulfil their potential.”