Jersey Netball

In the UK, British netball is an underfunded sport, particularly at a professional level and for its women’s teams. LouLou Race Foundation is funding international netball player Serena Guthrie MBE to be the Performance Lead coach at Jersey Netball Association.

Impact Reach: A range of programmes for all ages and skill levels, from youth initiatives and holiday camps to competitive leagues.

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The Jersey Netball Association is well-established and has been supporting netball players on the island for over 80 years. However, in recent years, it has struggled to secure a facility and attract professional coaches. 

The Association’s most notable success story is Serena Guthrie MBE, who was one of the world’s best midcourt players. She reached 100 caps and became a Vitality Roses centurion in 2020. 

Serena was born and raised in Jersey and started playing netball at about age eight. She was a naturally competitive child and has acknowledged just how hard it was for her mum to fund all her trips away. 

This meant that often, it was only Serena’s Jersey Netball coach, Linda Andres, who was able to accompany her to training sessions and trials on the mainland before she finally signed with Team Bath. 

Serena furthered her career on the other side of the pond, playing for the Nothern Mystics in New Zealand and then the Giants Netball in the Australian Suncorp Super Netball League. 

Serena became England's netball captain in 2018. She returned to the UK, where she played once again for Team Bath, before retiring from professional netball in 2022 when she moved back to Jersey to raise a family.

LouLou Race Foundation is funding Serena’s role as Performance Lead at Jersey Neball Association in the hope that more top-class coaching will be available on Jersey without youngsters having to leave the island and that more netball superstars will emerge.

“You need those people prepared to go the extra mile - just in case you do.” - Serena Guthrie MBE