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Petal Pathways Programme

How players grow at G&W

From a four-year-old's first session to holding a whistle on a Saturday morning — and every way of enjoying netball in between.

Every player at the club is on our Bloom pathway — the age-group teams that take someone from their very first session through to senior netball. Flourish runs alongside it for players who want an extra level of training and competition, without ever leaving their own team behind.

The youngest years — Reception to Year 4 — are taught through Bee Netball, England Netball's introduction to the game, at both our hubs from September.

  1. Petals

    Reception to Year 2

    Where it starts. Playful sessions built around balance, coordination and catching — netball only in the loosest sense, and deliberately so. Nobody is picked, nobody sits out.

    See the Petals squads →

    Taught through Bee Netball

    England Netball's introduction to the game, running at both hubs from September — throwing, catching, footwork and shooting, learned through small games rather than drills.

    About Bee Netball →
  2. Learning the game

    Years 3 to 6

    The real game arrives a piece at a time — footwork, passing, then positions and simple rules. First friendly fixtures against nearby clubs, played in a way that keeps the focus on enjoying it.

    See the junior teams →

    Bee Netball continues to Year 4

    Years 3 and 4 keep the Bee Netball approach — lots of touches of the ball, small-sided games and the Beeliefs — while the first pieces of the full game are added.

    About Bee Netball →
  3. Playing competitively

    Years 7 to 12

    League netball in the Warrington Netball League, played against other local clubs, plus a full fixture list and the tactical side of the game. Players still try every position — that's how they find the one that suits them.

    See the fixtures →
  4. Senior netball

    18 and over

    Ten squads across Monday, Thursday and Sunday leagues, and two training sessions a week open to all of them. Players arrive from our juniors, from other clubs, from a twenty-year gap, and from never having played.

    See the senior squads →

Flourish

Alongside, not instead

Years 5 to 9, alongside their own team

For players who want more: a performance session every other Friday for the whole programme, on top of everything they already do with their own squad. Flourish competes in the Cheshire Junior Netball League, a separate competition from the Warrington league their own team plays in. It's an addition to a player's netball, never a replacement — Flourish players keep their team, their teammates and their fixtures.

About Flourish →

Giving back

Plenty of people at G&W haven't played for years, and plenty still do both. Coaching, umpiring, team managing, photography, running a raffle at a tournament — the club exists because people take these on.

Ways to get involved

There's no single finish line here. Some players want league netball every weekend; some want an hour a week with their friends; some end up holding a whistle. All of those are flourishing.