FAQs
Performance Pathway Trials FAQs
At our trials athletes will be selected based of performance in match play, and this is where their skills will be assessed.
You will be sent an email with all the details of the trial on, including arrival time. Athletes are asked to arrive between 20-30 minutes earlier in order to register, and make sure they are prepared (nails short, hair tied back, any strapping/support in place, ready to play.)
All the details will be on your trial email. You will be asked to wear a plain white top, black shorts/ skirt / ¾ leggings. Please bring outdoor wear if your trial is outside and depending on the weather forecast for that day. No club kit is to be worn.
Depending on the number of applicants and time, you will all play enough matches so that all selectors can see you more than once. The rounds will be placed up on the wall, and you will be able to write down / take a picture of what rounds/position you will be playing. There will be Thunder helpers there to assist should you need.
If you have put down 2 positions, you will play both. However, you may play one over the other, and also asked to fill in another position occasionally if needed. Selectors will know if it is your 1st / 2nd choice position, and if you are filling into a position.
Within 48 hours of your trial taking place.
Yes you need to put a trial form in, so you can be considered for the pathway when you have completed your return to play.
Yes, anyone can apply for Thunder at any age group. We have open trials at the 1st stage, and a final trial on the 2nd stage. Athletes who were in the pathway the previous season will trial alongside those who get through the open trial. Athlete’s in our current pathway will go straight to final trial if they are still in their own age group, if moved up an age will attend open trials.
No feedback will be given.
Yes any spectators can watch from outside the netball court fencing or outside the sports hall.
Unfortunately, you will not be accepted for a trial. As we have so many applicants, we cannot accept late applicants. Our application process is open for at least 6 weeks. Our advice is to go back to your County academy where there might be other opportunities later in the year.
When you sign up and pay for the trials you will receive a confirmation of payment email. If you cannot produce this document, you will be unable to trial. If you do not receive this document within a short time of applying, you need to email [email protected] before the closing date.
If official government advice dictates that due to an increase in social distancing restrictions any of the Trials cannot take place, they will be subsequently cancelled and participants will be informed via email. All participant will be eligible to a full refund which will be reimbursed as soon as can be arranged after the decision to cancel the event has been made.
Manchester Thunder will follow and adhere closely to government guidelines and advice from Public Health England around the participation of groups of individuals in activities of this nature within an indoor environment. This will involve the practice and implementation of any practical measures that are recommended at the time (hand washing, hand sanitiser etc) This can be located on England Netball’s website https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/about/covid-19-support/
Rumble With Thunder FAQs
All our Rumble With Thunder sessions are delivered by Qualified Level 2 netball coaches who are fully DBS checked, so you do not need to stay with your child once the Q&A/coaching session starts. The Rumble With Thunder session lasts 90-minutes. Please ensure you are at the sports hall in good time to pick up your child for the end of the coaching session at 4.30pm.
The tickets allocated for the Rumble With Thunder participants are in a designated area in the Bronze seating section.
No. You will need to ensure you are with your child once the coaching session ends so that you can then watch the match with them.
For Health and Safety reasons, you will not be allowed into the sports hall once the Rumble With Thunder session has started. There will be Thunder Academy matches taking place in the main hall which, if you have bought a ticket, you can watch.
The Rumble With Thunder events are popular, with a maximum of 60 young netballers taking part, and will start at 3pm promptly. Please register your child at least 15 minutes before the session starts.
Members of Manchester Thunder’s Elite Squad will take part in the 15-minute question and answer session which kicks off the Rumble With Thunder. They then need to leave the session to prepare and warm-up for the Vitality Netball Superleague fixture which will be taking place after the Rumble With Thunder.
At the end of all our home Vitality Netball Superleague fixtures, there is an opportunity for crowd members to meet the players and get pictures and autographs.
The young netballers will experience a similar coaching session as those delivered to the young players who are on our Thunder pathway. These sessions focus on skills development and improvement and not match play. The sessions are designed to provide young netballers with high quality coaching to develop core netball skills – for example ball-handling, fast feet, speed and agility.