What a start to the Lathallan Netball and Rugby Performance Academy!
Designed for ambitious athletes aged 14–18, our new 10-month development programme was built with a single vision: to bridge the gap between talented school and club players and high-performance athletes.
Going far beyond standard pitch and court sessions, the academy focuses on five foundational pillars – Technical, Tactical, Physical, Mental, and Lifestyle.
Now that September has wrapped up, here is a look back at how our athletes spent their first month laying the groundwork for an exceptional year ahead.
Setting the Standard
The first month of our Performance Academy was all about laying strong foundations, tracking baseline metrics, and diving straight into high-performance habits.
2nd September – Introductions & Goal Setting – The academy kicked off at Lathallan with icebreakers and a goal-setting session, helping athletes define their personal ambitions for the season.
9th September – Skills & Strength Building – Athletes had their first sport-specific skill development session paired with bespoke Strength & Conditioning (S&C). In Netball, athletes focused on core fundamentals— specifically landing mechanics and strong pass delivery — to ensure everyone started from the right base, alongside the introduction of England Netball’s Jump High Land Strong scheme and their first introductory S&C session.
16th September – Baseline Testing Window #1 – Athletes completed their initial performance testing to establish personal baselines across physical benchmarks.
23rd September – Pushing the Pace – A high-intensity evening focused on tactical awareness, game intelligence, and position-specific skills. Netballers built on their Week 1 fundamentals by working on angled drives and punching through the ball (driving with intent and speed), before progressing into live game scenarios. During the second hour, they had their first dedicated S&C session in the school gym.
30th September – Nutrition Workshop #1 – Lathallan School Matron Ally McGregor (Nutrition Lead & NHS Clinical Specialist) joined for our first workshop on Fuelling the Body. Athletes learned how proper nutrition directly impacts performance, recovery, and energy levels, engaging in brilliant discussions on making smarter lifestyle choices.
Under the leadership of James Sadio (Head of Rugby) and Ellis Mathieson (Head of Netball), our athletes are supported by an exceptional team of experts. Supporting the coaching staff are specialists like Dr Andy Hall (RGU Lecturer and HIIT specialist) and Ally McGregor (Lathallan School Matron and NHS Clinical Specialist).
Success in sport does not come from talent alone, it comes from consistency, attitude, preparation, and the willingness to push beyond your comfort zone.” – Mr Sadio, Head of Rugby
Staying true to Lathallan’s small class size philosophy, the academy maintains high coach-to-athlete ratios, providing every participant with a personalised development tracker aligned with national rugby and netball pathway criteria.
Looking Ahead to October
The momentum isn’t slowing down! In October, our athletes will dive deeper into:
Advanced sport-specific skill development and S&C work.
Dedicated video analysis sessions to enhance tactical game intelligence.
Focused recovery and mobility modules to keep bodies performing at their peak.
A huge congratulations to all our academy athletes for their effort, discipline and energy throughout September.
You’ve set the standard, now let’s keep raising the game!
Want to learn more?
Visit the Lathallan Performance Academy website or reach out