Netball Manchester Live stars ready to inspire young women and girls
"It's really important that female athletes like us are visible," said Kerry Almond ahead of International Women's Day on Tuesday
Manchester Thunder and England stars Laura Malcolm and Kerry Almond are hoping to help to inspire the next generation of netball players at Saturday’s Netball Manchester Live at the AO Arena.
Speaking in the lead-up to International Women’s Day on Tuesday, both players believe that the showcase for women’s sport could be an inspirational moment for women and girls.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to play at the AO Arena,” said Malcolm. “We’ve seen such a surge in our sport over the last couple of years, especially since the success at the Commonwealth Games, and really the next step has always been to bring the domestic level of our sport up to that standard. This really pushes the boundaries for that.
“I think at Manchester Thunder we’re always trying to progress the women’s game; progress women’s sport and this is the way to do it. To give more fans the opportunity to come and watch our sport.”
She continued: “Netball does cater to whole families and it’s really amazing to see. Lots of young girls are coming with their parents and with their families and really enjoying the game.
We had a little girl come to see us and got some autographs from us all and spoke to us all and afterwards her Mum messaged in to tell us how inspired she was by that and how she told her Mum that ‘you have to keep dreaming because dreams really do come true!’ because of what she’d experienced at our game.
“You can really underestimate how important it is for young people to see athletes and see us achieving big things.”
Almond said: “It’s really important that female athletes like us are visible and it’s also important that the atmosphere stays family friendly and fun as it is.”
Manchester Thunder are currently flying high at the top of the Vitality Netball Superleague but they will not be taking their Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos lightly on Saturday.
“The roses rivalry always generates a level of excitement across all different sports,” said Almond.
“It generates a level of excitement that you don’t always get in other games so it’s a really good opportunity for us to promote netball and get the visibility of our sport up.
“The AO Arena is a world renowned venue, it’s one of the premier concert venues in the world and playing there is a really exciting opportunity for us as a team and as a club.”
Tickets are still available for Netball Manchester Live via Ticketline and Ticketmaster – click here for more information.
