Sachel Grant and Lisa Bowman will head up NI netball U21s World Youth Cup bid

SACHEL Grant (above) and Lisa Bowman are the new Netball NI U21 coaching team, appointed in preparation for this year’s World Youth Cup qualifiers in September.

Sachel will lead the management team as Head Coach, with Lisa Bowman taking up the Assistant Coach role.

Sachel brings extensive experience to the role from her time at the Netball Superleague franchise, Saracens Mavericks. As Mavericks Pathway Lead for seven years and U21 Head Coach for four years, Sachel gained a wealth of knowledge and arrives with an understanding of the programme required to support and develop athletes and teams at this stage in the performance pathway to achieve success and provide longevity and sustainability.

Lisa, no stranger to anyone in Netball in NI, will be supporting Sachel as Assistant Coach alongside a new role for the sport’s performance programme in Northern Ireland, as National Technical Coach. This will include working alongside the Warriors international coaching team as well as across the underage pathway in her specialist capacity.

The appointments align fully with the Warriors Vision that has been created by the senior squad and management team, which are:

Legacy – To inspire and pave the way for those aspiring to be a Warrior, as well those pioneering to grow the game in NI.
Visibility – Celebrating the success of the Warriors pathway & Netball in NI together, as well as increasing our voice amongst the world’s best.
Warriors – Built with Heart, Play with Grit

Recently appointed Warriors Head Coach, Sheonah Forbes, said: “Sachel is an excellent coach and person who I have no doubt will continue to drive the U21 programme forward in 2024. With the World Youth Cup qualifiers in September this year, Sachel’s experience working in this age group will be paramount to the success of the group.

“I am really excited to develop the Technical Coach role with Lisa who will sit in the vital assistant coach role with the U21 group alongside Sachel, as well as delivering in the Warriors environment. Lisa’s knowledge and continual passion for the development of the Warriors is infectious and I cannot wait to continue to see her grow on the international scene.