University of Nottingham Sport is delighted to welcome Paige Reed as our new Head of Performance Netball. As a regular starter in the Netball Super League for Leeds Rhinos and currently a part of the England Roses Futures programme, Paige joins us with a wealth of high-level experience on the court. A goal attack and goal shooter, Paige has risen through the ranks of the England youth set up and has represented her country at U19 and U21 level, and will now combine her playing career with leading our Performance Netball programme. Upon beginning her role on campus we spoke to Paige about her experiences and how those will translate into her coaching, as well as her aims for the whole Netball programme at University of Nottingham Sport.
Great to meet you Paige and welcome to University of Nottingham Sport. If you’d just like to tell us a little bit more about yourself and your career.
Thank you, of course - my name is Paige Reed and I currently play for Leeds Rhinos in the Women’s Netball Super League, as wella s being involved with the England Roses Futures programme. Obviously, I am also now delighted to be the Head of Performance Netball at the University of Nottingham!
How has your Super League season started?
We opened the season on 11 February but with a few players unavailable we were unable to get an opening victory. It was still a good performance from the team and we are looking forward to kick-starting the rest of the season over the next few weeks. I started playing in the Super League in 2018 so I’ve been playing at that standard for a few years now, and moved to my current club Leeds Rhinos for the 2023 season.
You’ve also been involved with the England set-up, what has that experience been like?
I was a part of the England under-17 programme and was fortunate to progress into the under-19’s, under-21’s, and was a reserve at the World Youth Cup. This year I have been selected for the England Roses Future’s programme, and have also been really fortunate to be picked for certain internationals like the Uganda series.
Overall being around the set-up has been an amazing experience, and 2023 has been really busy so far. I would definitely love to break into the senior squad, alongside progressing my career as a coach.
Is coaching something that you’ve always been interested in?
Yes – ever since I was at university I’ve been interested in coaching. I did some coaching for some of the teams whilst there, and I really enjoyed coaching and developing players. It’s good to just watch sometimes rather than being involved! I really enjoy being a part of teams, being around people, developing players and learning how I can continue to progress myself.
Do you feel you’ve developed your own style of coaching?
I think so, yes. I definitely want it to be that everyone enjoys the sessions that I run, but ultimately I’m all about the individual – making sure that they become better people before they become better players. For me, being able to see that development, whether that’s over a week or a few years is really rewarding. I always want players to feel valued regardless of their ability, age and the place they are at in their career.
How much are you looking forward to getting back into university sport?
I absolutely loved being a student at Bath, and I’ve also worked at another university. I feel that I have thrived in the university environment as a player, coach and person. I really think the university environment allows you to flourish as a person and be yourself. It’s a really exciting stage for students in their career and it’s a really good opportunity for me as a coach to develop players. I hope that I can give them a little bit of what I’ve learned through my experiences. When I was at university my coaches were really influential to my career, and I’d like to be a part of that for others.
Before you joined us here at the University of Nottingham, did you have much knowledge of Nottingham?
So as a player I used to play on these courts as an NPL player at all age groups so I know them quite well! With England training camps also having been held here, I knew that the facilities were fantastic and when I saw the job opportunity come up it was a perfect opportunity for me. I know the place well but I also know that there is so much room for growth too. I know how high profile this university is so to be a part of the journey at the University of Nottingham is hopefully going to be a brilliant start to my full-time coaching career.
What are your aims in growing the programme, both short term and long term?
Ultimately, who doesn’t want to win?! However there is so much more that comes with the role – developing the club, our players and teams. From a recruitment perspective, I obviously want to aim for the highest calibre of player possible but I also want to make sure that there’s a place to play for players of every level in the club. I want us to keep pushing ourselves to take that next step – the first team are already in the top league but I want us to keep pushing in the cup too. We need to keep aiming to catch those ahead of us and take the environment o the next level in terms of professionalism.
How are you feeling about getting to know the club and teams?
I’ve heard nothing but good things so I am really excited. I know the team have missed having a coach for a while so I think the only way is up for me really! I know the calibre of players here are already of a really high standard, so I’m just excited to add anything I can to make them better – both on-court and off-court, hopefully with a professional and cohesive structure.
Did you enjoy watching The Headliner and has that made you more excited to start coaching in our BUCS fixtures?
I just love the whole university environment. The crowd definitely helped become an extra player for the team, and it was a great opportunity for me to see the team in action together. Being able to see first hand how the team work together on and off the court, as well as how they handled the occasion was really promising. I’m hoping the team can carry their performance into the next round on the #RoadToNottingham!
We wish Paige the very best in her role and look forward to seeing our Performance Netball programme continue to grow during her time here. You can find out more about Paige's career so far by visiting her England Netball and Super League profiles.
You can find out more about our Performance Netball programme here, and the rest of our performance programme at the University of Nottingham here.
Posted on Tuesday 21st February 2023