The FIMBA GB +40/45 Women had their first camp of 2025, as the +45 gear up for the Masters Games in Abu Dhabi next month.
The group braved the “snow bomb” coming from as far afield as Cardiff and Aberdeen and with Coach Harrison on National League duty, were under the watchful eye of Coach Lauder on Saturday. The camp started with presentations of the Nike GB kits for debutants, Debbie Stempcyk, Emma Marshall and Lisa Cochrane.
After some shooting and footwork warmups to blow away the winter cobwebs and indulgence, the squad got down to business, with Coach Lauder focussing on some of the important, grittier aspects of international competition. Hitting screens effectively, reacting to what the defender does on offence and getting effective scoring opportunities, the large squad were pushed hard to think about their angles, positioning and communication.
Next up was boxing out, as again the squad were made to think hard, communicate effectively, fight and hustle for loose balls and really push each other.
It always a special moment to receive your GB kits with your teammates and I’m excited to see Debbie, Emma and Lisa on court in Abu Dhabi. There was a really positive vibe and high energy throughout the session. This group never cease to amaze me on how hard they work for each other and that will be so important for us in our 2026 competitions and beyond.
Coach Lauder
After working on the group’s inside game and ball movement, they spent a good amount of time running games at the end, which gave the +45 some much needed court time together.
Sunday saw Coach Harrison back and started with another kit presentation for Tatyana Lazareva.
This was a special presentation as Tatyana was a member of the first ever FIMBA GB +45 Women’s team in Malaga 2022 (under Coach Harrison’s leadership), before a knee injury. followed by surgery, followed by more surgery kept her out of the game for too long. Tatyana has worked so hard, it’s great to see her back in a GB kit and as sharp as ever.
Coach Lauder
The session followed on from the work on Saturday and built the skills into the offences and plays. Starting in 3 man formations, concentrating on positioning and ball movement, they moved to 4 man and then 5 man in several high intensity drills. An innovative cylinder drill was then put in place, focussing on communication and reactions.
After walking through the offences, the session finished with some more game situations, played to a very high standard.
Next up, the +45 Women are heading to the Masters Games in Abu Dhabi 6-15th, with the rest of the squad back in Leicester on 7th/8th February continuing to work towards the World Cup in Croatia and European Championships in Greece.
To keep up to date with the team’s journey in 2026, follow gbforties on Instagram and Facebook and if you are interested in partnering the +40 or +45 Women and support their journey in 2026 and beyond, you can find all the relevant details on our partners page.
