The FIMBA GB +40 Women had their final training camp before heading to the Masters World Cup in Croatia next month.
Entering in two different age groups (+35 and +40), this was the last chance to put the finishing touches to the teams, so the training took on a slightly different look. Saturday’s session focussed on the points highlighted by the players they felt they needed to work on, so the coaching team put some bespoke drills that still fed into the overall system the teams are playing to. The drills built up from 1v1, to 2v2, to 3v3 with the scoring based on limiting errors rather than points. After a screening workshop, looking at both offensive and defensive positioning, the squad was split into their World Cup teams to play out the rest of the session.
Before the game started, the new players were presented with their their Nike Great Britain kits, supplied by Kitqueen.
It’s always an exciting moment to receive your new kit, whether as a player or to present them as a coach. There’s something extra special about receiving a Great Britain kit for the first time, knowing you will be soon on the International stage, representing your country. It’s not just a recognition of achievement, but it is also a testament to the sacrifice and effort you have put in over the past year to earn the right.
Bruce Lauder, Assistant Coach
The two teams, sporting their new kits, played out a very competitive game whilst the Team Manager filmed the action. The coaches still stopped at key moments to dissect anything that didn’t feel right, but in the main, the game was left to flow as both teams got into their rhythm and really started to click.
The session finished as always, with everyone thanking each other for their efforts, before heading back to the hotel for a team dinner – and the usual dancing shenanigans in a random part of Leicester, that has become somewhat of a tradition!
Sunday was extra special as the team were recording their distances to support the 1,000km walk cancer charity, Care Days, were undertaking in Cyprus at the same time. The team added 98km to the total and raised some good money in the process to help those with terminal cancer.
The morning started with the coaches showing clips of the game, asking the players to comment on what they did well, whether they showed understanding and what weaknesses it uncovered that needed working on. With both teams commenting openly on themselves and their opposition as teams and individuals.
The coaches then designed the session to re-enforce the messages from the day before, as well as anything uncovered in the films, before Assistant Coach Lauder ran a boxing out and rebounding drill. The camp finished with the two teams running against each other again as they put everything into practice ready for the challenges that await in Croatia.
The squad over the training weekend showed how individual players, and the squad in general, have developed over the past year since the European Championships. The general understanding of our offensive team principles has reached the stage where players trust each other to react and read situations effectively. I expect us to be very competitive in the upcoming tournaments.
Coach Harrison
For more details on the FIMBA GB +40 Women click here or to keep up to date with the their journey to the World Cup and World Championships, follow gbforties on Instagram and Facebook.
If you are interested in partnering the +40 Women and support their journey in 2025, you can find all the relevant details on our partners page.
