Netball Australia has appointed Cathy Fellows to lead the national 21/U program as head coach ahead of the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.
An experienced coach and respected netball alumni, Fellows will guide and support the continued development of the next generation of Australian netball talent.
Fellows brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role having worked in various stages of the netball pathway.
Now in her fifth year as assistant coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Fellows played a pivotal role in the club's history making national league premiership in 2023.
Across the last decade, Fellows has held state based coaching positions with Netball Victoria, the Collingwood Magpies, and the Victorian Institute of Sport. These included roles with the Melbourne Kestrels, Melbourne Vixens and Victorian Fury.
At the international level, Fellows led the 2022 Australian FAST5 team to a gold medal as assistant coach, alongside NSW Swifts head coach Briony Akle.
Fellows said she was delighted to take on the national head coach position ahead of next year's Netball World Youth Cup.
"Representing your country is the ultimate achievement in sport and I feel proud to take on that opportunity again," Fellows said.
"I think Netball Australia does an amazing job of identifying emerging athletes and supporting them through the National Institute Network.
"This program is another opportunity to prepare athletes for their transition to the Suncorp Super Netball and Origin Australian Diamonds elite netball environments.
"I like to create an environment that encourages athletes to enjoy the game, which in return supports their understanding of the game and their technical and tactical skills to be successful at the elite level."
Selection proceedings for the appointment of the national 21/U head coach included both a diverse selection panel and rigorous, data-informed analytical evaluation.
Netball Australia's interim Executive General Manager of Performance, Matt Lyons, commented on the calibre of candidates who applied for the national position.
"We experienced an unprecedented number of high-quality candidates across this selection process that reflects the strength of coaching talent within the Australian netball system," Lyons said.
"There were several attributes to Cathy that made her a standout throughout the process, including her self-aware coaching style that enhances her ability to lead, mentor and develop athletes.
"Cathy has diverse experience within national high performance programs and environments which translates to an understanding of how the 21/U netball program contributes to the Suncorp Super Netball and Origin Australian Diamonds pathways.
"We look forward to what Cathy will bring to the role in 2024 and beyond."
The Netball World Youth Cup will be held in Gibraltar in September of 2025. Twenty teams will compete in the event spanning 10 days.
