Top Moments From Our Disneyland® Paris Netball Festival with Elite Netball

A total of 70 teams joined us across the 5-day tour which included a brilliant coaching masterclass and then putting everything they had learnt into practise during the tournament. To round up, the players experienced a magical day at Disneyland® Paris with an awards ceremony in the Disney Village.

In partnership with Elite Netball Academy, this year’s April Festival was bigger and better than ever – with countless memorable moments captured throughout the event. Take a look below for some of our favourite moments.

Spring sunshine

We had perfect weather throughout the festival, which teams made the most of by catching rays on the ferry deck en route to France, cooling off between matches in the breeze, riding the coasters, and of course, enjoying an ice cream or two around the Disney parks!

Coaching clinics and masterclass with Elite Netball Academy

The clinics and masterclasses combined individual and team development in which players learnt and refined new skills including defence, attack, on the ball skills and shooting practice.

Players experienced top quality coaching from Elite coaches, who provided technically accurate demonstrations on the pitch and top tips on how to improve their netball skills.

We rotated through the masterclass as one group instead of in our separate teams and there was clear differentiation in the teaching; better players were challenged and pushed and those who needed more support were picked up by the Elite coaches and they were able to help them to improve their skills so every single player, regardless of ability, got something out of it.

Shiplake College, Disneyland Paris Netball Festival

Competitive tournaments

Of course, our netball festival wouldn’t be complete without a competitive tournament where they were able to put their newly learnt skills into practice. Tournaments were divided via age group (u12, u14 and u16), and then split by ability following the group stages which allowed players of all ages and abilities the chance to play competitive matches against each other in the finals.

We even had one team travel all the way from Australia to compete in our tournament! O’Kelly Netball travelled over 10,000 miles from Melbourne to claim victory in the U14’s category. Well done to all our winning teams and everyone who competed in the tournament – you were amazing!

And ‘That’s a Wrap’. We have had a blast. Thank you, Sport experiences, for another amazing Netball tour. See you next time.

Newark Academy

Q&A with netball Super League players, Paige Reed & Millie Sanders

Teams had the opportunity to ask Super League players, Paige Reed and Millie Sanders questions about their netball journeys, prestigious sporting careers, and even top tips for aspiring netball players!

Our teams said the sessions gave the players a great insight into the life of a real professional netballer, which was motivational and inspiring for the teams attending.

They were in a safe environment, where they weren’t scared to participate and were happy to take on every team they faced. That was a testament to the way the event was run.

Shiplake College, Disneyland Paris Netball Festival

Full day exploring both parks at Disneyland® Paris

All teams had tickets to experience both the Disneyland® and Walt Disney Studios® Parks. It was fantastic to see everyone enjoying numerous rides and attractions across the parks, as well as picking up some Disney merch, doing some squats with Captain America, and tucking into some tasty treats across the park!

Awards ceremony and dinner

The awards ceremony was held on the penultimate day of the trip in the centre of the Disney Village, where the teams came together to celebrate everyone’s achievements during the presentation meal. It was great to see how much all the players supported one another throughout the awards ceremony with lots of cheering and a sprinkle of Disney magic.

The ceremony was hosted by an enthusiastic Sport Experiences team along with a range of professional experienced netball players, including Natalie Panagarry. The teams were able to experience a personal interview with the players highlighting how best to balance netball and education (as well as their favourite Disney characters).

All our school teams had an amazing tournament on Tuesday! On Wednesday we had an awards ceremony. My U12 team came 5th in the showdown cup winning our last game against catmose B team 4-1. Very proud of the whole of my team and how we’ve grown so much throughout the whole tournament!

Newark Academy

You got creative on socials for our competitions

It was great to see so many of you getting involved in our competitions on social media! Whether you snapped some action shots on the court, took a selfie on the rides, or made a TikTok to capture your favorite memories – we loved seeing your top moments online.

Our biggest advice to anyone at a school thinking about taking this trip and is sitting on the fence, is to just do it! Trust that it would be a fantastic experience for their students.

Shiplake College, Disneyland Paris Netball Festival

Join our next netball festival!

We host netball festivals in the UK (Keele University) and France (Disneyland® Paris), and we’d love for you to join us! Whether you’ve been to one of our festivals before, or fancy inspiring your team by joining us for the first time, there are so many benefits to attending.

Find more about our UK Netball Festival at Keele University or request a quote.

Find out more about our Disneyland® Paris Netball Festival or request a quote.

You can also explore our other sporting events, or go to our homepage.