SOME of Kent’s most promising young netball players have been selected to train at special satellite academies.

Schools and netball clubs from across the county entered 136 girls between the ages of 12 and 14 to trials held at the University of Kent on Saturday.

The girls took part in a range of netball moves and played different positions so that selectors could assess their potential.

The 58 girls that were selected will receive training and development sessions from coaches at the academies, which will be held in Canterbury, Medway and Bromley.

Academy training is made up of at least 10 sessions of two hours over the course of a year and will complement the coaching that netballers get at their clubs and school. The sessions will also include an element of sport science such as nutrition and fitness.

Kim Stafford, who organised the trials, said: "It is an honour to be entered in these trials, and for the girls that have been selected for the academies, it is the first step towards a netball pathway that could lead on to playing at county level.

"The general level of all the girls that took part in the trials was very good and the selectors had some tough choices to make. Those girls that weren’t selected have been given some advice about joining clubs to develop their netball skills further."