The Elite Training Centre in Sheffield recently hosted the first Pathway Development Centre (PDC) training weekend, bringing together 12 talented players and coaches from across the PDC network.

This event provided a unique opportunity for players to develop their skills and for PDC coaches to collaborate with the Performance team.

Over the course of two intensive days, players trained under the guidance of Great Britain coaches John Murphy, Carlo Agnello and Gavin Evans, with additional support from coaches from the SHEcoaches cohort. The weekend was designed to cover a range of essential training components, including repetition, basic fundamentals, creativity training and multiball exercises.

The training weekend not only focused on skill development for the players but also fostered a collaborative environment where PDC coaches could connect with the Performance team. It was fantastic opportunity for both players and coaches to come together, share knowledge,and develop.

The collaborative atmosphere has allowed for a focus on the fundamentals while also encouraging creativity within the training. The success of this introductory training weekend sets a promising model for future events.

Head of Performance Development, Gavin Evans, said: “The establishment of our Pathway Development Centres and ongoing support is a crucial step to building out a thriving talent pathway.

“At this weekend, we brought PDCs together at our Elite Training Centre to provide further opportunity for our players to develop together and so we could support our amazing coaches working with the players. It was a hugely successful weekend, with many more scheduled for the future.”

Pathway and Senior Squad Coach John Murphy added: “It was great to have the PDCs from around the country joining us in our ETC in Sheffield. I think for the athletes and coaches to work together for two days was a really good experience.

“For us as a performance staff, it was great to engage wth all the athletes and coaches to also discuss what they’re doing and see what they’re doing on a daily basis in their own PDCs and also to share ideas on how they might develop that training going forward.

“I think it will be a great thing to have more of these weekends to bring everyone together – I think the learnings from that will only elevate the level of the PDCs.”