Vitality Netball Superleague: Anna Stembridge to leave Team Bath Netball
The head coach will step away from her position at the end of the Vitality Netball Superleague season; the former England Roses head coach is in her second spell with the franchise having also played for Team Bath
Last Updated: 14/04/22 4:32pm
Team Bath Netball head coach Anna Stembridge has announced she will be stepping away from Superleague coaching at the end of the 2022 season for personal reasons.
The former England Roses coach is in her second spell with the franchise, having also been a player in the pre-Superleague Super Cup-winning squad.
Her two-decade association with Team Bath meant it was not an easy decision to step away, but she believes the timing is right, both personally and for the club.
"It's obviously been really hard because I absolutely love coaching here at Team Bath and working with the players and staff, but it's the right decision for me and my family," Stembridge said.
"I want to be at home more with my young family and I also have the pressing demand of finishing my PhD at Cardiff Met University.
It's really important to stress that this will not affect our intent for the rest of the season and we remain focused on our mission to make the top four. I know we will throw everything we can at making the play-offs. We've got a lot of minutes still to play and, as we saw at the weekend, we are starting to build some great form.
Anna Stembridge
Stembridge, a Welsh international as a player, first coached Team Bath from 2008 to 2010 in partnership with current England head coach Jess Thirlby, winning two Superleague titles.
She then led England for four years, guiding the Roses to a first-ever series whitewash of Australia, before returning to Team Bath in 2015.
Team Bath have qualified for the play-offs every year since 2015 and reached their first Grand Final since 2013 last season.
They also won the British Fast5 All-Stars Championship for a first time in October 2021 and currently sit third in the 2022 Vitality Superleague table.
Vitality Netball Superleague - Spring Showdown
| Saturday | Sunday | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1pm | Lightning vs Storm | 12pm | Bath vs Rhinos |
| 2.45pm | Rhinos vs Dragons | 1.45pm | Dragons vs Lightning |
| 4.30pm | Thunder vs Sirens | 3.30pm | Storm vs Thunder |
| 6.15pm | Wasps vs Pulse | 5.15pm | Pulse vs Mavericks |
| 8pm | Mavs vs Stars | 7pm | Stars vs Wasps |
"I'm heavily invested in Team Bath and to step away from something I absolutely love doing is going to be difficult," said Stembridge. "It's such a humbling experience to be part of such a great club with such amazing history.
"I would like to think I have made a positive contribution to the environment and helped the individuals within it, whether that is players, fellow coaches or support staff.
"I am very proud to have been part of the fabric here and I hope I am leaving the club not just in a better place but one where it can continue to flourish and grow. I look at some of the youngsters coming through our pathway and know the future is in a really good place."
Stembridge's announcement comes shortly after Mel Mansfield shared her decision to step down as head coach of Wasps Netball at the end of the current Vitality Netball Superleague season.
Mansfield was appointed as assistant coach at Wasps prior to the franchise's inaugural season in the competition and moved into the role of head coach in 2019.
Both outfits are currently preparing for the Vitality Netball Superleague's 'Spring Showdown' which features 10 matches taking place over the course of Saturday and Sunday live on Sky Sports at Birmingham's Resorts World Arena.
