Helen Housby on sacrifices, training and failure ahead of Vitality Netball Horizon Series
When Helen Housby took a selfie with former England netball international Jo Harten in 2011 as a superfan, at the then-titled Fastnet (now Fast5) tournament in Liverpool, she never thought she'd be rooming with her as a fellow teammate just three years later at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But that's how quickly Helen, goal attacker and shooter for England's national team, the Vitality Roses, has catapulted to extraordinary heights.
Initially playing for the UK's domestic Superleague contenders Manchester Thunder, she's represented England since 2014 and became 'full time and fully professional' when she joined the New South Wales Swifts in Australia in 2017. This weekend, she'll go head to head with Jamaica's Sunshine Girls in two matches in the inaugural Vitality Netball Horizon Series, before travelling there across the Atlantic later this month for the series' away games. Somehow, we have a feeling she's just getting started.
A classic sporty child, Helen took part in all her school's team sports through primary and secondary school, taking up netball from about four or five. 'But then netball took off,’ she tells us. Goal shooter and goal attack positions were second nature: 'I'm a bit of a glory hunter, so I like putting the ball in the net or scoring. I've always been an attacker in any sport: in football I was a striker or a midfielder, and in hockey I was at the front. I'm not really defensively coded. Some people have that gene where they prefer to track, but I like to get free and get the ball and be in possession.'
Training
Now, Helen's training routine varies from lighter and less demanding in the lead up to a game, which focuses more on tactics, to pre-season training, when the goal is fitness and 'nailing the basics'. Helen tells us a typical off-season week involves:
Monday: two-hour court session, featuring lots or running and conditioning blocks with 'short and sharp' one-on-one or paired activities (rather than big team drills), plus a one-hour heavy gym session
Tuesday: two-hour court session + one-hour heavy gym session
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: two-hour court session + one-hour heavy gym session
Friday: two-hour court session + one-hour heavy gym session
Saturday: 'top up' day to attend to specific focus areas e.g. Pilates, running or cycling
Sunday: active rest e.g. sauna or swimming, or going to the beach when she's in Sydney
On top of that, there's the housekeeping of physio, massage, prehab (exercises to prevent injury) and rehab where necessary.
Shooting-specific drills include eyebrow-raising exercises like trying to score 200 shots from anywhere in the circle ('You're just looking to get up numbers and into a good flow.'), changing a shot's timing, or shooting from different positions, like stepping back or to the side, or off one leg. Helen also practises an important technique, the wrist flick, where the hand holding the ball has to finish fully bent over to ensure the ball travels straight - sometimes, she'll even do this with her eyes closed. The Swifts may also run before they shoot so they're pre-fatigued, often racking up 300 shots a day during pre-season. It's about preparing for every eventuality and scenario that could arise in a match.
Nutrition
Fuelling adequately, then, is paramount. 'The day before a game, I always have a massive bowl of pasta, religiously,' she says. 'I might have white bread in the morning because it's easier to digest and the sugars are more readily available. We have snacks about three hours before the game, such as crumpets with jam and peanut butter, high in carbs and sugar and that are easily digestible, for more energy.
'Then on a regular day of training, I usually have eggs on toast, maybe some avocado and a smoothie for breakfast. Generally it's quite high protein. Especially if we've got big gyms and court sessions with a lot of running in pre-season, protein's very important for muscle gain. After we've finished, we have protein shakes and often add creatine or collagen.'
Lunch looks more varied. 'It might be a sandwich, salad, or feature more carbs and more protein. I like fruit and crackers and there's a good, healthy snacking culture in Australia.' Suppers are robust, by the sounds of it. 'Dinners are quite large affairs, especially in my household, as my partner's also an athlete. We're having big roast dinners, lots of veggies and nutrients, and I'll have pasta or lots of carbs like rice and potatoes.' Nutritionists and dieticians are often on hand to advise, too.
Career highlights
An oft-cited glory slam-dunk is the 2018 Commonwealth Games, when Helen scored a historic goal in the last second of the final against Australia. In doing so, she led the team to a gold-medal victory by one point, 52-51, on competition turf. Admirably self-effacing, she credits the team, citing the win as the culmination of a group triumph. 'I'm very grateful for what that moment did for England, netball and me. But I like to shine light on the 60 minutes that came before because so much went into the game to put us in that position. If anything, that shot was probably the simplest thing to do. In the semi-final the day before, it was my teammate [former England netball international] Jo Harten who scored the winning goal to put us into the final.
'The tournament is made up of loads of those moments. Going in, we were complete underdogs and we probably didn't have the best prep either. We didn't feel all that amazing until we got into the village and just kept winning game after game. It was a whirlwind. We worked incredibly hard for it and we showed our passion, grit and determination.'
Playing in a team has buoyed her up throughout the years. 'You've always got someone to rely on and to talk to. I love being with a group of girls who have the same mindset and are trying to complete the same mission. You meet different people. I can't speak highly enough of being part of team, whether professionally or just for fun.'
It's a welcome departure from solitary pursuits as a younger sportswoman. 'Growing up, I did individual sports like athletics and gymnastics for a long time. Sometimes that can get quite lonely. Yes, you you can rely on yourself. But I love the the camaraderie of a team.'
Helen has only continued to take centre stage, and in 2023 she was awarded Attacker and Player of the World Cup. Again, it was unexpected. 'It still feels surreal. I never expected that that level of success. To have my family in the crowd was super special. Because netball is a team sport, people almost shy away from the individual accolades, and I'm similar in that respect.'
Attitude to failure
While her career has been undeniably remarkable, the following year, however, brought a bitter blow. 'The 2019 World Cup was disappointing,' Helen recalls. 'It was just coming off the 2018 Commonwealth Games and I felt like we could have made the final. I felt loss and sadness, especially because it was on home soil. It felt like we didn't live up to the pressure and expectation. But we turned it around and did it in 2023, so using that as motivation was definitely helpful.'
Fortunately, she's dodged long-term injuries, too. 'I've been very lucky, touch wood. I had a bad ankle injury in 2014 and I don't have any ligaments in my ankle, but that was 10 years ago and other than that it hasn't been more than missing a game or two.'
Her attitude to the game has mellowed and softened accordingly. 'My approach has probably been to relax a little bit more. When I first came into the England set up, my mood would completely depend on how netball was going. I've learnt to remove myself a little bit from that and not be so tied to results.
'It helps you appreciate life outside of netball. When I'm there, I'm completely committed and giving absolutely everything, and I still sulk if we lose, but I'm quicker to snap back, move on and think about how I can be better. It's helped me to be a better player because I'm able to identify issues in a shorter time frame.'
Teenage training
However, reflecting on her time in the spotlight throws the years of sweating and striving less visibly, in the shadows, into sharper relief. 'Probably the toughest part was before I even played for England,' she admits. 'It was when I was still living in rural Cumbria in the Lake District as a teenager. I was about two-and-a-half hours away from Manchester, where all of the training, coaches and matches were.'
She describes the investment made on the family's part to keep her practice alive. 'My mum would pick me up from school at 4 p.m. We'd travel down to Manchester for 6:30 or 7, I'd train from around 7 until 10 p.m. and then drive back up, getting home at maybe quarter past midnight or 12.30 a.m. Then I'd go to school and I might do that three or four times a week if we had matches at the weekend. That was my school life until I went to university in Manchester [to study zoology].
'That was difficult because of the time and what I was asking my parents to do. They weren't seeing each other for three or four nights a week! My dad would leave before my mum was even awake and then she would get home after midnight, so it was a massive sacrifice. I'm very grateful that my parents did that for me and that we stuck at it and and kept going.'
Vitality Netball Horizon Series
Now, in anticipation of this weekend's first-of-its-kind tournament and the competitions thereafter, Helen is palpably enthusiastic. 'To have this locked in is really special, and then we've got the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the World Cup in Sydney.'
Once again, it's the girls by her side who are drumming up the energy. 'This team just wants more success. We've got such an up-and-coming squad, and they're so hungry to taste more silverware, get gold medals and prove themselves on the world stage. I'm really excited to head over to Jamaica and to see where these young players go. It's cool to be at the other end and feel like a proud mum.' As she puts the 'vital' in 'vitality', Helen will no doubt lead them to reach lofty goals of their own.
Helen Housby will be competing in the Vitality Netball Horizon Series this weekend which is available to view on BBC Sport
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