Force of nature

Jo Vann is no stranger to trailblazing. Part of the Team Bath squad that won the first ever Netball Super League, more recently she travelled to Fiji with the Army Air Corps netball team to play, coach and connect with the Fijian community. Here she talks about her experiences.

You have an amazing netball CV but how did you get into the sport?

Well, I played for The Maynard School in Exeter and we made the under 14 National Schools Finals where I was talent-spotted. Growing up in Devon, there weren’t that many junior clubs around at the time, so I ended up going to Cornwall to join Saints Netball Club, where I was coached by Jean Davies right up until I moved to Bath to be coached by the legendary Lyn Gunson [who played for New Zealand, coached both the Silver Ferns and England, as well as Team Bath to the Super League title in 2005-06 and 2006-07]. I joined the programme at the University of Bath as a full-time athlete while studying Sport and Exercise Science. We trained incredibly hard and a highlight was winning the silver medal at the World U21 Championships.

So how did a career in the Army come about? Had you always wanted to join?

I’d always been keen on the Army, and not even because of the netball! I grew up on Dartmoor and loved spending time outdoors. I managed to do Ten Tors alongside some of my netball training when I was at school and I loved being able to balance playing netball and having those outdoor experiences. I think I was actually only exposed to netball within the Army at Sandhurst in 2011.

And you fell naturally into it?

Well, I didn’t ever really intend to continue playing netball alongside my Army career. But I was training young soldiers at Pirbright and I got this bug for coaching again. I was a Platoon Commander and found I was drawing on my training and experience as a netball player and coach to complement my Army work. It was clear that coaching was becoming an integral part of delivering training and I found it really fulfilling.

So it was the coaching aspect that reignited playing?

Well it was also the physical training in the Army that I really enjoyed and it helped me realise I wanted to work towards some personal and team goals as I was missing the competitive part of game day! Early in my Army career I had the privilege of working with highly motivated soldiers in an Apache helicopter unit following my training at the Royal Academy of Sandhurst. I spent a lot of time abroad and when I returned, I got connected with Army netball.

Celebrating Remembrance Day alongside Fijian forces (left)and working with local schools in Fiji

And you even came out of retirement to play for Team Bath in 2016! But coaching is the main thing?

Yes! And I was given this incredible opportunity three years later to go back to Bath as Head Coach of the netball programme while remaining with the Army, so it was a split contract at a busy and challenging time due to COVID. But it was so rewarding to be able to take the amazing culture at Team Bath and share that with the Army, and vice versa.

There’s so much about working together to bring the best out of each other and recognising that people bring different skill-sets and knowing that it makes you stronger as a team. There are some real resonances there with the Army.

Outreach work in Fiji (below) and putting a local school through their paces (right) as well as getting an insight into Fijian life.

What would you say to young netballers thinking about the Army?

The profile of sportspeople in the Army is increasing and the opportunities to play at a higher level too. As the standard is going up, we’ve attracted international fixtures, which provides an incredible opportunity to travel. But there are so many different levels, it’s a bit like a netball pathway. Some people may think that you have to already be playing at a high level to enjoy netball in the Army but that’s absolutely not the case. There are a number of people in my Corps team who haven’t played since school. It’s the access to international opportunities that makes it unique, as well as encouraging people who are new to netball to join a team or get back into netball, even if you haven’t played for a few years.

We also have the freedom to create incredible opportunities. The Army Air Corps netball team went on an overseas sports visit to Fiji last year and it was ground-breaking, because of our engagement with the Fijian communities. It was incredibly special to parade on Remembrance Sunday alongside the Fijian forces, and we connected with a wonderful organisation there called the Petero Civoniceva Foundation which gave us an opportunity to work with local schools and play in competitive netball matches. It’s not just about playing the game it’s also about developing our coaches, contributing to other countries and helping our soldiers gain an insight into the home life of our Fijian colleagues. Many of the team returned home saying that the experience had changed their life, and it was very special for me to return to Fiji where I had gained my first cap playing netball for England.

So, in short, you would say netball in the Army is a good thing?

Absolutely! During my 13 years in the Army, the opportunities have grown enormously for men and women to play netball, even against international teams. It is also possible to work towards being selected for the United Kingdom Armed Forces netball team! It is such a great environment and complements the day job in the Army, all alongside some incredible training opportunities to develop skills such as leadership. I could not recommend it highly enough!

If you want to contact Jo with any questions about being a netballer in the Army, you can get in touch at @joannamvann (Instagram).