Amazing Gracie

With a magazine celebrating the history of netball and focusing on those who have come before, we thought it would be worth taking a look at the present, and indeed the future, so we caught up with one of the Netball Super League’s brightest – and definitely youngest – stars in London Pulse’s Gracie Smith.

Your mum played under 21s for England. Is netball something that has been passed down the generations?

Actually, it has not always felt like that. I used to be really into tennis. I fell out of love with it because it was a solo sport and my personality is really made for a team environment. And my mum just said, “Try netball, give it a go”. Of course, I ended up loving it, ended up loving all the people, and making great friends so I stayed with it!

And does your mum talk about her netball days?

No, not much, I wouldn’t say. She’s not focused on herself! I haven’t played on the same team as her but my little sister has.

And did you play at school or did you outgrow that pretty quickly?

I played, yep. We came fourth in the Nationals which was really good for a state school.

And you won the National Clubs?

Yeah, with Turnford. That was really exciting, really fun. That was before a contract was even on the table. [Pulse Head Coach] Sam Bird was Turnford’s coach, and I think she saw something in me during that tournament, that I was coachable and hard-working during our training leading up to Nationals. My determination was a really good feature that she wanted in her NSL player.

And when you got that spot on the roster last year, what was that like?

Surreal. It was crazy, but straight away I knew that it was the right move.

How has it changed things for you? You were at school, in fact you’re still at school, but you’ve smashed your GCSEs now?

Yeah, I did OK in my GCSEs, which was really good! I’m juggling netball with doing A levels – Media and Sports Science & Exercise. It’s going well. I’ve got very used to balancing school and netball, and it’s easier now that a lot of my subjects are coursework based.

Are you still doing lessons during normal school time and how does that fit in with training?

Still normal, yes, but I have a lot of frees during the week, and my school is really good with letting me out if I do need to get to the gym or do training, as long as I can catch up on work.

Do you have any time for outside interests?

Yeah, I still have plenty of time to see my friends, although now the season has started, it is a bit harder, but I do try to stay in contact with them as much as possible.

And what about this season? What are the hopes?

I really look forward to our home games, we’ve almost sold out the Copper Box and we are just looking for more of the same.

Hopefully ending up in the Soft & Gentle Grand Final again?

Yes! The Grand Final was just crazy. I absolutely loved it. Definitely the best day of my career and probably my life so far. The crowd was amazing.

And who were your role models growing up, I’ve seen previously you’ve said Serena Kersten, and Jamie-Lee Price as well, both competitive midcourt players. And Jamie-Lee was also very young when she first played in NZ, I think the youngest player there at 17. Is that something that resonates with you?

Yeah, I think so. I really love the way she plays as well and I try to copy that in my game. But I’ve not been in touch with her, I’d be too nervous!

And the centenary, do you know what’s happening with that?

I’ve seen the brilliant video and it really makes you reflect on netball as a sport, as a female sport, to think how far it has come and how empowering it can be. And I think now we need to just push to get it into the Olympics.

And finally, what about the next few years for you? What are the dreams?

So obviously the dream is to be in the senior Vitality Roses team. That has always been the dream. But I think I just want to keep building connections, keep pushing through, showing people that I can be consistent and rising up to be a leading player in the team.

The Soft & Gentle Grand Final is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live on 20 June. Get your tickets here .