Netball’s Izzy Howse is proving that you can have it all

The 18-year-old from Leeds is part of the England Roses Academy and Saracens Mavericks pathway whilst also studying her natural sciences degree at Cambridge University.

Following a stressful and sleep-deprived first term, the mid-courter has now settled into her fast-paced lifestyle and is enjoying very moment chasing her netball and academic dreams.

“Being at Cambridge is really good fun,” she said. “It’s a lot of work but I’ve always been busy so there’s nothing new there.

“It’s been difficult balancing it all at times. Having to travel to training took quite a lot of time out so sometimes I do feel like I don’t have any time.

Stuart Pearce swapped the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for the Alfred Davis Memorial Ground for Non-League Day 🙌

The England legend returned to his non-league roots with a visit to @MarlowFC

Check out how he got on 👇 pic.twitter.com/FqsMsR0m8i

— Pitching In (@PitchingIn_) March 30, 2023

“But as it goes on you get better at managing it and learn how to take the time that you do have.

“We train in Hatfield or Potters Bar so I used to get the train and not get home until midnight but now I’m driving, which made it a lot easier for commuting and let me get a lot more sleep.”

Howse was selected for the Roses Academy in 2021 and is learning from some of the best coaches in England, with sights set on the 2025 Youth Netball World Cup.

And with the likes of Sophie Kelly playing for Team Bath and Freya Henshall recently making her Super League debut for London Pulse, Howse – a former pupil at The Grammar School at Leeds – now hopes to emulate the success of her teammates.

“Getting selected into the Roses Academy was a big one for me,” said Howse, one of 50 athletes to be supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multimillion-pound grassroots sport investment programme established by Entain, owners of Ladbrokes and Coral.

“I remember sitting on the bus on the way home from school and my mum texting me to check my emails and seeing I had got in.

Feeling so grateful to wear the red dress for the first time! What an experience! @EuropeNetball @EnglandNetball🌹🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/Ko9Zjx3xfx

— Izzy Howse (@HowseIsabelle) February 27, 2022

“It felt like it came out of nowhere. I didn’t get selected the first time I trialled but did the second time, so having that previous history made it feel so much more of an achievement.

“I love the set up and being in that environment can push you.

“It also gives you a different perspective as a lot of the girls are training partners in the Super League so I always talk to them about how they’re finding it and learn from them.

“It would be amazing to play in the Super League and for the Roses one day. It’s every netball girl’s dream.”

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more