In the 2019/20 season, the partnership between Beeston & NTU enabled the club to sign Courtney Schonell, one of Australia’s rising stars for the second half of the season. Courtney had represented Australia at U21 level and had captained the Australian team at the recent Youth Olympic Games.
The partnership between Beeston & NTU allowed Courtney to have access to the facilities at Clifton Campus for 1 to 1 pitch sessions. She also received access to the High Performance Centre which allowed her to continue with her S&C programme and access Physio from the NTU Sport full time Physiotherapists.
Courtney commented “Nottingham Trent University provided me with incredible facilities to allow myself to perform my training programmes at the highest standards. Furthermore their willingness to support me as a person and an athlete enabled me to settle into Nottingham really quickly.”
On the field Courtney was an instant success, scoring vital goals against Clifton Robinsons and Bowdon Hightown to secure Beeston’s status in the Premier League. Courtney also scored three goals against the University of Nottingham to propel the squad into the England Hockey Championship Final for the first time in the club’s history.
“Coming to Nottingham and playing for Beeston was the first time I had lived away from home (Sydney) and I was naturally nervous about the 3 months in England. The culture and the spirit of the ladies’ squad at Beeston was so refreshing and I enjoyed every moment playing, even when it was freezing cold!! The squad were so inviting and allowed me to settle in pretty quickly and I gelled well with the team. Love my bees!!”
Categories: Beeston Hockey Club
