Cowra’s 17s representative netball team is ramping up preparations for the season, putting in a demanding fitness session as they build towards their first carnival next month.

The team recently completed intense training sessions including hill sprints, planks, squats and a range of skills and drills designed to improve strength, speed and stamina.

“The girls have started the season with a bang,” co coach Olivia McNamara said.

The team is being coached this year by Olivia McNamara and Ruby Fraser, who are guiding the squad through preseason as they prepare for state level competition.

“It’s great to see their positive attitude towards training and their own fitness,” McNamara said.

She said many of the players are also putting in extra work outside of team training.

“On top of our two hour training session, the girls have been putting in the hard work themselves by going to the gym and hitting many kilometres of running,” she said.

While fitness and skills are a key part of training, building a strong team culture is also a major focus for the coaching staff.

“A focus at training is bonding as a team,” McNamara said.

She said strong relationships between players can have a big impact on performance on the court.

“I think it’s a really important aspect of netball, just as important as building our skills,” she said.

The coaching team has been pleased with how the squad has progressed so far during the early stages of the season.

“Ruby and I are super happy with the girls’ progress,” McNamara said.

Training will continue to increase in intensity as the team prepares for tougher competition ahead.

“We’re hoping to ramp up training to prepare the girls for the tough games at state titles,” she said.

The team has set several goals for the season as they work towards their first major competition.

“The goals we have are to place in the top 10 at state, build fitness and team strength, and have fun and make it an enjoyable and memorable season,” McNamara said.