‘The netball mum community has been insane’: England captain Nat Metcalf on her return to action
Receiving her first centre pass at London’s Copper Box Arena will be an unforgettable moment for the skipperA gurgle turns into a squawk, and the early throes of a weary cry – sure-fire signs that an afternoon nap is required,For much of her life, since her dramatic arrival in the pre-dawn hours of a May morning, the seven-month-old Miller has been a regular presence at England netball camps,Sometimes she sleeps courtside, other times watches from a balcony, or is passed between arms of players and staff members eagerly seeking a cuddle during team meetings,Whatever it takes for her mother, the England netball captain, Nat Metcalf, to get back on court,When Metcalf pulls on her England dress against Jamaica on Saturday, returning to competition for the first time since giving birth, Miller will be there, just as she always is.
“The thought of playing for England with Miller around just feels …” starts Metcalf, before pausing, eyes filling with emotion.“Sorry, I nearly cried then.”It means a lot.Showing that “mummy can still do it and chase her dreams” is something of which Metcalf is immensely proud.Receiving her first centre pass at London’s Copper Box Arena will be an unforgettable moment.
Metcalf, a Commonwealth champion and World Cup finalist, turned 33 on Tuesday,Having witnessed various friends’ fertility struggles, she and her husband, Josh, decided to let fate run its course with their own efforts to start a family,If and when it happened, they would navigate the delicate matter of her international sports career at that point,One thing was certain: “Retirement didn’t come into my mind,”She found out she was pregnant when with the England squad in Australia in September last year, preparing for a three-match series against the world No 1 side.
It had, she says, “happened quicker than we anticipated”, prompting the need for some delicate messages to be delivered.She chose to be honest when telling her teammates the news, before flying home early, with England Netball cryptically suggesting her departure was due to an “ongoing medical matter”.A recent battle with glandular fever provided the ideal cover until she was ready to go public after the first trimester.At that stage Metcalf was continuing on-court running, weight training and bike work, before steadily allowing the intensity to tail off into swimming and leisurely dog walks as the pregnancy continued.Off court, she busied herself with coaching and mentoring across amateur and elite ends of the game.
Any concerns that arose about her own playing future were eased by her addition to a WhatsApp group of elite international athlete mothers, established by the Team GB and England hockey player Jo Pinner, and featuring 27 British women from 16 sports.All were either expecting children or had returned to sport after giving birth.“It was a space for anyone to share anything, ask for support or advice,” says Metcalf.“Just to know there was a space to reach out and have a little community around you, knowing there are other mums doing it as well.You’re not alone at all.
“You’re following other mums’ journeys in this elite world, who are getting back into their sports at international level.Seeing them do that is so inspiring.It’s been amazing to be able to hear their stories.”There was no shortage of trailblazing mothers within netball to call upon either.The former England international, and now England Netball president, Eboni Usoro-Brown, played at the last Commonwealth Games after the birth of her daughter, while Iona Christian and Joyce Mvula are among current Netball Super League players with children.
Inspiration could even be found on trips to her local park courts,“Going to my coaching clinics and seeing mums come up to me and tell me what they did to get back into the game was so inspiring,” says Metcalf,“I was like: ‘I want to be like you,’ I want to get back out there and say that I played netball again – back to this thing I absolutely love doing,The netball mum community has just been insane and I massively feel the love.
When you’re a part of it, it just feels so special.”The best-laid plans for childbirth – and recovery – swiftly changed when Miller arrived via an emergency caesarean section, the severity of which left Metcalf often feeling physically “helpless” at the start.“I’ve always been someone who wants to keep active,” she recalls.“I remember feeling like I just needed to get out of the house and walk around the block.But, the first time, I walked to the end of the street and had to go back.
I couldn’t do it,”Instead, she learned to embrace the new family’s “baby bubble”, where thoughts of netball and exercise were forgotten until she began craving movement again around two months after Miller’s birth,Aided by her husband’s remote working, Metcalf was able to return to her first England training camp with family in tow when Miller was three months old,There remained the challenge of recalibrating her expectations to what her postpartum body could immediately achieve: “I was naive in thinking it would be a smooth recovery, your body picks up and off you go,I’ve had to learn a whole new way of moving.
Not just the body moving, but managing the fatigue because you’re sleeping less,“It’s definitely been challenging,My joints and muscles have screamed at me in every place,At times I wondered if I was doing too much, too soon,I’ve had to really listen to my body.
”A self-imposed lofty ambition had been to return to action six months after Miller was born.Having skipped last month’s 2-1 series defeat by New Zealand to continue the final stages of playing preparations, her imminent comeback against Jamaica will see her thrown straight back into the international arena before even returning to the domestic fold, with the next Netball Super League season not starting until February.It will be both entirely familiar and a step into the unknown, with her daughter watching on.“The memories I want to build in the netball world now are for Miller to see mummy do it,” she says.“It just makes it extra special.
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