
Amelia (centre) with some of her Bury Bobcats clubmates.
Following an invitation to attend Volleyball England's National Squads Camp in Kettering over the weekend of the 14th and 15th of March and having impressed the coaches over a full training programme, Amelia Hadjianastasi received the news that she has been selected for the next England training camp from the 3rd to 6th of April.
Amelia now hopes to be part of the squad playing in the Sainsbury's School Games, where England will compete against Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales in September.
Amelia, the daughter of a local mother and Cypriot father was born in Cyprus and lived there for her first 14 years before moving to Suffolk. It was in Cyprus that her love of volleyball developed thanks to her father's encouragement and the popularity of the sport there. The family returned to Suffolk in 2013, when Amelia's family made contact with Andrew Whitefield who was working to increase opportunities to play volleyball throughout Suffolk. Amelia was able to continue to play at the newly-formed Bury Bobcats VC where she has benefited from high quality coaching.
After hearing of her seleciton, Amelia said: "This is such an exciting journey to be on, there is such a lot of talent at the national camps and I feel privileged to be part of it."
Bury Bobcats and many of Suffolk's other clubs are open to new members of all abilities, aged 14+. Bobcat's train at Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre. Their open session is on Sundays from 3-4:30pm. More information on Bobcats and Suffolk's other clubs can be found at suffolkvolleyball.org.uk.