Naomi determined her dedication will pay off

NAOMI TAYLOR'S chances of playing netball for England under-19s were handicapped by a viral infection. She was the last of the trialists to be dropped from the squad earlier this year. Her illness was not taken into consideration.

But 17-year-old Taylor said she was even more determined to succeed as a result.

'When I first heard, I just thought: ?What is the point in being here?? But I know I am good enough, so I just need to prove it to them.'

She has already made an under-21 squad to South Africa, but next year will have to start all over again at under-19 trials.

Taylor said she was desperate to prove herself on the South African tour, which acts as a training ground for the under-21 World Youth Champion-ships in Florida next year.

Taylor has made a number of sacrifices to pursue her netball - but realises that there's no financial reward in the sport.

Her parents' backing is unconditional.

'We will support her as long as she wants to do it,' said her mother, Debbie.

'At least she can never look back and say she never tried.

'As long as she is enjoying it, sport is good and if she makes the England squad in the future then that is great.

'And as long as she is happy she will stay over there and get as far as she can.'

Naomi has dedicated her life to netball since the age of 13, when local coach Gill Queripel pushed her towards national trials.

'When she got to the point I could not take her any further, Naomi had to decide where she wanted to go with her netball. I spoke to her parents. I can point in the right direction and give them the names of contacts but it is down to them at the end of the day because it becomes financial.'

Mrs Taylor said that her daughter was keen to follow Nena Bourgaize, another England age-group player.

'When she went away on a scholarship to Bath, we always knew that Naomi wanted to do it, too,' she said.

Bath University has an outstanding reputation for academic and sporting excellence and is often used as a training ground for the England netball squad.

Going to Bath enables Naomi to play for TeamBath, netball being one of its 14 performance sports, which develop international

players.

She is not eligible for a States grant for her studies and the move to Bath has been self-funded.

Oldfield College, where Taylor studies, is non-fee-paying and she receives a scholarship for her netball. But she still pays £100 a week in board and meets travel expenses.

She left in September 2003, a few days after her 17th birthday.

'It was hard leaving my family and friends but the fact Nena had already done it made it easier because I had already met some of her friends and knew what I was letting myself into,' she said.

'It was quite scary, not just having a new place to live, but a new school, new friends and new training schedules.'

Training involved early-morning sessions, starting at 7, before school twice a week, two lunchtimes and after-school sessions.

'In the season, I have seven hours of training on a Thursday: morning, lunchtime and after school. I have home training from 6 to 8 for TeamBath. The first hour is fitness and hard-court work; then the second hour is court craft. I then have county training for Avon from 8 to 9.30.'

She keeps a logbook for England, detailing endurance, weight and speed-and-agility sessions. These are fitted in where possible and Naomi often plays county matches at weekends.

Study tends to be relegated to Sundays, though this summer she did a month-

long revision course for her media studies work.

'It is crazy the amount she fits in,' said her mother, 'but it is her life really; it is a part of what Naomi is all about.'

On the plus side, Naomi receives the highest care and attention she demands as an elite sportswoman, including diet, physio and sports science.

'She gets lots of support from everyone. Her coach is superb, she is very realistic. She deals with Naomi very well,' said her mother.

'Gill has been great. She always goes straight to Gill if she has a problem. She is very friendly with a girl in the international squad who is a few years older than her and who has been in a similar situation to Naomi. She has all these people geeing her up. She gets e-mails from Nena too.

'This level of support has been essential, as it has enabled her to keep bouncing back. She lives with the hope we all share, that one day she will make it, because we truly believe she can.'

Naomi left Guernsey to pursue her dreams, but her mother was very proud to see her line up for Guernsey seniors in the inter-insulars in March.

'Seeing here there was a dream,' she said. 'She deservedly received the player-of-the-match award and with that, justified every knock-back she has ever received; because each time she gets them she just keeps fighting back, even stronger.'

Queripel added: 'She won't give an inch and that is what Bath has done to her, it has made her an athlete and it has given her the confidence that she never had before. She also has the strength and belief in herself as a person and a player, which she would never have got if she had stayed here.'