Denton mum Vicky Barclay has lost more than four stone and gained new friends since resuming her passion for netball. Sarah Dunn reports.

Sitting on the side lines watching her two daughters Lola and Kemi play netball week in, week out gave Vicky Barclay itchy feet.

Initially she was pregnant with her third child, son Tayo, and the bump held her back.

But once she was settled into life with the new arrival, she attended a Dominoes 'Back To' session, the same club where her daughters play.

Since then, the goal attack has never looked back.

Now Vicky, who lives in Denton with partner Lekan, has lost a whopping four and a half stone, made a new circle of friends, and found a hobby she enjoys.

She and her friend Kim White have become the 'national face' of the Back To campaign, appearing on posters across venues around the country.

The 38-year-old says: “All the time I was watching the girls I was itching to play.

“It's 20 odd years since I played at school and I hadn't played since then, but as soon as I started again, I've never looked back.”

Today Vicky carries around a 'before' photograph to inspire and encourage her to keep the weight off.

She also goes to the gym regularly and received support through the Slimming World programme, but the weekly netball sessions play a huge part too.

“It is hard and you can get a lot out of it,” she says.

“We've run mixed tournaments in the past and beforehand my partner was like 'it's not a proper sport'. Once he'd played, he changed his mind!”

The couple are due to get married in April, and she says her pals from the netball club will be out celebrating with her Hen Do.

“I've made so many good friends through the club – it's not just a weekly exercise class. It's a big part of our lives now.”

And for Vicky, who is currently job hunting after Tayo started nursery, it's something which is just for her, adding: “It's my one weekly bit of 'me time'.”

That's not to say Lola, a 12-year-old goal shoot, and Kemi, who is only eight and already looks set to be a feisty defender, don't take an interest.

They're desperate to see the roles reversed and go and watch mum play, but as the sessions go on until 9.30pm, for now they're still a little young.

“I let them come down in the holidays as a treat,” she laughs.

“They love it as much as I do.”

Back To Netball sessions take place each Wednesday between 8pm and 9.30pm at Wright Robinson College, off Abbey Hay Lane, Gorton, Manchester. £3 subs. Visit http://www.dominoes-netball.co.uk/ for more information.

Remembering all the old skills is as easy as 'one, two...pivot'

Sarah Dunn benefits from a back to school workout

Standing on the swanky netball court at Wright Robinson College in Gorton, I'm grateful that although I might feel like I'm going back in time, some elements are different

Firstly, we're sheltered from the biting cold inside.

Back at school, we'd be out in all weathers, playing until you felt like your fingers were so frozen you could snap them off.

The other difference is I'm wearing jogging bottoms and a T-shirt. This is particularly important as there's no way I can carry off the netball skirt and gym knickers look any more, if I ever could.

Back in the day, I played wing defence for the school. It was a sport I enjoyed, but soon fell out of once I moved to sixth form.

Now the 'Back To' initiative, organised by England Netball, aims to promote the sport to people like me, who might have forgotten how much fun they had.

It's also targeting new-comers by offering informal, friendly sessions made up of training and matches which people can turn up to try.

After a warm up, the session with the Back To group of the Dominoes Netball Club starts with some passing drills.

As we go from shoulder pass to chest pass to bounce pass and more, nuggets of information begin to trickle back.

It's obvious I've been out of the game for some time though, as my first attempts are feeble and I send my poor partner Vicky Barclay ducking and diving to catch the ball.

But as we get into groups to work on a footwork exercise it's clear the golden rule of the game - which says you cannot move the foot on which you land – is well and truly drummed into my subconsciousness - and my feet. I can even hear my PE teacher's voice counting 'one, two, pivot!'

After exercises practising key passes and marking your opponent, it's time to play a game.

With 13 of us,we're one woman down and I'm sure the group take pity on me by letting me go unmarked.

In fact, this is harder – since without a target to keep track of I find myself floundering around the court, sometimes ending up in sections where I'm not allowed!

They're a friendly bunch at Dominoes though, full of banter and chatter, meaning you don't feel embarrassed if you get something wrong.

Switching to goal defence for the second game, I get more into my stride – even blocking a few passes and keeping the odd goal out.

It's at moments like these I recall the flush of satisfaction at doing something good for my team.

Leaving the court to grab a well-needed bottle of water, it's clear zipping around after the goal shoot has given me a decent work-out too.

If we used to work up as much of a sweat as a 15-year-olds – when we all avoided the communal gym showers at any cost – it's no wonder the air in the changing room was so thick with the smell of Impulse body spray!

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