England Roses wing attack Alicia Scholes believes that the “passion” and drive of London Pulse’s young players will propel them to success in the upcoming Netball Super League season.
In a candid discussion on the Sky Sports Netball: Off The Court podcast, Scholes, who is the daughter of Manchester United football legend Paul Scholes, shared insights into the team’s intense training sessions and the high standards they are setting for themselves.
London Pulse, one of the youngest squads in the league, finished fourth in the previous season and are now working hard to climb higher. Scholes described the competitive atmosphere within the team, highlighting the “sink or swim” mentality that has taken root among the players. With little room for inexperience, the squad is pushing one another to improve every day.
“When I had my first year at Thunder, it was a really comfortable environment. You were surrounded by people who had played for years, so there was room to be new, fresh, and make mistakes,” Scholes reflected. “But for us at Pulse, you can’t look around and think ‘I am nervous, I am new, I am inexperienced, she can help me,’ because we are all in the same boat.”
This dynamic, according to Scholes, has been a key factor in the team’s growth. Despite the challenges of being a young and relatively inexperienced team, the players hold each other to high expectations, leaving no space for excuses.
“It is so brutal, but we all just take it from each other,” Scholes explained. “You have to take it off everyone because everyone is giving it, and we have such high expectations of each other, there is no room to be young or new.”
The intensity of Pulse’s training environment has even led to heated moments between players, something Scholes sees as a sign of their collective passion to succeed.
Recounting a recent training session, she said, “There was a tiff in training the other day, and I was joking to my dad about it, saying it is so intense people are actually arguing, and he was like ‘that is how it should be.’ It just shows so much passion, and everybody wants to win so badly.”
Scholes’ comments reflect the team’s determination to make an impact in the upcoming season. With such a dedicated and driven group of players, London Pulse is aiming to translate their passion into on-court success as they prepare to take on the best in the Netball Super League.