I’m proud of the person the club allowed me to develop into.

Sian Doherty, BA American Studies 2019, MA History 2021

Sian Doherty was a member of the University of Hull netball team and now plays for Hull KR ladies netball team. The formation of Hull KR Netball came about as the on-court sport continued to grow across the country at a grassroots and professional level, following the rise of the national team, the England Vitality Roses and the popularity of the Vitality Netball Superleague.

Can you tell us about how you came to study at Hull? What was your experience like as a student?

Hull was one of the universities I visited on a bit of a whim, driving up one day with my Dad. We parked up and started to walk around campus and there was just a feeling I had that I belonged there. I vividly remember walking down the Great White Way (next to the library) and knowing I would feel at home here. So, I applied, got in, and started in the summer of 2015. My experience as a student was truly amazing. I studied American Studies as an undergrad and had a year studying in San Diego, and then moved into a MA in History, voted in as President of Sport at Hull University Students’ Union (HUSU) for 2 terms, bringing the timeline up to now, where I’m working with the sports teams at HUSU. I honestly had the best years as a student and I owe a lot of it to Hull University Netball Squad.

You became involved in the netball team at the University of Hull. Can you tell us about your experiences on the team and how they helped to shape and influence you as a person?

I can honestly say Hull University Netball Squad changed my life – I know it sounds cheesy and cliché, but you really don’t know the benefits of being involved in a student group at university unless you’ve been in one. I had always played netball, so I did my research before starting. I joined as soon as I could and spent the next 7 years playing for the 1^st team, holding 3 committee positions during my time. I would also like to mention that I came out in my second year at university, something I found very hard to come to terms with when I was younger as I was always worried about it impacting my relationships in netball as it is a female dominated sport, but I went straight in at the deep end, announced it in the middle of social and everyone cheered and were so supportive – I will never ever forget that moment. I’m proud of the person the club allowed me to develop into.

What role do you think that being in the University netball team can play in the lives of current and future students?

I think, in general, you make lifelong friends and relationships and completely grow as a person – I am so much more confident, I thrive off teamwork, and I am a lot more compassionate. You have experiences that you wouldn’t get if you didn’t get involved. I definitely wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve had without the skills I developed by being on the Netball Squad.  I believe the student groups at Hull University Students’ Union continue to create a sense of belonging for members of sports clubs and societies, and students actively want to stay at the university because of their positive experience in those groups.

You are now a member of the relatively new Hull Kingston Rovers Women’s netball team which was an historic moment for the Club as it was the first non-rugby league team to become a part of their team structure.  How did you get involved and how has being a part of that team connected with you, the local community and your fellow alumni?

One of my fellow Netball Squad Alumni created the club through her work and connections with Hull KR and once I had stopped playing for Netball Squad, I wanted to keep playing so this was the perfect opportunity. A lot of the other players from uni felt very similar so to begin with the club was a lot of Hull Alumni. When we started in the Summer of 2022, we had 2 teams. Since then, the club has grown to almost 100 members with 4 senior teams and 4 junior teams. It’s amazing to have been apart of the club since the start and it has developed so much in such a short period of time. I’m just grateful that I can continue playing with my friends!

In your professional life, you are working for Hull University Students’ Union as Project Coordinator (Sports Transformation) Can you tell us about this role and how it came about and how you are leading on sports transformation at the University?

The role I am in now focusses on helping to support, develop and enhance the sporting offer at HUSU. I overlook all the nearly 50 clubs in the Athletic Union, with over 1400 students involved and 300+ volunteer committee members. My main goal is to ensure that every member of a club has a positive experience within our sports teams, like I had when I was at the university. At HUSU we focus on making sports as fun, inclusive and safe as possible for our students and our volunteers. It is really special that I can give back to an institution that has had such a massive impact on my life.