Emma you were one of a kind! I remember the first time I met you, at an HNC training session. I saw the most incredible netballer and coach, with skills so far above everyone else’s and an effortless ability to command a room full of chatty women and make them work together!  As time went on you continued to be my coach, but also my teammate, champion and friend. On court I wanted to make you proud of me and the games that stick in my head are the ones where you changed the result with your positive attitude, your relentless enthusiasm and your brilliant tactics. It’s no exaggeration to say that you pulled our team up to a higher standard than most of us ever dreamt was possible. You did it by believing in us and making us believe it too!  Thank you for that! But thank you also for being my friend. For being the kindest of all of us, for always thinking of others before yourself even in the hardest of times for you personally. Thank you for the hugs, the supportive words, for indulging my netball insecurities whilst also telling me to get a grip! Thank …

Joining Harpenden netball club with Emma as our coach made such an amazing impact on all of us. She was an asset to us all and I always aspired to be as good a netball player as she was. She was constantly giving us positive feedback and her kindness and generosity shone through. We will miss her immensely.  …

Emma was such a vibrant person and key part of the club as both player and coach. She helped everyone and was always there to offer support and direction. She will be sorely missed by the whole netball family as she supported so many players and teams over the years. Rest in peace x …

Emma, having only joined Harpenden the season before covid hit I didn’t have the chance to know you for a very long time, but you were one of the most welcoming people and made me feel like part of the club from the first training session I attended. I often played against you at training and you’d always give me great advice and coaching tips which have helped me to improve my game massively, and for that I want to say thank you! In the most recent season it was fantastic to play in the circle with you, always so encouraging and lovely, but with clear instructions too. We absolutely loved having your coaching expertise this season, it was a great privilege to have you there with us. You’ll be sorely missed xxx …

Emma, thank you for making me a better Netballer. I will remember you for the way you played with us every week; your  effortless reading of the game, your relentless positive encouragement if I was playing in the circle with you and your all round commitment to Harpenden Netball Club.  It didn’t matter if you were the worst player on the court, Emma would make you feel like you weren’t. But she’d always tell you what to do differently so that you wouldn’t be the worst for too long! And she did it with kindness.  Shine bright up there Emma – I’ll always hear you in my ears on the court when I play. Xx …

Emma – I hope they have got a whiteboard set up for you in heaven. Your brilliant little diagrams during our coaching sessions used to make us all smile but we totally got what you were trying to teach us ! I was lucky enough to know you through Harpenden’s netball family but you touched so many peoples lives with your energy and overall loveliness. You will be missed but memories of you will shine on. Love Em x …

Although I worked alongside Emma for many years, I never got the opportunity to play with her properly (she was far too excellent for me!). She was however an incredible coach to be mentored by. I can still hear her voice shouting from the sidelines and also our planning discussions sitting on the benches whilst running trials. She was always calm and kind yet made key firm decisions to support HNC and the players, and she always supported me personally in our chair/coach trial decisions. She wanted to better us all as players – and had such a passion for what she did. Outside of the club, we had a separate connection over managing to have a family and the trials and tribulations that came with it. When Jamie was born, she still managed to somehow take our training, and cover everything we needed! How she did it, I don’t know – but I know her love of the game and supporting us as a club was a huge part of her life. I cannot imagine the loss the family must feel, but I also know that the club will be hurting too. She was energetic and focused, and …

It was a pleasure to play with Emma. She was a great teammate, coach and friend. Her presence in the team was always felt and her dedication admirable. I felt calm and confident when Emma was on court, knowing the impact she had on the team and me as a player.  I am honoured to have played with Emma and learnt so much from her. She was joyous, friendly and hardworking. She will be missed. Sending all of my love to her family during this difficult time.  …

I’ve struggled to bring myself to write this as it’s just hard to find the words and believe it’s real. Emma was an exceptional human being and netball player, and I am so incredibly sorry for her family and friends. I met Emma when I was about 12 when she came and coached netball at my school. She quickly became something of an idol for me and I’m sure others in my team would share that thought. Emma took me under her wing and became my mentor – I joined her club (SAS at the time) and she drove me to trials in Surrey and Essex to make sure I had every opportunity I could over my school years. After university she reached out to me asking me to play at her new club, Harpenden, and we became teammates and friends. She has been so so important to mine and my sister’s lives and how we grew up. My whole family are so fond of her because she played such an instrumental role in our teenage years and made sure we had opportunities to succeed and helped us when we didn’t. At one point I was being trained by …

When I joined Harpenden netball club I was a defender who sometimes pretended she could shoot! Then Emma joined our club and decided that she could help me improve my netball, which of course she definitely could. She started with my defending, little steps Adrienne little steps and get those feet in front. I am trying Emma I promise I am actually trying. She tried to get me to jump (many have tired before her and many continue now) but that didn’t really work. She then moved onto my shooting, she quickly decided a holding shooter was what I was -she really did know her stuff she’d seen me run! Emma spent hours at training and in games getting me to practice waiting for the ball to go over my head before I moved for it. The joy I felt and the pride in her face when I finally managed to get it right was worth all those hours of her practically holding me down behind defenders. I still hear her voice in my head saying wait…wait…now go every time a team mate sends me in an overhead ball, I always will. She made me the net baller I …