Karen Atkinson quits as head coach of Loughborough

Karen Atkinson has stepped down from her role as head coach of Loughborough Lightning, the club have confirmed.

Atkinson, who had been part of Loughborough as both a player and coach, led the side to the Superleague grand final last season as league winners, although they eventually finished as runners-up to Wasps.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as head coach of Loughborough Lightning and I am sad to be leaving at such an exciting time for the programme," said Atkinson.

"The players, coaches and support staff have been a pleasure to work with and I will have so many fond memories of my time at Loughborough.

"The opportunity we have as a young family to live overseas and immerse ourselves in a new culture is extremely exciting and one we could not turn down, but I hope one day to be back working within netball in England and I will be keeping up-to-date with the Superleague from afar, supporting Lightning as much as I can."

Catch the action from the Fast5 All-Stars Championship live Sky Sports Mix from 4.30pm on Saturday, September 23.

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The regular season league home and away matches run from February to June, culminating in semi-finals and a Grand Final to determine the league champion.