Team Members - Rotherham Rockets Flyball Teams

Welcome to the Rotherham Rockets Team Members' Page, to see more pictures of individual members, simply click on their name.

Andrew James (Team captain)

Hi I am Andrew James I started Rotherham Flyball Teams in September 2007 with my wife Samantha after running with Sheffield Speeders Flyball Team for 3 years, I have just started work again after being made redundant in November 2009. Now working for a distribution company based at Bridgewater who have just opened a new depot up in Barnsley. I currently have eight dogs in my pack all active flyball dogs and some are as mad as hatters. Most if not all of my spare time goes into flyball organizing tournaments and training and competing with them

Samantha James(Team Captain)

As the surname suggests I am married to Andrew and have been for 5yrs. I am an assistant manager for a retail outlet Ethel Austin at the Rotherham branch where I have worked for the last 6 years. We both wanted a hobby or past time that we could both do together and Flyball looked like the one. We were both very interested from the first time we saw the demonstration which Doncaster where putting on, when we went to have a look at Paddy, who was looking for a new home. We were invited by Sheffield Speeders to come along to Newark indoor competition to meet the team and have a look at what Flyball was all about. I run 2 of the dogs Ollie on the Rockets team and Max on the Runners team at this moment in time and Barney who is a trainee starter dog.

Barry Parlett

Hi my name is Barry and I'm a retired School Site Manager. I'm married to Janet and our hobbies include; Flyball, walking dogs, reading, watching grand children play football, watching television. I run McCauley a WSD.

Janet Parlett

Hi, I'm Janet and married to Barry. I'm a retired local authority clerical officer, we got involved with flyball due to Sam and Andy inviting us to tournaments. Our dogs; MacCauley a wsd, and cleo a blue merle were purchased at the tournament held at anglesy. We have always had dogs as pets from our childhood. I run Cleo who is a WSD

Karl James

My name is Karl I’m 24 years old and I’m Andy’s eldest son. I have been doing Flyball for about 3 years now and I run one of my dad’s dogs Paddy. I worked in the Army as a communications engineer for 5 years but now I am going into the profession of truck driving something my dad has been trying to put me off it since I was 6. I am also trying to teach my partner Kelly about the ins and outs of flyball along with the help of the rest of the team

Kelly Hadfield

My name is Kelly and I am new to flyball and still learning about it. I have recently moved back to the UK from Cyprus/Dubai to be with my partner Karl James. I work as a key worker in a crèche. I have been working with children for 5 years and still enjoying it, but currently working in a local pub. I have 2 Rottweiller’s aged 7 and 8 but they don’t do flyball.

Katherine Palin

I have been doing flyball since 2006 and currently have 4 dogs competing. My day job is as an animal spinal therapist, I mainly work on horses and dogs doing chiropractic treatments and physio/massage. I qualified for this in 2003 and have been working hard building my own business ever since.
I currently run Kimba, Roi and Maddie in open racing with Jasper my forever starter dog as he has some leg problems so I won't let him race properly. I also have Ronnie Rocket who is just starting training and will hopefully be racing in starters next year.

Ellie Gass

Hi I am Ellie and I run a Border Collie called Kiera and a Collie cross called Libby. I drive buses round Sheffield two days a week for First group and every now and again might even stop and pick people up. I have a son called Oliver and he is 1 yr old and my other half is Scott who is just starting to show an interest in flyball himself. Apart from flyball I enjoy helping my friends with their horses as I sold mine a few years ago, I am starting a part time college course in march for dog grooming as I am hoping to set up my own business one day.

Val Ransom

Hi my name is Val, I'm married to Graham(who is not a flyball fanatic) I have a son and a daughter and three grand-daughters plus two border collies and a cat who thinks it's a border collie. I'm now retired after 22yrs with the NHS as a clerical officer, first in the maternity department and then in the chest clinic, I now do some volutary work as a one to one reader at my local primary school., which I enjoy very much and the wow factor is I also get invited on to on the school outings. I first got into Flyball about eight years ago when my grand-daughter Amy wanted to try some sort of dog sport with my older dog Hope and was introduced to flyball by Linda Powell of the Sheffield Speeders, we went to Sharnford a show put on by the Nuneatons to see what it was all about, from then on we were hooked and later Amy got her own dog Nell. At first I was just the chauffeur, cook, ball collector, dog catcher etc., but two years ago Amy went off to university and I began running the dogs

Darryl Ogden

I'm Darryl and I work as a HGV Driver. I didn't really understand the point of Flyball to begin with as Kane wasn't really interested at first, so we just used to go to competitions and watch Vicki and Honey... That was until Kane decided he'd had enough of watching from the sidelines and wanted to have a go himself and now he really does fly! I am a VERY competitive person and now see just how addictive and fun this sport is and can't wait until our little WSD Jasmine is old enough to compete as well!

Vicki Dawe

I'm Vicki and I'm a Dog Trainer, running classes in my local area. Myself and my partner Darryl have been competing in the world of Flyball for just over a year now. I run Honey, a Rottweiler, who is the most laid back dog you'll ever come across. I've never been a very competitive person, at least until I started doing Flyball! Now I'm totally addicted and if not competing at weekends, I don't really know what to do with myself!

Bethany Mackin

Hi, my name is Beth and I am 13 years old, I have a 1 dog called Mia and she is 9 week old she is black and white border collie I also have a 3 year old sister called Hannah she is a right pain. I have only just started fly ball and I think it is really fun. I also get to run Barney he is a black and white border collie, I look forward to going to competitions at the weekends and training. I go to a Copley high school. I do dog training with my auntie Vicky.

Janet Sheppard

Hi, I’m Janet married to John, I work shifts as a paramedic which curtails my flyball. I run Angus a mad merle who is just out of starters, we are both crazy about flyball. I started off two years ago with my ten year old border collie Taff who is now in semi retirement, I also have a nutty springer spaniel called Zebedee who tends to run through obstacles rather than over them or round them, not good for flyball ! Hopefully my long suffering husband will let me have another collie soon or maybe a bearded collie just to top up the madness factor.

John Sheppard

Hi I’m John and I’m another knight of the road, no really I am. I’ve been driving commercial vehicles for 27 years. Just about got the hang of it now! I’ve been living with an animal lover, Janet, for over 20 years and started off with flyball just being the chauffeur , hung around for a couple of years not really taking much notice then had a chance to run a dog and found out what everyone else already knew. Three dogs later what a fantastic hobby exciting and really good fun.I run a dog for someone else at the moment but love all aspects, box loading, collecting balls or just making the tea, did I really just say that!

Stephan Morley

Dawn Merrington

Hi I'm Dawn & was introduced to the world of flyball just over a year ago. I am a veterinay nurse working at a practice in Doncaster where I have been for the last 4 years. I started flyball with my mad spaniel Jake but after a long summer in starters & Jakes many suicide attempts to get out of running on a weekend we decided to retire him , so he hung up his flyball harness at Christmas & now lives next door with one of the vets I work with enjoying his relaxed weekends rambing over the peak district.

I am currently running Bailey who is my partners dog, after talking Wayne out of retiring him so I could run him till our puppy Sidney grows into his legs & is old enough to follow in his dad ( Harleys ) footsteps & start his fly ball career.

Dawn Shakespeare

Hi my name is Dawn, i am married to Gordon and i have two grown up children, Claire and Michael. I have worked at Doncaster College as a NVQ Assessor, for 13 years.
I have been taking part in flyball for just one and a half years with my two and a half year old Springer Spaniel, Archie.
I have four dogs altogether, Archie (Springer Spaniel), Sam (Springer Spaniel), Jack (Rottie) and last but not least, Millie my little rescue Westie. We started our flyball with Doncaster Bellestars when i was looking for something i could do with Archie as he was a very nutty spaniel with loads of energy. Archies first race in starters was at Carlton Towers in 2009, he has now progressed out of starters and just gained his Flyball Dog Award, i am very proud of him.
I have got Sam, who is Archies full brother, he is nearly 9 months old and is just having a go at flyball, which he seems to enjoy, and is quite good at, when he takes his Spaniel head off and concentrates.

Paul Garland

Im married to Heather and I worked for British Steel before doing 22 years in the Navy, and I now work in security at Meadowhall. I am also a qualified plumber. My parents had Lassie a collie x, and when I met Heather she had Holly and Heidi and we have never looked back. We got Tarn to do agility but she couldnt compete because of a medical problem so last year we got Mackley, and now - by accident - we have Evie the beagle who I will be training when she is old enough.

Heather Garland

I'm married to Paul and I have been into collies since spending all my spare time on my Uncle's sheep farm as a child. I've worked with corgies and horses for years and now work for the RSPCA. Ive had several collies over the years and we have 2 now - Tarn who is 8 and gorgeous and Mackley who is 8 months old and a very loveable 'monster'! He and I are learning flyball at the moment.Also we have just rehomed a beagle pup, Evie.