Team Members

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 nine 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 a 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 most of our dogs Ollie on the Rockets team and Max on the Runners team Spike on the Riders team & Eabha who is a starter dogat the moment but will soon be out into open competition.

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

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

Sue Smith

Hi I'm Sue Smith I got hooked on flyball 10 years ago when my dog Indy had a go at a demonstration and picked it up after 2 runs, she was 10 months old at the time and still loves it. I joined the team and it wasn't long before I was running in the team and organising competitions and my life had changed forever. I 2007 I moved from Hampshire to Sheffield to downsize and be nearer my daughter. I currently work for the NHS as a secretary at The Royal Hallamshire. I have three dogs Indy, a cross collie/jack russell, Connor a working sheepdog and Rory a cross terrier/whippet.

Moe Hendry

Married to Ian I started flyball on my own with Oscar and Pippa our 2 English Springer Spaniels. Ian gradually became invloved soon after and its safe to say he is more of a flyball fanatic than me. Sadly we lost Oscar the dog that started all this in February 2011 but our lives are by no means quiet we have 5 dogs. Pippa, English Springer Spaniel, Sky, English Cocker Spaniel and Storm, Quiz, Puzzle who are all Border Collies.
I have been the BFA Membership Seretary and Vice Chairman both jobs I have recently retired from I am now working to complete my Head Judges log book.

Before Flyball I had 2 dogs, drove a convertable car, went on 4 star holidays and spent too much time in the office. Now I have 5 dogs, drive a van and go on caravan holidays with all my Flyball mates and spend as little time as possible at work!

Ian Hendry

Well its fair to say that once upon a time i had no interest in flyball, moe would go off and leave me at home until one day my life was changed by a lab called buster ( not ours ) buster had issues like doing a run then running around for hours nobody able to catch him. For some reason buster choose me and would come straight back to me after each run. That was it hooked. Things just went from bad to worst am a total flyball nut, i run two out of four competing dogs our latest being mad puzzle a black and white collie she is a hand full specially in the flyball run but is proving that she is nothing like her mum in that respect. ( sorry helen )

Richard Liversidge

Hi, i'm Richard Chef by trade, dog lover by nature. I am married to Becky who also runs with Rotherham between us we have three dogs ( at the Moment)

I only compete with the eldest of our 3 dogs Jess border collie who is 8 years old, the rest of my energies are spent developing other dogs not necessary my own , we all work together to achieve the same goal at Rotherham, and we love it life just seems dull without flyball now, so if you want to keep your dog fit, have fun with your dog, have fun with others whilst being competitive then this is the sport for you and your dog.

Rebecca Liversidge

Hi I'm Becky married to Richard, we have 3 dogs Jess (8) Black and white border collie Revel ( 4) Red and white border collie and Holly (3) blue and white border collie.

I started flyball over 6 years ago with another team and just recently moved to Rotherham, I compete with Revel and Holly, I just to go out with my friends around town at a weekend before flyball but now I camp most weekends through the summer months, but I wouldn't change it for anything, I love the social side of flyball aswell as being competitive with my dogs.