| Karen Atkinson | |
| Updated: | 25 October 2018 |
| Fullname: | Karen Helen Atkinson |
| Maidenname: | Aspinall |
| Birth Date: | 7 June 1978 |
| Birth Place: | Wigan, England |
| Positions: | WA, C |
| Clubyears1: | 2004 |
| Clubyears2: | 2005–2006 |
| Clubyears3: | 2006–2011 |
| Clubyears4: | 2008 |
| Clubapps4: | 12 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1997–2011 |
| Coachyears2: | 2014–2017 |
Karen Helen Atkinson (née Aspinall; born 7 June 1978) is an English netball coach and former international netball player. Atkinson first represented England in netball in 1994, and was selected for the senior England team in 1997.[1] During her international career, she has won bronze medals at three Commonwealth Games (1998, 2006 and 2010), as well as in the 1999 Netball World Championships.[2] She also won silver with the England team at the 2010 World Netball Series in Liverpool.
In domestic netball, Atkinson played for the Hertfordshire Mavericks in the Netball Superleague, after having played an initial season with the Loughborough Lightning.[3] She also played one season of the National Bank Cup in New Zealand with the Capital Shakers (2004), and one season in the Australasian ANZ Championship with the West Coast Fever (2008).[2] [4]
Atkinson retired from netball in 2011 and has since coached Hertfordshire Mavericks, Loughborough Lightning and the England Fast5 team.[5] [6] [7]
Atkinson was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to netball.