At the start of February, our P.E. department organised a netball tournament as part of the Primary Sports League. Three schools competed with 7 different netball teams against each other over the course of an afternoon.
This was the first time we had competed with a team of just year 5 and 6 girls in a competitive setting. The girls felt nervous but very, very excited! They were eager to get started and play. Working well together and discussing positions in order to put out a strong, but fair team, the girls played their first game. Starting the afternoon off with a loss didn’t fill the girls with confidence, however, they were able to pick each other up and head straight into their second game. Playing and passing much better, the girls were communicating with each other, and the second game was a winner! On a high, this helped the girls to play well and draw their third game.
During the break, they listened well to coaches and supporters and began to strategize how they would play their next three games. Focusing on getting into a space and making sure passes were to an open player, they were ready to tackle the rest of the teams. The final three games went like so: loss – win – loss. This meant that the girls finished in 5th place out of the 7 teams and just missed out on the 3rd/4th playoff game and therefore a chance at some silverware.
What continued throughout the whole afternoon was the girl’s team spirit and sportsmanship. They were always quick to shake hands with the opposing team and compliment each other on their play. They remained determined throughout and should be extremely proud of their first competitive experience as a team.
We are already looking forward to the tournament next year and hope to work towards a medal position! Watch out, the netball girls are up and coming!
