netball again

Its netball season again and after a year off Georgia decided to join the netball team again at her new school. New Zealand certainly takes its sport seriously and from an early age they are coached in the game. She chose to be either goal keeper or goal defence as these positions don't involve too much running about (that's my girl, good thinking). So she did well in the trials and secured her place on the B team. Over 150 girls from Georgias school alone are in a team.

On Saturday morning all the local teams get together and play a game which gives focus and point to all the practice they do during the week.

And what an event it is. You have to marvel at the organisation behind getting the teams together. They all play at Blake Park Netball centre which has 18 courts so after a quick bit of mental maths that's 20 players for each game with 5 games played on each court making at least 1800 players, plus parents, other family members, coaches, referees, managers etc it makes one big event. (This doesn't include the 5 rugby pitches next to the netball courts which hosts matches at the same time for the boys.) So about 1/2 of the local population are there. You have to take your hat off to the Kiwis when it comes to managing sporting events. Everyone knows exactly where to go and who they are playing and someone also keeps all the scores to build a league table. Its all very professional, with some hoping to be spotted as a budding Silver Fern but for many its just for fun.

Anyway, the first match has given Georgia's coach something to work on - they lost BIG TIME but they all seemed to enjoy themselves and its good exercise and if it gets Georgia out of bed on a Saturday morning that's got to be a good thing.