I'm into my 2nd year of coaching a team of 8 year old girls how to play netball. I am fortunate that I don't ever need to encourage them to be more interested, because they just can't get enough court time!
I have watched them develop as a team from the first day they took the court last year (not knowing where to go, how to catch, throw or move around the court - or ever get a ball even near the hoop) to now (confident and passionate). Tonight we played our best game ever. I was so proud that even at half time the girls could even 'talk the talk'. I asked them what they thought they needed to do - hands went up instantaneously with chanting of "we need to get in front of our players".
I replied with the standard "well, how is the best way for us to do this on the court".
Again without hesitation they stated "we can either use a dodge or take the players back and then run forward".
It was at this point that my heart felt so proud that not only are the girls starting to put it all into practice - but they are also really understanding the 'academics' of how to work on a netball court.
My girls are amazing and I love each of them. They each hold get talent and have so much to give to each other and to the whole team. My favourite part of netball is when someone arrives for netball training, or the game and every girl just runs over to give them a hug (doesn't matter that I could be mid sentence on a new skill!!). The reality is at 8 I want the girls to come back next year with as much enthusiasm as they have this year. They will go far with so much love for the game.
Go ROCKETS!!!
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