Netball

[KittyMcKitty]

OK so maybe not strictly FWR but if we ever wanted to show our daughters just what women can achieve in sports the CG netball final between England and Australia is as fine an example as any.

I’m biased (we are a netballing family) but netball- from grass roots up does so much to show our daughters what they can achieve

i feel a bit of a feminist let down as I remember school netball with only loathing and dread - alongside hockey and other such ball related team sports I totally sucked at. Oh the joy of being picked last for the team, the effortlessly sporty girls the PE teachers loved, the tedious wearing pointlessness of it all when some people seemed to care so much about something so silly. Nope, netball on the telly just gives me the shivers and disturbing flashbacks.,

Tracey Neville far more at the top of her game than either of her brother

Totally she’s an amazing coach - wish they would stop referring to her as Tracey Neville, sister of Gary and Phil!

The inequality is huge - netball is massive in Australia- the top pros get around £40kpa - what does the average prem footballer earn?

I used to teach one of those amazing netballers (I'm not going to say which one)! She was in my year 7 class quite a few years ago, and was a delightful girl all the way through the school. We're all incredibly proud of her, and she's inspired a lot of younger girls to take up the sport.

MsAwesome you must be so proud, they are all inspirational.

I joined back to netball a week ago as there is a new league starting in my area in June so really looking forward to it as I’ve been living through dd (and she’s only 9 )

I must say I never taught her netball, I taught her maths. I was terribly uncoordinated at team sports, so it's probably for the best that I have no desire to teach/play netball myself.

Dds school is heavily into netball. Having been to watch a Northern Thunder match once my DH became quite hooked and often watches matches on tv.

It's a crying shame it is not an Olympic Sport.

MsAwesome My claim to fame is that one of the Roses went to a school just down the road from me. Everyone is incredibly proud of her. I wonder if it is the same girl

MsAwesome you must all be so proud of her!

Netball is such a massive sport- our local junior league (for a moderately sized town and surrounding area) has 45 teams signed up to play the junior summer league- that’s c. 450 girls playing every Sunday in the local league. Even more girls train but don’t play in the league.

Netball is such an invisible sport compared to football and rugby - hopefully we will see a change now.

Apologies for resurrecting a zombie thread...

It's taken a while (said I'd do it in April), but I have just joined a netball team, and am playing in league matches. There's no back-to-netball here so I just got handed a dress and a bib and asked to play for the team that was short a player. I bloody loved it.

@KittyMcKitty it's down to this thread and your enthusiasm. Thought you might like to know?!

That is really nice I'm glad for you and I'm really pleased to see women's sport gettimg more coverage.

Netball was never my thing - too tied up with a bullying culture in my school - but I just wanted to say to TheNavigator upthread, don't feel bad. Team sports don't do it for everyone and you can have just as much fun and camaderie with solo sports, whether that's competing against someone as in tennis, or in your own head just racing against the clock. One of my favourite occupations means being cut off from virtually everyone for 3-4hrs - it's great for my mental health and the support at either end is fab.

I went to a Back To Netball even and it nearly killed me! I also discovered that as well as the lack of fitness I also lack the necessary drive to overcome the limitations of my height. People jumping up and down in front of me just pissed me off

It's a fierce sport.

Hahaha yes height is a factor I think.

I spent much of this summer trying to persuade friends to play netball with me. Everyone even vaguely interested was over 5' 6", as the shorter (uninterested) women were very quick to point out, but there are definitely some shorter women playing too!

Love netball. Played at primary and high school. Then again in early 20’s and again in an over 30’s comp (after recovering from birth of DS1). I only found height an issue when I got stuck as GA (I’m 5”2) filling in for an absent player. Wasn’t really an issue playing Centre or WA. Then again I’m a fiesty, stubborn pocket rocket. Does take a toll on your joints though.

It is definitely more fierce now, as an adult, than I remember as a child.

The inequality is huge - netball is massive in Australia- the top pros get around £40kpa - what does the average prem footballer earn?

You can say that about many sports though.

moofolk I’m so pleased! Netball is amazing and, whilst there are some mixed teams, it is primarily a sport for girls/ women and as such is not compared to the male version of the sport (as happens with most team sports).

Yes it is tough and relentless but there is a version for everyone (back 2 netball, walking netball).

If anyone hasn’t seen international netball I’d strongly recommend it - England are playing Uganda in Liverpool and London in December and of course tge World Cup is in Liverpool next year.

Re height - Sasha Corbin (England International) is only 5ft6in. Shorter players tend to play centre or wing so you don’t have to be Amazonian

Agree completely. I'm a short arse WA/WD. Feisty as fuck. Leave the tall ones to be GK and GS.

Mmmm I have a bit of a gripe about netball. I believe it was 'invented' because more women started playing more sport. It is, in effect, a womens version of basketball ie. you can only move in certain areas, can't run with the ball, only 2 positions can shoot etc. I know it's ridiculous but this annoys me and for that reason I find that I can't really take it seriously.

cupofteaandcake fair enough do you have the same problem with Girl Guides (came about in the same way)?

Netball is so exciting. If you get a chance to see England in London or Liverpool next month you really should. Only downside is Uganda probably won't be great opposition so I doubt if it will be very competitive. www.englandnetball.co.uk/england-roses-play-uganda-autumn/

Those reasons you've given for not liking the sport are why I love it cupofteaandcake.
It's way more tactical than basketball and the speed at which it's played at high levels means you barely notice the lack of running with the ball these days.

It's also a true team sport in that you need to utilise every player on the court so much less of the prima donna star players you get in other sports.

massistar agree totally and the rule re holding makes it so fast paced (way more then basketball).

Also if I’m honest I’m a tad that you can’t take it as seriously as the “ proper” game played by men

Sorry last comment was to cupofteaandcake