Start of the Season Ranking Tournament for TJ’s Netball Club

Training started back in August and it had been great to welcome new players into the U12, U14 and U16 squads.   We ve been encouraged too, to have players from different schools too.   As well as Bradley Stoke Community School, Abbeywood School and St. Bede s, we now have more players from Castle School and Marlwood as well as for the first time players from John Cabot Academy in Kingswood and also Winterborne Academy.   We hope that the players who came from Patchway continue to attend as well.

Training has been centred on preparation for the League ranking tournaments which took place this weekend.   In this season curtain-raiser junior netball clubs from all over the Bristol, Bath, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire area come together and play lots of short games.   The results are then analysed and clubs are put into divisions with others of a similar ability.   It s also a good opportunity to play some competitive netball again too after the summer break.

Interest and enthusiasm for netball is really on the up with more players and teams than ever before.   The U16 ranking tournament was held on a beautifully warm morning at The Grange with 29 teams grouped into 4 sections – there has never been so many!   Teams were allocated randomly into sections of seven and played the six other teams in their section in eight minute games all over a three-hour period.   All in all that s over 100 games played in the morning.   The U14 teams had a similar format in the afternoon with a similar number of teams taking part.   After such effort everyone is waiting for the League to announce which divisions the TJ s teams will be in before the League games start properly next week!

As well as the U16 and U14 Leagues commencing in earnest, the U12 League for girls in Years 6 and 7 starts next week.    For many players, this will be their first game of competitive 7 a side netball and we hope they will enjoy the experience.

Coach Charlotte Hunt was very pleased with the performance of the U16 and U14 team at the tournament.   The U16 team won 3 of their six games and drew a fourth.   The U14 team only had 7 players after the late withdrawal of a couple of players so there were no substitutes or chances for the girls to get a rest. They didn t get a win in the afternoon but nevertheless no one could fault their effort in trying and keeping going as temperatures hit 20^o +.     We eagerly await the start of the season properly next week.

Well done everyone.

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