THE McCorquindale Park netball courts are a hive of activity once again after Penola’s stars of tomorrow resumed training recently.
Players from all junior grades have jumped at the chance to play netball again, with strong turnouts at each Thursday night session.
Penola Netball Club president Karly Honner said the return of on-court action has been well received by the community.
“Our juniors have been on the courts for two weeks now and they have been super excited with lots of big smiles on everyone’s faces,” she said.
“The numbers have been really good too.
“We have pretty much retained everyone who initially said they were playing from the start of the season.
“I think the parents are almost as happy as the children to see them running around again.”
The sessions were introduced to keep the young Eagles active and involved in the sport.
Honner said it was important to get the kids back on the court with possible junior Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Netball Association carnivals on the horizon.
“We are working towards doing some round robin carnivals, which was decided at a league meeting a couple of weeks ago,” she said.
“The intention is for the first carnival to be on Saturday, July 25 and then another played every fortnight.
“We thought this was probably the safest way to ensure the girls can actually play netball.
“We do not know the exact details at this point, but we are definitely working on getting the girls back on the court playing against some of the KNT teams.”
Honner also revealed there was a strong chance competitive netball could return to McCorquindale Park soon.
“There is a high possibility we could get a home game because we have six courts and great new facilities,” she said.
With COVID-19 protocols still surrounding daily life, Honner believed the opening session was a challenge.
But as the restrictions eased as each week passed by, she said the program runs like clockwork with hand sanitiser and social distancing still common sights.
“The first week was tricky, but now most of the restrictions have been eased,” Honner said.
“Everyone has been sanitising their hands before and after training, while social distancing has been encouraged when they are not doing contact activities.
“Now that full contact is allowed, many protocols are not in place any more, but we still encourage the COVID-19 standards.”
The players have prepared well for the proposed carnivals, having been reacquainted with the basic skills of the game during the sessions.
Initially they started slow with basic drills before moving into match simulation as restrictions allowed contact to start.
After the 2020 KNTNA season was cancelled, members of the Eagles’ senior side have helped the youngsters at the sessions to remain in the netball community.
But their wait could be over soon, after Honner revealed plans are in place for a Penola social netball competition.
She said the event is still in the planning process, with September looming as the likely start date when the weather warms up.
The club is seeking volunteers to help when the KNTNA junior carnival takes place at McCorquindale Park and people interested can contact Honner at 0438 339 729.
