Round-robin carnival provides Penola youngsters with learning opportunity

Penola Under 13cweb TBW Newsgroup
ALL SMILES: The Penola 13 and Under C side was ecstatic to play games again after the COVID-19 break finished thanks to a Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Netball Association junior carnival at Keith on Saturday.

Penola Under 13cweb TBW Newsgroup
ALL SMILES: The Penola 13 and Under C side was ecstatic to play games again after the COVID-19 break finished thanks to a Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Netball Association junior carnival at Keith on Saturday.

THE Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara Netball Association burst back to life on Saturday, when a junior carnival was held at Keith.

It could not have been a brighter welcome for the sport to return, after the sun shone on all 10 clubs which participated in a carnival focused on participation rather than competition after a long break due to COVID-19.

The Crows were joined by Border Districts, Bordertown, Kingston, Kybybolite, Lucindale, Mundulla, Naracoorte, Padthaway and Penola to play in the six listed grades.

Each team played three to four games throughout the day, with each match the equivalent of half the length of a usual contest.

Penola netball president Karly Honner said it was great to see the club’s young stars back on court again.

“They were extremely excited,” she said.

“There were big smiles and lots of enthusiasm on the courts.

“It all ran really smoothly and it was great to see everyone again.”

The carnival was the first chance for the Eagles’ youngest side (13 and Under C) to hit the courts.

The little Eagles were a touch nervous to begin with, but displayed 100pc commitment and improved as the day progressed, despite losing all three games.

Penola’s 13 and Under B showed promise in its opening match.

After a one-goal loss to the home side, the Eagles fought hard against strong opponents Padthaway and Bordertown.

In the final match, the girls were set the task to eliminate their basic mistakes and despite fatigue being a factor, their skills improved dramatically to finish with two quick goals in the dying minutes.

The 13 and Under A Grade Penola team displayed plenty of energy and team work.

The players were versatile when moved into different positions and their encouragement was a great asset.

However, the Eagles could not taste victory during their three tightly-contended matches against Naracoorte, Padthaway and Border Districts.

The 15 and Under Penola outfit ensured it is a group to watch in the future.

The eight girls showed maturity beyond their years with impressive spacial awareness and team cohesiveness.

The goalies were accurate all day and the defenders took multiple intercepts, while the speedy centres supplied excellent drive through the middle.

Each player achieved their individual challenge at the start of the day to ensure the Eagles secured strong wins against Mundulla, Bordertown and Border Districts.

The 17 and Under Penola team came up against a tough draw and was victorious in one out of its four games.

However, these results certainly did not give a true indicator of the closely contested nature of the majority of the games.

The Eagles lost to Naracoorte and Mundulla by single-figure margins after small lapses in concentration proved costly.

The team’s improvement across the carnival was a highlight and it paid off in the final game to wrap up a 10-goal win over Kybybolite.

Looking back at the entire carnival, Honner said each Penola team displayed promising signs on a challenging day.

“It was a good opportunity for them to play a lot of netball and you could really notice their improvement over the course of the day,” she said.

“It was probably a bit hot for the girls and they all played more netball than they normally would on a Saturday, so there were definitely some tired bodies by the end.”

After a successful return all eyes turn to a second carnival next week and Honner said the evidence of the opening event ensures everyone can not wait to come back.

“Participation numbers were really high, so there were six courts running throughout the day and everyone is really excited to know there is another carnival coming up,” she said.

“Some clubs will play the same teams again and others might face different clubs, so it will be good to have some new challenges, but it will also be interesting to see how the teams improve playing the same opponents.”

The next KNTNA junior carnival is at Bordertown and Mundulla on Saturday, August 8.