The U8 girls attended their first ever High 5 netball tournament hosted by PGS. The girls had a great afternoon, having the opportunity to have a taste of some new and different positions, as High 5 netball rules require each player to rotate into a new position each game.
However this did not phase the girls as they fought to win their first match against Westbourne House 1-0. The team demonstrated excellent movement around the court, particularly from central positions Jess and Poppy, who used a verity of dodges to get free from their defence and receive the ball. Although this was a tough game to begin, a win here was a really positive start to the tournament.
Amesbury continued to improve match by match, with each win adding to their confidence. Some superb feeding into the D from Tilly allowed the shooters to have lots of opportunity to have a shot at goal. Despite the very windy conditions, each girl showed confidence when playing in a shooting position. Both Annie and Anya put in some brilliant shooting performances throughout the tournament, who knew they are both secret shooters!
Other highlights of the afternoon included convincing 3-0 win against tournament favourites St. Swithans. The girls came alive in this game, with fast, accurate passes enabling the ball to move around the court too quickly for the opposition. This high standard of netball was also seen in other excellent wins against Ryde and Brookham.
It was great to see the girls trying these new positions, revealing some hidden talents, which is great for future match rotations. The girls were able to maintain their high standard of performance despite the continual change in positions, particularly in Amesbury’s defence. The team were able to do some well timed interceptions to steal the ball from the opposition, leading to the girls dominating each game while having the majority of possession. Libby and Amelia showed some impressive defensive skills despite normally playing GS and GA.
The strength of this U8A team was clearly seen in their 9th and final match of the afternoon. Despite being cold and tired, the girls finished with a astonishing 6-0 win against Kingscourt. This was a result of each and every girls showing girt and determination to ensure their winning streak continued.
This focus meant that Amesbury finished the tournament undefeated. Unfortunately for us the tournament was purely for fun so Amesbury did not come away with any silver wear, however they should all be extremly proud of their performances against some very strong opposition. We were pleased to see a couple of parents come and support the girls, this helped create a buzz and great atmosphere for the team.
A huge congratulations to all of the girls, you worked so hard this season and have improved enormously since your first ever match back at the beginning of the season!
Miss Donaldson
