4 minute read
Netball
Another great season for netball at Churcher’s with the most notable highlights:
1sts - Shield semi-finalists at Seaford Sevens Tournament and third round of the ISNC Cup
U15s - quarter finalists of the U15 Independent Schools Plate
U13s - Silver at the PGL England Netball Residential Tournament
U12s - Silver at the PGL England Netball Residential Tournament
U12s Without fail, the U12s turned up week after week with a positive attitude, enthusiasm to learn and a healthy dose of competitiveness. Cecily Morrogh, Francesca Trask and Elinor Greenall are three players who have dramatically improved this season with Amelia Bastian-Mason, Zhara Ireland and Imogen Rengger also impressing on court. Holly Baird could always be counted on for steadiness, concentration and consistency, Georgie Stratton-Brown could be nicknamed ‘the pocket-rocket’ with her terrific speed around the court and Jessie Lofthouse wins the prize for being nominated ‘players’ player’ by the opposition the most amount of times! U13s Enthusiasm, friendship and fun, along with good netball ability and a desire to improve has made for a pleasing season for the U13s. A few names who deserve mention: Mariana Houghton and Kitty Hogg have grown in confidence in the defensive circle, Phoebe Dallyn, Amelia McCulloch and Rose Bruce produced some fantastic performances in centre court positions, Charlotte Carmichael, Annie Finbow and Millie Cregeen have all made vast improvements with their positional play in the shooting circle and many have showed versatility, switching from defence to attack when required. With over 30 girls at training each week, it is no wonder this season saw so much individual and team improvement; a very rewarding term! U14s It has been a bit of a rollercoaster season, with touches of greatness and moments of disappointment. With some talented netballers in this year group, the main focus is getting them to work together as a team, and commitment to training is key to achieving this. The girls often struggled to gain consistency but we were encouraged by the performances that were produced in the second half of the season. Thea Swarbrick, Jemima Billsberry-Grass, Georgia Dyer and Amy Lloyd were all nominated as star players for their respective teams, along with Maisie Weller, Becca Martin, Amelie Jones and Maddie Price-Wickenden who, in the coaches opinion, showed the most improvement.
U15s The U15s always play with spirit and determination, but this season has seen the development of strong on court combinations, supported by great individual skills. In our back court, Bo Texier and Hannah Martin showed why they are stand out defenders with inspired efforts every match. Darcey Scott, Nuria Bertran and Scarlet Hall were all nominated as star players for their respective teams and equally impressive were the consistently outstanding performances from our shooters (Izzy
Harris, Lola Ramseyer, Megan Cullen, Chrissie Holligon, Olivia Sexton and Phoebe Batt). What is amazing about this year group is their impeccable teamwork. There were countless times when the girls would pat each other on the back for a ‘job well done’, but also provide positive reinforcement when the chips were down.
U16s The U16 girls play some outstanding netball. They display tremendous teamwork and have developed a strong understanding of each other’s play. Their fast pace, especially through the centre court, with Adie Matson, Amy Dickens, Freya Davey and Rhianna Jones has certainly been impressive. Defenders such as Kim Monkman, Helena Brown, Bels Foster and Evie Davey have been consistent, often making interceptions and turnovers at crucial points in matches. Similarly, at the other end of the court, May Procter, Phoebe Hutchins and Sacha Mayson have shown accuracy and composure in the shooting circle. These girls should be incredibly proud of all they have achieved in their netball so far and we look forward to seeing them make the step up to senior level next year! Seniors Our goal this season was to inspire the senior girls to work hard, perform their best and support each other; we believe this was achieved. Both senior teams have produced some very creditable performances over the season. The 1st VII showed grit and determination in some really closely contested matches, most notably against Redmaids High and Tudor Hall in the ISNC Cup Competition and PGS and Christ’s Hospital in our weekend fixtures. The 2nd VII finished with an impressive 100% winning record, with excellent scorelines against Lord Wandsworth, KES Southampton and Seaford College. Players who deserve a mention: Katie Harris, Emily Nellist, and Isabelle Brower, who all showed superb levels of individual skill and Annabelle Jenkins and Rose Giffin proved to be an unstoppable dynamic duo for the 2nds.
