The last time I talk about netball...

Honestly. This will be the last post about netball this year. I promise.

Yesterday my team played the grand final, and after three quarters of less than promising netball they came back in the final quarter to win!

So much relief!

I haven't let myself think about the possibility of winning all week. I've been there before and lost and I didn't want to get my hopes up.

But I was so proud of them. While I can't exactly say they played their best game they did what they needed to do to get themselves over the line. And that is all that matters.

Today we have spent the day at our club at our end of year football and netball "wind up". This is where we thank people for helping out, award trophies to players who have excelled and acknowledge the hard work that poeple like coaches, trainers, physios, umpires etc put in. All of this work is done voluntarily and it is what keeps country clubs like ours alive.

Our netball club is quite a successful one, and it isn't unusual for us to bring home two or three premierships for different grades. This year we had three teams playing in the grand final in three different grades. Two of them were thought to have a pretty good chance, but only one of us won. And that was us.

The team I coach is the lowest of the senior grades. It is a combination of players new to the game, juniors in their first year of competition and older more experienced players who aren't able to play in the higher grades anymore. Sometimes we feel like the forgotten team. Sometimes we are the forgotten team. In a community where netball is something that all young girls aspire to excel at we often celebrate the elite and forget everyone else.

But not today.

Today our team was the toast of the club. It was their day in the sun. Their moment to shine. And shine they did.

One of my players was awarded a trophy as the most improved senior player. This award is given to one player in the senior grades (we have four senior grades) who has made a marked improvement over the year. The coaches nominate someone and put in a recommendation to a committee who then decide who to award the trophy to. This year the Rudall Netball Club Most Improved Senior Player was awarded to LIGHTENING . WOOHOO!!! I was so proud of her!!!

I did have some photos to share but Stephanie lost the camera yesterday. Onya Steph. I'm sure if you give her a day or two Lightening will have some photos to share on her blog.

So. There you go. Netball is over for another year. And just for the record...I won't be coaching next year. If I suggest it at some stage then somebody please slap me.