NETBALL NEWS

2012 Winter Games help to develop future netball athletes

By Mary Jackson

After a successful netball tournament at the 2012 BC Winter Games, Ann Willcocks of Vancouver is feeling justifiably proud.  She brought the game of netball to BC in 1974 and is a former captain of the first Canadian netball team.  Willocks currently coaches the National Team.  "I've been around a long time – netball is in my blood for sure."

"I'm feeling so proud that we have so many kids here who are playing and who are having a good time and enjoying the game of netball.  It's heartwarming – I look in the bleachers and I talk to the players and they are just having such a good time and they all want to keep playing.  What more could you want," Willcocks adds.

Having netball represented at the Games is important to Willcocks and other netball players and coaches.   The Games serve as an important first step for athletes who hope to represent BC and Canada in the future.   "The players improved every time they stepped on the court," observes Willcocks.

In fact, twenty five women netball players from the Games were invited to try out for the provincial netball team which will compete in the Netball Canada National Tournament being held in Calgary May 19 to 21, 2012.

Developing the sport requires commitment.  Shawnette Cockburn, coach for the Zone 4A netball team, has been playing netball for 14 years and is a member of the BC and Canadian Netball Teams. "You want the sport to continue and expand so you juggle your schedule and in the end it pays off," she says.  "I'm looking forward to the nationals – to see our team members actually performing and winning that tournament also."   Cockburn's mom, who played in the Caribbean, introduced her to the sport. 

Lorraine Brown, Coach of Zone 3 Fraser Valley netball team, started playing netball at the winter games in 2000.  "I've gone from player to coach and I'm still playing in a women's league.  I've played at the provincial level as well as the national level.   It's so important to have netball in the Winter Games because it's such a draw for the girls to be able to experience such a sports environment where they came meet other players their age and love the same sport they do and to be able to make friendships.  Also it's a way to keep playing.  So you never know, they may play on the BC team or at the National level and come back and coach.  I've had a wonderful experience."

Maria Hodgins, Head Coach, for Zone 5, started her netball career by representing Burnaby at a former BC Winter Games and went on to play for the BC and Canadian teams as well as at the international level in the Commonwealth Games. "It is only my pleasure to be back here as a coach.  I coached four years ago and I'm happy to be able to come back and give back to these girls and hopefully many of them with continue with netball and hopefully represent BC and Canada.  It's very much an honour and I'm very proud to be an ambassador of the sport and of Canada."

The Zone 5 netball team was created through the dedication and persistence of Maria's daughter, Carolina Hodgins, and her friend Emma Clark.  The two athletes obtained their school's support to create a netball league at their school, Seycove Secondary, in Deep Cove.  A group of students from Grades 8 to 12 then formed a team, recruited a coach and have been playing together for the past two months.  "Their goal was to play at the Games," said Zone 5 Adult Supervisor Venessa Everard, "And their accomplishments have surpassed their expectations," she adds. 

The Games have certainly accomplished the goal of developing awareness of netball, building player skill and identifying future talent for provincial and national teams.

Burnaby teams win gold and bronze in netball

By Mary Jackson 

Two women's netball teams from Zone 4, Fraser River Delta, won gold and bronze medals at the 2012 BC Winter Games following a medal round held Sunday at W.L. Seaton Secondary School in Vernon. 

The first medal game saw the Zone 4B team edge ahead 23-19 to win the bronze medal in a close, hard-fought game against the Zone 5 (Vancouver-Squamish) team.

The team from Zone 4A dominated the play in their game, winning the gold medal with a final score of 51 to 17.

 "I knew they could do it but to actually see them put it into the game and all the hard work that they've done to actually win the tournament – that's pretty amazing for the girls," shared Shawnette Cockburn, Zone 4A coach.  

Player Lianna Wong, 17, of Burnaby explains how much winning the gold means to her. ""It's my last game playing for the U18 team so I'm really so excited and really happy that I got to share it with my friends. I'm speechless."  Wong's goal is to be selected to play in the national netball tournament being held in Calgary in May.

The silver medalists from Zone 3 were coached by Lorraine Brown.  "We're excited.  Our girls have played so hard and we've improved so much from the first game to now. And I can't be more proud of them and everyone worked their hearts out and I'm extremely excited and proud to be their coach."

"I thought the score didn't do justice to the intensity of the game," adds Brown.  "The whole game was very intense – I think at every play we were in the play, neck to neck, and it was unfortunate that we had an injury in the game as well but we reacted well and all the girls kept playing. We were really happy to have the opportunity to play for the gold and we're proud to wear the silver today."

The remaining team in the medal playoffs came from Zone 5 (Vancouver-Squamish). "I thought our team did extremely well given the circumstances that we've come from.  Throughout the game they've given their best and they didn't give up and that was one of our goals.  This is the first time the team has played together and I'm very proud of all the effort," said Maria Hodgins, Head Coach for the Zone 5 team.

Netball Down to Final Four