Girls’ High dominate competition

COMFORTABLY OUT IN FRONT: Gisborne Girls’ High School Junior A won every game they played in Gisborne netball’s First Grade competition. They are, back (from left): Te Arai Waihape-Matthews, Skye Huhu, Skylah Nikora, Casey Dewes, Taina Kaden-Wyllie and Tanya Owen (coach). Front: Kassie Owen, Silke McNaught and Jayla Waru. Picture by Paul Rickard

NETBALL

Gisborne Girls’ High School Junior A were on a tear in First Grade netball this year.

Their coach Tanya Owen said they dominated the competition, winning every game comfortably.

They were playing against adults in the fourth tier of local senior netball, and held their own comfortably.

“No team came within 15 or 20 goals,” Owen said.

“We played with structure.

“They struggled to stay focused at training, knowing they were dominating the grade, but we set individual and unit goals to make sure we stayed on task and improved with each game.”

Owen has been coaching the Taste One High School Old Girls premier team, after retiring from playing three years ago.

“I previously played premiers for 15 years . . . I thought it was time to ‘hang the boots up’.

“It was hard gaining respect as a coach instead of as a player.”

Owen started coaching in the Girls’ High programme after her daughter started school there.

Typically Girls’ High junior netball teams don’t travel for competition, but this year they did.

The team travelled to Hawke’s Bay for an interschool exchange to play teams of similar ability.

They beat Havelock North High School and Taradale High School, the latter by 50 goals, and lost to Napier Girls’ High by four goals.

Owen said it was “really good” to play against teams like Napier, who had a comparable skill level to her team. Even though Gisborne Girls’ High lost, it was a good lesson for the girls, who were able to learn from their mistakes and improve their game.