Pre-season tournament to start action on the courts

build-up STARTING: Te Rina Armitt of YMP (2) puts pressure on Tatapouri Sportsfit’s Monique McLeod in last year’s Kathleen Henderson Memorial Tournament. This tourney will open netball action again this year.Gisborne Herald file picture by Paul Rickard

NETBALL

THE Gisborne Netball Centre has confirmed dates for the start of the competition this year, with the Kathleen Henderson pre-season tournament to be staged on March 27.

The senior competition begins on April 10, along with the youth competition (secondary) and the Year 7 and 8 futureFERNS.

All Year 1 to 6 futureFERNS netball will run in Term 2.

“We have lots of exciting netball opportunities planned to bring our players and supporters this year,” centre manager Allisa Hall said.

“It’s awesome to see representative seasons being planned again after they were missed due to Covid last year.

“We have locked some tournaments into our calendar, and have opened applications for coaches and managers for rep teams.”

The centre will run another Centre Forum, similar to one they ran in February last year.

“We will get details out soon for our 2021 Forum,” Hall said.

The centre has planned a fun morning workout session that will start early in February.

“It will be a fun workout opportunity with a netball twist.

“It’s for people who are new to town, for social players who want to prepare for the season, and for those who have had babies and want to get back into something netball-related,” Hall said.

“It’s also for those who just want to be part of a different social active group.”

The workout would involve learning NetballSmart techniques, passing, drills and fun games, she said.

“No registration is required; people can just just turn up with a gold coin donation for a session.”

The initiative starts on February 3.

Entries for the Bayleys Beach Netball League, starting on February 2, have been coming in steadily, and they close on January 26.

“It’s awesome to see some entries for this league in already.”