My friend Mark plays with his work every week, and he invited me along because they needed a female player. I love team sports, and it had been about 13 years since I last played netball... In my school team. We were a great team though. We even won a medal. I left my netball career on a high.
I discovered a week or so previous that Mark's car has some overheating problem so I was ready for the smoking bonnet. It just added to the pre game nerves. I told him to fill it up with water before he came to get me but he said he didn't have time so I kept my eye on the temperature gauge. It started edging up to H so I pointed this out to Mark with my arms out in front of me bracing myself for the windscreen to implode. I'm a scaredy cat, yep but I also like to take precaution. You can't play netball if you have broken glass in your face. I don't even know what happens if the engine overheats too much - would it just stop working, or would it make a small boom? Anyways, to solve the problem, Mark just turns off the engine so we are coasting down the hill, he's laughing and assuring me we're nearly there. Very good. I'm freaking out.
We pull into the car park, and get out to hear the car sighing a big sigh of relief in a smokey kinda phewww way. It's too hot to put water in now so we decide to do it after the game.
There was two courts in this big hall, both netted off, and sure enough there were guys playing. The first thing I noticed was that the games were really fast paced. The court is divided into two halves rather than thirds; and the teams are made up of two attack; two centre; and two defence. A lot more flexibility so everyone can get involved.
As we were about to begin, a guy walks up to me with his hands up so I just assumed he wanted a high 10 hahah but he was checking for my nails- if they were too long I would have to wear gloves. Then he told me I had to take off my bracelet, and I said why, and he said, someone might get their fingers caught in it. Probs not though eh. I would have taken off all jewellery anyway, and I would only describe my bracelet as non offensive. It was a present from a monk in Thailand, so it was simple but meaningful. Taking it off would have been bad luck for me (it has to fall off naturally) so I went to put on some of the oversized garden gloves which they have on supply.
The game is made up of quarters of 8mins. Fast paced, non stop. We had no substitutes so I took turns in all three positions. The other team were good, we were destroyed but maybe because we were a new team i.e. I had never played with them, and we had to ask another girl to play for us to make up the numbers. A few other differences:
- you can bounce the ball off the net/wall,
- once you touch the ball unless you catch it, you have to give it up,
- attacking players can shoot too
- you can shoot from outside of the semi circle for more points.
It was really great. I hope I get the chance to play again, and if I can get in a regular team that would be even better. I like that the teams were mixed too. There's not that many mixed sex sports. Some of the guys had big rugby player quads. So there are guys here who play rugby, and netball. I love it. Welcome to NZ.
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