The faces of eager young pupils looking up at the gathering clouds was perhaps the plea the sun needed before it shone down on the Pep Mini Netball Festival at Zwaanswyk Academy, on Saturday morning, May 11.
After the drizzling stopped, project manager and co-founder of the mini netball festival, Doreen Slingers was excited to give the thumbs up for the grassroots tournament, to commence.
Ten schools from Athlone, Mitchell’s Plain, Durbanville and Hanover Park were treated to a fun-filled experience with pupils competing in the under-8, under-9 and under-10 age categories.
Alpha, Blomvlei, Fish Hoek, Helderberg, Morgensen, Zwaanswyk, Woodville, Vorentoe and Red River primary schools were among the those present at the one-day tournament, with Samora Machel excused.
Each match had two eight-minute halves, with a two-minute interval in between. There were no finals and no trophies awarded. Players received a certificate, lunch, a tog bag with playing bibs, and a ball for the school.
The programme had a guest speaker, Jade Atkins, who started off in the mini netball festival a couple of years ago. She is now gearing up to qualify for the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 in Gibraltar with the under-21 SA Netball team.
Slingers said the goal is to empower the youth through netball and other life values that come with the game.
Parent, Linsay Biggs, from Durbanville supported her daughter, Madison, who plays centre for Alpha Primary School.
“They are playing good. From the start they were on fire. I know the girls can do it. Hard work pays off. Good luck to them,” she said.
Woodlands’ Zulfar Jaffer supported her granddaughter, Mariam Adams, from Northwood Primary School, who plays goal-defence.
“They must just have fun,” she said.
With over 16 years at Woodville Primary School, Shaheeda Burger said she is grateful for the tournament. They use the love of netball, in Woodlands, to play netball on Saturdays, to keep the pupils active and healthy.
“This is our second time at the tournament. It is very well organised. They are looking really nice after the children. I like the spot prices for the kids and it is free for everyone to come, it is very nice what they are doing,” she said.
With over 60 years of experience in the sport, Slingers said they came together as three co-founders and researched how the modified sport of netball can develop women and communities. They wrote the programme and the mini-netball festival was born two years ago. It now stretches out to six provinces.
“We are very grateful to our main and only sponsor. We really appreciate this. I always say, netball starts at the grassroots level. Many of our children here come out from indigent communities. For a couple of hours they are here to have fun and enjoy themselves,” said Slingers.
