The excitement of their first tournament of the year is mixed with the nerves that netball national league talent scouts will be watching them for a group of young Maitland netballers.
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However, they are taking it in their stride knowing that the 290 other aspiring netballers taking part in the two-day tournament at Maitland Federation Centre are all in the same court.
“It’s pretty exciting and a bit daunting,” Lexy Holz and the five other Maitland girls who will play in the Hunter Academy of Sport’s two teams at the Greater Bank sponsored tournament which is part of the Your Local Club Academy Games across the Hunter this weekend.
Action starts from 8am on Saturday and Sunday and Maitland fans can cheer on Holz, from Bolwarra Heights, Abbey Allomes (Louth Park), Caitlyn Doherty (Aberglasslyn), Amity Petersen (East Maitland), Tayla Winter (Tenambit) and Molly Young (Berry Park).
The two-day tournament will feature more than 290 aspiring netballers aged 14-16 years representing 11 NSW sporting academies, including Western Sydney, Central Coast, Sydney Netball Academy.
The Maitland girls are part of two Hunter Academy of Sport teams. A number of them graduated from a similar tournament at Maitland in July last year.
Hunter Academy of Sport CEO Brett O’Farrell said as one of the Academy Games’ biggest events, the netball tournament provides a wonderful opportunity for budding young players to get a taste of competing at an elite level.
“It is an exciting initiative that enables our state’s most talented young athletes the chance to come together to not only compete but to celebrate sport and the skills and commitment involved,” O’Farrell said.
“The tournament is one of the most anticipated events of the games and plays a key part in the overall talent development of our netballers. They get the opportunity to showcase their skills as well as learn new approaches to the game by competing against a broad pool of players.
“The cream of the state’s under-17 netballers are in action and talent scouts and coaches from NSW’s national netball teams the Sydney Swifts and GWS Giants will be watching.”
Greater Bank’s Ingrid Kaczor said the tournament promoted young talent and provided an avenue for players to improve their skills and development.
“We are excited to be working with the Hunter Academy of Sport again this year and look forward to witnessing the state’s talent showcase this weekend,” she said.
