Netball club excited for what future holds
A new netball club is shooting for the stars after welcoming more than 50 players to its first session.
Perth City Netball Club’s official launch night took place at the end of last month at the North Inch Community Campus.
And chairperson Tina Rankin reflected on what turned out to be an “incredible” first evening where plenty of smiling faces were on show.
The club caters for all abilities, whether a new start or experienced, with under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 age groups available on a Tuesday.
After the successful start, Tina said: “You think: ‘I hope three or four people turn up’. But at our first session last week we had over 50 girls. That was amazing.
“We have actually had to change our times slightly because we couldn’t cope with the numbers in the younger age group all at once.
“We had only booked the court for a certain amount of hours and are already able to extend that. So we can see the demand.
“We’re still at the stage of pulling everything together but we are trying to be proactive and make sure everyone is enjoying netball.
“Netball Scotland has been really supportive and helpful, including development officer Eilidh McLeod. She is helping us with some sessions to get started and has been a great advisor.
“And we have some young leaders coming along to help and they have been fantastic.”
Tina was keen to keep the sport thriving in the Fair City and build on the great work of Perth Junior Netball Club, which did not restart following the COVID shutdown.
“I have two daughters myself who are really keen netball players and have been for years,” she continued.
“I spoke to a few other parents and there definitely seemed to be demand. We got a committee together and started the ball rolling.
“The aim is to be really inclusive and take anybody, whether with a netball background or new to the sport.
“I want the club to be one where everybody feels welcome and one that can offer competition with a high level of coaching.
“And we want to continue a lot of the good work that has been done in the past.”
The benefits of playing netball are wideranging and Tina is encouraging anyone interested in getting involved to get in touch.
“I think it is a brilliant team sport,” she said. “It can be played outside in the summer and can be played inside.
“It is a team sport that you can play socially or at a higher level.
“We will have competitions and friendlies, and have entered the Scottish
Cup. It’s a new club and we’ll give it our best shot shot.
“We wanted to give some of the older, more experienced girls something to look forward to with that.”
The club is always on the lookout for people interested in coaching and businesses who may be able to provide sponsorship.
The U11 ( P5/ 6) group takes place from 5.30-6.30pm, U13s (P7s/S1) from 6-7.30pm, while both the U15s and U17s run from 7.30-9pm - all on a Tuesday.
For further information about the club - and to get involved - send an email to perthcityjuniornetball@gmail.com