Providing greater opportunity and serving as a further feeding ground for the Telkom Netball League, the ClemenGold District Netball League will take place in Stellenbosch from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 February.
The District Netball League (DNL) tournament will be held at Rhenish Girls’ High School. Spanning from the under-8 through to the under-19 age group, the round robin tournament was established three years back, with the aim of further developing the high-performance players within the Western Cape.
Identifying talent within competitions in the province is the name of the game, extending the reach of the game through community involvement.
Hundreds of players and administrators from both established and smaller clubs will be encouraged to participate and no doubt are hungry for competition, explained Suzette Visser, coaching convener of the Western Cape Netball Federation.
“This tournament has gone from strength to strength, with players, coaches, administrators, support staff and so many more growing exponentially,” she added. “Throughout the competition we witness new combinations by coaches; technical staff understanding procedures and the unearthing of tremendous talent – and of that we take great pride.”
DNL founder Dr Freda Kemp, who recently completed her PhD on creating activity profiles for elite netball players in competition and during training, said the addition of a netball coaching symposium will further boost the tournament offering.
“Having partnered with the Department of Sport Science at Stellenbosch University, we will delve into science and technology to further educate the coaches and players on how to train in order to be more effective during game time,” Kemp related.
“Outsmarting your opponents begins long before one takes to the court, and studying their play via video footage is one such method that we will address. We have collated a powerful panel of professionals to talk all things netball and know that the players will be grateful for and benefit from these sessions.”
The confirmed list of speakers at the symposium sessions include Annelie Lucas (Netball South Africa director of coaches) on the pathway of coaching in South Africa; Kemp on the activity profile of elite netball players during competition and training; Professor Ranel Venter on shooting analysis; Professor Wilbur Kraak on the art of coaching; and Lourens van Wyk on mental coaching.
The tournament will again partner with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa as a social-impact partner. Globally, Laureus supports programmes using sport as a tool for social change. This year’s theme is “breast cancer awareness”.
- Furthermore, a gala fundraiser event will be held on the eve of the tournament, with all proceeds raised going to Telkom Netball League players to attend the Spar National Championships. Donations are welcomed. For more information on the competition, follow the District Netball League on Facebook and Instagram.
