Men should play netball! (Netball)

Member Name: rachelnorthover

Product:	Netball
Date:	23/05/09 (105 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Far more physical and fast than most people realise

Disadvantages: The sport is given minimal coverage and recognition

A netball match consists of four quarters of 15 minutes and each team has seven players. The court is divided into thirds with semi circles in each end third and each position on the team is allowed in a different area on the court. Only goal shooter and goal attack are allowed to shoot for goal and one point is given for each goal scored in the 10ft high ring. After a goal is scored the ball returns to a centre pass taken by the centre from the centre circle. Centre passes are taken alternately by the two teams.

Netball is a game associated with cold hard courts and too many rules. The only netball that most people have been exposed to however is school netball. A slow and frustrating game for girls playing it, and an amusing yet pathetic game for boys having a look at what's going on. At this level, I couldn't agree more.

What most people don't realise is that, played at a high level, netball is extemely quick, intricately tactful and physically demanding. Common notions of "you can't move with the ball" and "you can't touch other players" are soon thrown out of the window when the game is seen at a high level. Those who play at an international level train up to three times a day to reach the speed, muscular strength, and incredible endurance they need to compete in an hour long match. At this level, the sport comes into its own; every single ball is contested, every centre pass must be inventive for it to succeed, and the circle, where the goal shooter and goal attack may shoot from within, is a merciless area of sly contact and physical defence.

Many critise the game for only allowing two players to shoot at goal, however at a high level, the pressure these two positions come under is unenviable. Unlike in basketball where players have a back board to bounce the ball into the basket from, goal shooter and goal attack must score goals in a 10ft high post with a rim not much larger than the netball itself and no backboard. Combined with towering defence marking the shot, this is an extremely difficult skill that can only be mastered by those who can handle intense pressure.

England are at present ranked third in the world behind Australia and New Zealand, and just ahead of Jamaica, a team who's elevation is just brilliant to watch. The physical strenth and mental determination of these women is something to be truly admired especially considering th fact that they are playing a sport with minimal coverage, many disregarding opinions, little recognition, and no pay, even at an international level.

It's just a shame that men don't play the sport. I think that they would push the physical boudaries of the game, they would improve the profile of the sport, icreasing the coverage it recieves and they would undoubtedly be better at it than women.

Summary: International level netball is a whole different game to that played at school.