SE CHRONICLE 684

58 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Netball By Beckie Thomas, Former Head of Netball The Netball Club was delighted to return to the court after the last few pandemic disrupted seasons. There was an excellent mix of participation and performance, with 16 of our teams getting the opportunity to play in competitive fixtures against other schools. Juniors The U14A team proved themselves to be a promising group of netballers. Despite a challenging first few matches, the team grew from these learning experiences, going on to win their final six fixtures of the season which made six wins from nine. Their 43-16 win over Bloxham was a highlight in which they gave a classy team performance, showcasing their slick passing, strong leads and physicality. There are many exciting players in this group but Imi Routledge and Isla Martin are two to watch. The U14B, U14C and U14D teams also enjoyed a good first season of Teddies Netball. The players were enthusiastic at training, keen to develop their fundamental skills and showcased some wonderful sportsmanship. Like the U14A team, all of the U14s found the first few fixtures to be a challenge. What was impressive was the resilience they showed both in these games and at training and this attitude paid off, with the

Seniors The 1st team had a solid season, winning six from their 12 matches. There was a wonderful supportive and driven culture within this group of players who were led by captains Anna West and Coco Timms. A significant factor in the success of the 1st team was their responsiveness to individual and team feedback across the term. This was certainly reflected in their improving results. One key indicator of the progress this group of players made is that they lost to Bloxham in the county tournament in November and, when they faced them again in the block fixture in March, they came away with a convincing 34-17 win. Despite the windy and wet weather, the girls found themselves in an early lead in this game. They continued to build on this through every quarter, keeping possession off the centre pass and turning over countless balls in defence. The shooters were well-serviced by some accurate feeds and their shooting was accurate. It was an excellent team performance in which every player stepped up and did their job. Their final game of the season was the highly anticipated staff vs pupils game. It was certainly competitive and there were some great staff-pupil match ups. All tied at half time, the pupils began to build a lead in the third quarter. However, a swing in momentum in favour of the staff in the dying minutes meant the staff came away with a 26-25 win. The pupils were the more skilled team throughout, but the staff benefited from a significant height advantage in both circles. The 1st team are keen for a re-match next year! Congratulations to Anna West who was awarded coaches’ player and Tessa Challis who, despite only being in Fifth Form, was awarded players’ player. Special mentions must also go to Upper Sixth pupils Ruby Faulkner, Connie Jones and Amelia Krone for the commitment they showed to the Netball Club during their time at Teddies. Although we have lost these great players it is exciting to think that over half of the team is still here! The 2nd team won seven from 12 with their season highlights being a 24-23 win against Oxford University Development and a 24-20 win over Bradfield College. In the former, the 2nd team had to overcome a significant deficit at the end of the third quarter to win. Early in the season this

U14B and U14C teams both enjoying a good run of wins in the second half of the term. Many of the U14D team had little or no experience of playing netball previously. The players all grew in confidence over the term and finished the season on a high with a win over Dean Close. The U15A team had a solid record, winning five from their 10 matches. Highlights included a comfortable defeat of Cheltenham College early in the term which was a masterclass in how to take turnovers to goal, and a one-goal win over Bradfield College in which they stayed calm and composed to hold off a last-minute comeback from Bradfield. Martha Withers Green and Amber Butler-Adams were recognised at the end-of-season awards by the coaches and players respectively. The U15B, U15C and U15D teams showed excellent commitment to their netball throughout the term. The U15B team had several highly competitive, close games which were excellent to watch if a neutral and for which we managed to squeeze out wins against Cheltenham College, Downe House and Bloxham. Although the U15C team had a challenging start to the term with some tough fixtures, they continued to train hard and finished the season with four wins on the run with perhaps their best performance being the 19-17 win over Dean Close. The U15D improved their individual skill and team play over the term, with their games against Wellington and Dean Close being their strongest.

Anna West and Phoebe West on the Netball court