Just months ago, the idea of playing netball in 2020 seemed near impossible for the Western Border Netball Association (WBNA) as COVID-19 took its toll.
But now, thanks to the efforts of local volunteers, junior netballers in the region will get back to the game they love as a dedicated junior season kicks off this weekend.
A condensed 10-week will be run in conjunction with the local football competition.
“Sport is a family day out in our region so we wanted to work closely with the football so families could be at the same venue watching their kids play the sport they love,” WBNA president Jo Gibbs said.
“In terms of player development, getting a season up and running was critical, but clubs were certainly ready to come up with their own mid-week plans if required.”
“To all our clubs’ credit, they never gave up on offering some form of junior program and many clubs had junior development plans in place to offer if a competition had never eventuated.”
For this cross-border competition, running a typical season became even more challenging when Victoria experience its second wave of COVID-19 last month.
“The uncertainty was the most difficult part as well as juggling the cross-border issues that face our association having a Victorian-based club,” Ms Gibbs said.
“Weeks ago, the Victorian club pulled the pin for both football and netball, due to training restrictions and the inability to cross the border.
“We were always committed to involving them if possible and know it was a tough call for them to make to put the 2020 season on ice for their players.”
As a result, the eventual premiers for 2020 will not be acknowledged on the League’s perpetual trophies, but for Ms Gibbs, having netball back in some capacity was what mattered most.
“Not having anything for our juniors for a season would have been less than ideal in terms of keeping them engaged and developing their skills and love of the game,” Ms Gibbs said.
“Juniors were always a priority if it was something we could offer and something our clubs supported.”
The 2020 WBNA kicks off this weekend.
