Sports | DrumhellerMail

Drumheller netball claims second at Strathmore tourney

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With less than a year of experience under their belts, the Drumheller netball team participated in their first ever tournament over the weekend and claimed 2nd place.

The team traveled to Strathmore for the four-team tournament, which included the Goslings, The Cygnets, and a Calgary team.

The Goslings went undefeated and came out with 15 points and first place in the tournament. Drumheller finished with a 2-1 record for seven points. It notched 39 goals, for a second place finish. Calgary finished with 37 goals and the Cygnets scored 29 goals for fourth place.

April Harrison of the Drumheller team explains there was great camaraderie among the teams and after the tournament games were over, they mixed teams and had a game just for fun, all together.

“I am so incredibly proud of our team and not just because we came second, but because even though we were nervous at the start we really pulled together as a team and put lots of what we'd practiced into action,” she said. “We got better each game we played. We never gave up and our efforts really paid off in the last game, which we won. Most importantly though, we all had fun!"

She says it has been a real privilege to see how everyone has improved over the months and to have the chance to come together as a 'proper' team this weekend.

“We had a great day and met many fantastic people who really welcomed us into the netball 'family.’ We can't wait to play them all again in the autumn and we plan to make the Strathmore tournament an annual event,” she said.

“It's hard to believe that less than a year ago netball didn't exist in Drumheller and yet here we are, second place in our first ever tournament and we're already looking forward to seeing how the sport continues to grow this coming autumn.

Schools team up to field soccer team

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   DVSS and St. Anthony’s have teamed up to put a team on the soccer pitch.
   Last week tryouts were held for a senior boys soccer team at DVSS. The team is being coached by St. Anthony’s teacher Davis Easter and DVSS teacher Michael Lee.
   “There was pretty solid interest, especially given that there hasn’t been a team like this in the past,” said coach Easter.” There’s definitely some strong talent, and the key is going to be figuring out how to get the team to play together as a team since most of them have never played with one another before.”
   He said they came up with enough players to form a squad, although there are still spaces if others wish to join to add depth and strength.
   The team has a diverse group of players with a combination of international students as well as local players.
   While there is no local high school league to play in, the team will be playing in the Adult Coed Recreational soccer league as well as organizing some friendlies with U18 teams from the area.
   “The pinnacle event for the season will be Zones, which are on May 24-25 in Cochrane,” said Easter.

Nothing but Net(ball)

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   Netball is one of the fastest growing sports in Canada, and last week, students from Delia and Youngstown schools participated in a special, three-hour clinic run by Netball Alberta.
   Over 50 students were introduced to some of the sport’s key skills, as well as familiarizing themselves with the major rules and regulations (such as the lack of dribbling with the ball; three seconds to pass the ball; and, specific positional restrictions). Through skill-building games and on-court instruction, the students developed their abilities in passing, shooting, defending, court balance and team play.
   According to Shaun Fielding, a teacher at Delia School, “This was a fantastic opportunity for schools across the Prairie Land School Division, to learn a new sport, refine their existing skills base and compete with other students.”
   Rachel Pasek, from Netball Alberta, was equally pleased with the outcomes.
   “I saw in that class of 50 plus students, what I admire about the sport of netball: its ability to draw on the strengths of each individual player and engage everyone in a true team sport.”
   Netball is proving to be a popular co-ed recreational sport because of its emphasis on speed of thought and action, the importance of peripheral vision and spatial awareness and the non-contact nature of the game.
   Pasek is keen to expand the sport across the province “Netball is fun, exciting, and well suited to players of varying skill levels. It encourages players to play together and ensures that all participants on court are involved in the game. We currently have well-developed senior and junior leagues in Calgary, with budding clubs in Edmonton and Drumheller.”
   Anybody interested in playing co-ed, recreational netball Thursdays at 7.30pm at the BCF on should contact April Harrison at the Town of Drumheller (aharrison@dinsourvalley.com). For further information about netball please see www.netballalberta.com.

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