Maties Netball hungry for more success : 2015-11-18
The leaps and bounds that Maties Netball has improved with over the past three years, has made the players and coach just more motivated to pursue even greater success.
In the first Varsity netball series Maties finished sixth. Last year Maties reached the semi-finals and this year Christine Behan (coach) and her team played in the final.
For Behan and her players, it was a three-year plan that this year finally came together. “It did not happen overnight. The core of players also put in an incredible amount of work and sacrificed a lot. The team on the court is only as good as the team off the court. The team management and support staff have done an incredible task to help the team and players reach their full potential.”
Behan’s highlights of the Varsity Netball series include the victory over Pukke in the group phase of the tournament and the victory over Tuks in Pretoria in the semifinal. “I am very proud of my team moving up from fourth place in 2014 to second place this year. And of course the home final. That was our main goal at the beginning of the series so it was very special to achieve it in the end. ”
According to Behan the standard between the top five teams was high. “However, I would like to see all eight teams being competitive.”
Looking to next season Behan believes that they just need to build on what was reached during the past season. “The players can benefit from more experience. This will help with consistency and it will make us more competitive. ”
AFRIKAANS
Maties Netbal honger vir nog sukses
Die rasse skrede waarmee Maties Netbal die afgelope drie jaar verbeter het, het die spelers en afrigter net meer gemotiveerd gemaak om nog groter sukses na te jaag.
In die eerste Varsity-netbalreeks het Maties sesde geëindig. Verlede jaar het Maties die halfeindronde gehaal en vanjaar het Christine Behan (afrigter) en haar span in die eindstryd gespeel.
Vir Behan en haar spelers was dit ‘n driejaar-plan wat vanjaar uiteindelik bymekaar gekom het. “Dit het nie oornag gebeur nie. Die kern van spelers het ongelooflik baie ingesit en opgeoffer. Die span op die baan is ook net so goed soos die span van die baan af. Die spanbestuur en ondersteuningspersoneel het ‘n ongelooflike taak verrig om die span en spelers te help om hul volle potensiaal te bereik.”
Behan se hoogtepunte sluit in die sege oor Pukke in die groep-fase van die toernooi en die sege oor Tuks in Pretoria in die halfeindstryd. “Ek is ook baie trots op my span wat opgeskuif het van die vierde plek in 2014 na die tweede posisie vanjaar. En natuurlik die tuis-eindstryd. Dit was ons hoof-doelwit aan die begin van die reeks so dit was baie spesiaal om dit op die ou end te bereik.”
Volgens Behan was die standaard tussen die top vyf spanne hoog. “Ek sou egter graag wou sien dat al agt spanne kompeterend is.”
Met die oog op volgende seisoen glo Behan dat hulle net moet voortbou op dit wat die afgelope seisoen bereik is. “Die spelers kan baat by nog ervaring. Dit sal help met konsekwentheid en dit sal ons meer kompeterend maak.”