A MEETING to discuss the possibility of forming a new junior netball club in the region’s northern growth corridor will be held later this month.
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Like-minded netball people from White Hills, Epsom, Huntly and Goornong are encouraged to attend the initial meeting.
Netball Victoria North Central Region liaison officer Gill Davey said the idea was born after talking with Kangaroo Flat Netball coach Janelle Hobbs.
She said there were not many netballing opportunities for enthusiastic players in grade 2 or below.
“Girls and boys have to wait till grade 3 to start at Golden City Netball Association to get their first taste of netball,” Davey said.
“Cricket, AFL, swimming and little athletics all start at a very young age about prep or younger.
“Netball needs to be introduced to children at a younger age as currently girls wait till grade 3 to start playing, but by then they have already started to love other sports such as athletics, dance or swimming, this can then be too late to make the switch.”
Davey, who also teaches at Epsom Primary School, began a NetSetGo program for younger students
She said the program had become popular.
She said through conversations the idea to form a junior school based team was also raised.
“Junior netball is extremely important to the region,” Davey said.
“It is about bringing this growth area together in a club where young boys and girls can have a sense of belonging."
Davey said early discussions about the possibility of creating a team had been positive.
"We would love anyone from the general community within the northern growth corridor to attend our public meeting who has an interest in netball or who may have young children and can foresee them belonging to a netball club in the near future," she said.
Davey said she had no intention of trying to attract players from current clubs and that the possible new club would be a school based junior team under one club.
"If we get the interest we are expecting we will set up an interim committee to undertake the work to have our club up and ready for the 2015 winter netball season," she said.
The meeting will be held at the Epsom Primary School Library on July 24 at 5pm.
For more information email Gill Davey at davey.gillian.g@edumail.vic.gov.au