25-Nov-2007, 12:09 PM
Netball has been really strong in Kiwiland for a long time. Almost on a par with rugby.
I remember arriving in Blenheim in the fifties and seeing a paddock -field to most here- filled with netball courts and eighty plus games going on at the same time.
Most of my sporting days had been taken up with hockey in the winter and tennis in the summer with the usual rounders as a diversion so it was quite an eye -opener to see so much netball.
Saturdays used to be taken up with watching sons play rugby for their school teams and daughters play netball. That was from a very young age.
Each school had an annual weigh -in at the start of the year to decide which level a boy played for.
This is not on topic my sincere apologies but I do remember it was a sacred thing to take part in the 'turnouts 'at Balshaws when every student was expected to stay behind at night for one or two days a week and play sport usually on a house basis.
It was actually great fun as we could have tea in the dining room beforehand which usually was bread and jam and a glass of milk. I think we were quite fit in those days despite the austerity ot the post war years.
I remember arriving in Blenheim in the fifties and seeing a paddock -field to most here- filled with netball courts and eighty plus games going on at the same time.
Most of my sporting days had been taken up with hockey in the winter and tennis in the summer with the usual rounders as a diversion so it was quite an eye -opener to see so much netball.
Saturdays used to be taken up with watching sons play rugby for their school teams and daughters play netball. That was from a very young age.
Each school had an annual weigh -in at the start of the year to decide which level a boy played for.
This is not on topic my sincere apologies but I do remember it was a sacred thing to take part in the 'turnouts 'at Balshaws when every student was expected to stay behind at night for one or two days a week and play sport usually on a house basis.
It was actually great fun as we could have tea in the dining room beforehand which usually was bread and jam and a glass of milk. I think we were quite fit in those days despite the austerity ot the post war years.