Skills polished at netball clinic

Gallery Video

GRAAFF-REINET NEWS & VIDEO - Three of South Africa's best netball coaches hosted an intense netball coaching clinic at Laer Volkskool this past weekend.

Learners from the Grade l team of Pienk Handjie right up to the u.14 teams of Hoër Volksool, as well as their coaches, honed their skills under the expert eye of top-class coaches, Reg and Jenny Sharp, and their daughter, Zea-Dine Januarie.

The free clinic took place on Friday and Saturday, 13 and 14 March.

The clinic was the brainchild of Quinta Dercksen, an independent assistant to coaches of the school's netball teams. Dercksen said the idea is to take Volkskool's netball performance to the next level. She described the training as a strategy in development.

"I always say development is like a stream. You are either behind or in front of the stream. We want to be in front of the stream and that's why I helped to get three of the best coaches in town," Dercksen said.

Photo gallery: Netball coaching clinic at Laer Volkskool

Gerida Caricato, head of netball at Laer Volkskool, said the children and coaches are learning many new skills, and it is a great privilege for them to have the coaches in Graaff-Reinet.

Watch a video below:

Reg started his netball coaching career when he established an interdenominational Sunday School League in Port Elizabeth in 1968. In 2007 he advanced to the National Umpires Board as a South African A-grade umpire and a member of the National Umpires Examining Board.

Jenny, as a player, have represented the Eastern Province A, B and C teams since 1973. She was also manager, technical official, host and coach of Eastern Province first-class teams and several others.

Januarie played as captain for the Nelson Mandela Bay's u.19 team. She represented Eastern Province, and in 2012 she played for Netball SA's u.23's. She is a Netball SA level one and two coach, and represents SA as an umpire and technical official.

The school thanked all the sponsors who made the day possible.

Jenny Sharp teaches Elané de Vos, Nelé Wolfaardt and Klara van Jaarsveld some new tricks. Photos: Christo Vermaak