Did you know our wonderful town is home to a well-established Netball league? Oswestry & District Netball League is home grown and has been running upwards of 40 years. No, it’s nothing like when you played at school – well, the rules are the same but playing with people of all abilities who want to be there and enjoy the exercise and being part of a team, brings a major buzz to the game.
There’s no need to assume you need to be of an elite standard to play or of a certain age. This league is open to everyone, with players joining for all sorts of reasons and of all levels of play.
If you have fond memories of playing the game at school or have never played at all – here’s your chance to get involved and enjoy the sport. The league runs from September through to March/April time and currently runs a total of 10 teams. Some teams need subs throughout the season so there are usually opportunities to join mid-way. Netball is the perfect way to find both fitness and social connections.
To keep things above board and to make sure all members get to experience a fair game, the committee ensures the Oswestry& District League are a registered league with England Netball. “This means we can protect all players with rules and regulations, have access to professional coaches and umpires and the Head of Well-being from England Netball – that’s a real kudos as it provides a huge support for members. As a not-for-profit enterprise, the committee can focus on the players, making sure everyone has an equal chance of playing. We hold an AGM and invite businesses to get involved through sponsoring the kit for teams – it’s all about the community and taking part,” the committee explained.
And if that’s not enough to convince you to re-visit this fantastic sport, Netball is the second largest women’s team sport in Europe. Being a grass roots sport creates opportunity locally for all involved. The Oswestry league even have a Welsh under 21 player in their midst – so it goes to show that anything can happen when you’re passionate enough about your hobby.
Netball was first played in our country in 1895, with nine and five-a-side versions of the game! Today, teams compete in the Commonwealth Games and although it isn’t an Olympic sport yet, the organisation World Netball, is working towards that inclusion.
The committee was keen to talk about the diversity of people getting involved in the league. “We find that family members join in when they hear about the league. For example, if mums play, their daughters tend to as well. We have such a range of ages and fitness levels playing, that the teams are greatly mixed, and everyone has fun. We also promote a ‘Players Player’ award at every match which adds to the excitement.”
The club meets at Oswestry School every Monday evening. Matches are held at 6.30pm, 7.30pm and 8.30pm. Come along and watch or to speak to committee members at the match.
You can follow the Oswestry & District Netball League via Instagram @oswestrydistrictnetballleague, Facebook or email oswestrynetballleague@gmail.com for more information.
