Alicia van Staden might have been in her ‘freshman’ Varsity Netball year, but the 20-year-old was crucial to NWU’s run to the semi-finals – before misfortune struck.
As Goal Shooter, Van Staden – with experienced Goal Attack Jessica du Plessis guiding her – helped NWU book their place in the semi-finals. Unfortunately for Van Staden, her season came to premature end due to injury during practice just four days before the semi-finals. Unsurprisingly, Van Staden admits that she was devastated, and still is in the wake of NWU’s disappointing 38-57 loss to Tuks.
“I didn’t play in the semi-final against Tuks and it was hard to watch knowing I could’ve made a difference if I had played and if I wasn’t injured,” Van Staden says.
In her absence, Bianca van Lelyveld played under the net but struggled with her shooting throughout – with an accuracy 50-60% range. Van Staden’s season average was 70%, which itself left room for improvement.
As it happens, Van Staden was not always a Goal Shooter. Having previously played as a Goal Keeper previously, this season came with a new set of challenges for the B.Ed Foundation Phase second year student.
“This year I learned to keep my head up no matter what. I’ve had a lot of changes in my netball career this year. The switch from Goal Keeper to Goal Shooter was definitely a huge challenge I had to face and I learned to not give up.”
Reflecting on a tough season, Van Staden said, “I’ve learned not to lose but to learn instead. This season I’ve learned more than words can describe, all I can say is that it definitely made me stronger as a person and more as a player.”
With Elsunet du Plessis, a former Proteas forward as her coach at NWU, Van Staden can look forward to being even better come 2020 – if not helping her team beyond the semi-final stage.
“I’ve learned the basics of a Goal Shooter and discovered my own shooting technique. I will continue to build on what I’ve learned this year to be the best player I can be not only for me but also for my team.”
By Bronwen Bain
