Being a Kovsies netball player is not an easy feat and takes dedication and passion. This is what it takes to get to the top in netball at the University of the Free State.
The journey starts at the trials held at the beginning of the year for the incoming group of first years. In this round of trials the players get a few chances to show their talents and prove themselves. At this point they are rated according to their skills, such as how they stick to their opponent, their ball skills, and how they think and read the game. The coaches as well as the senior players then rate the players out of 10 and choose approximately 50 players that will go through to the second round of trials.
The second round involves the new group playing against the existing Kovsies players to test their abilities against stronger competition and intensity. The group is then cut, leaving only 20 to 30 players that advance to the final round. In the final round the remaining players play with the current Kovsies players to see how the newbies fit in and to test different combinations. From this group, consisting of the new players as well as the current Kovsies players, the top Kovsies team for the year is chosen.
Training starts at the beginning of January before all the trials take place, so once the top group has finally been chosen the new players begin to train with the rest of the team. Focusing on fitness and skills, the team spends time in the gym in the mornings and continue with training session during the day. Before a tournament, the training plan changes slightly, with the coaches focusing more on different combinations and working out which will work best. The team that will play the tournament is chosen based on these combinations as well as who excels the most in each position.
Other than skills, the coaches also look at the personal attributes of the players, such as stamina and determination. The Kovsies team believes that through discipline players will excel, and it is extremely important for them to have the new players fall in as soon as possible so that they can grow their Kovsies spirit and pride from the very beginning.
According to the Kovsies’ captain fantastic, Alicia Puren, discipline, pride, endurance, training hard, and a love for netball is key to retaining the winning Kovsies spirit!
By Mary Gordon
