Sport
14 December, 2023
Global stage for teens
AFTER a third and final trial on November 26, 19 promising players have been chosen as the new under-15 and under-17 Kenfrost Homes Marlin Coast Netball teams that will represent the academy at the North Queensland Games and the netball Quad Series in Singapore in 2024.
Originally a cohort of 40 girls, 19 netballers from across Cairns, Innisfail, and the Tablelands were the final chosen ones after three trials in August, October and November directed by netball legend Vicki Wilson to represent the Marlin Coast Netball Academy in 2024.
The teams will now work on a home program during the holiday season and will meet for their first training session as a team in early February.
President of the Marlin Coast Netball Academy Heather McLaren said it was going to be a busy 2024 for the Marlins.
“This is a great opportunity for the girls, they’re going to Singapore for the quad series, that’s what they’re aiming for, we won’t know much about the championship until January and February but it’s the first time we’ll return since COVID restricted our travels,” she said.
“We’ll sign up the girls for the North Queensland Games in May in preparation for Singapore and they’ll get a lot of one-on-one skill work with the coaches and we’ll bring in specialist coaches like Vicki Wilson to work with them.”
Ms McLaren said it was exciting for the girls to return to Singapore to play on an international stage.
“This what we prepare the girls for, we start working with them since they are 11-12 years old and we bring them up, so this is the icing on the cake, the reward they get for the hard work they’ve put in for three or four years,” she said.
“The under-17s have been with us before they played in Newcastle for the state titles this year but all the under-15s are new, so this is the first time they’ll have the opportunity to travel away.
“Coaches will have a bit of a harder task with the under-15s because it’s all new, but it’ll be a great experience, not only playing netball, but going to another country, a different culture, different climate but we’ll get them prepared for competition.”
The Marlin Coast Netball Academy has officially wrapped up their activities for their year and we’ll reunite in February 2024 for the first training sessions of the Marlins.
