NETBALL AND OTHER GAMES! #BLOGCHATTERA2ZCHALLENGE

 

Zo had a netball match yesterday after school. So, P, Sam and I made it to the venue, which was another school, by Uber. P had thoughtfully packed snacks for Zo as she felt she would be hungry. Of course, there was a special hamper for Sam who is a bit of a foodie. “At least that will keep him busy!” was the experienced mom’s remark.

When we got there, the match had already started. We spotted Zo at the end of the field defending the goal as the action swirled around her. She wore a jersey with GK on it which stood for goalkeeper. She did not have to do much in the first match, except wait for the players to come towards their goal, and she looked a wee bit overwhelmed. We kept cheering her on, and she kept smiling listlessly waiting for the ball to get to her.

                                                                                                    QuoteFancy

Later, we came to know that she had been shifted from her team to the younger one as she was smaller than the others her age. That must have been quite a jolt for her, away from the familiar faces of her friends. Once the match was over, the team got a breather to eat, relax and wait it out till their next match.  

As the team sat on the stands, P offered Zo some snacks, but she was not hungry. She sat with the team, till the coach called them aside to offer them a few tips. Sam, of course, was busy with the snacks, which kept him occupied, as predicted.

Unfortunately, P had an unavoidable work meeting on her phone, and she had to move to a quiet corner to attend it. That was when Zo’s second match began. This time she was a WA, a wing attacker, and in the fray of the action. This time the ball came to her and after her first successful pass, she perked up. We could see the change in her as she ran about, caught the ball and passed it around. By then, V had also landed up and he took some videos of her game for P, who was still at her meeting and missed the entire match.

We cheered on for all we were worth when Zo made all the right moves. We were so proud of the way she played that second match. When she came out, she wore a wide grin which was proof that she had enjoyed herself.

Matches over, P and V drove to the mall nearest home to give the little ones a treat. In fact, P got the whole family pies to celebrate Zo’s netball match. A welcome treat as we had missed lunch to show up on time for the match!

There is no doubt that sports and games play a vital role in the mental and physical health of children. Luckily, both Zo and Sam enjoy physical games. Last week, V bought them both basketballs and in no time, Sam was dribbling his like a champ. No doubt the noise levels at home rose drastically, and the dogs went under cover, but we do see signs of a future basketball player in him. P and V also want to get a netball or a basketball ring which they can place outside for the two to practise their throws.

                                                                                                   Etsy

Meanwhile, the two have been going for swimming lessons over the past couple of months. Nana shared his first experience of swimming with Zo and Sam, who were quite amused.

“My uncle picked me up when I was around four and threw me into our ancestral pool where I sank like a stone, drank a lot of water and then surfaced. That is how I learnt to swim.”

P wonders why we did not get her into swimming. I remind her that we did a bit of swimming in the RSOI pool in MHOW when her father was posted there. “You really expect me to remember? I was about two at the time!” is her rejoinder.

Last week Zo had a Padel party for her birthday and while she played for a short while, it was Sam who was continuously on the court, trying to hit the ball. He rivals V for sheer persistence as far as Padel goes. Of course, P and he had a sleepless night after because his little legs hurt after all that exercise. However, that is part of the game, and a huge part of growing up as well.

 
ACTIVE Kids

 There are so many life lessons to be learnt from sports; how to be fearless and competitive, but yet be a good sport, how to be part of a team and yet retain your individuality, how to fall and pick yourself up again and above all, how to learn to face life with a good attitude.

Attitude does matter in the long run, doesn’t it?

  

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 https://deepties.blogspot.com/2025/04/netball-and-other-games.html