Why? Well it started at school and frankly it was the only game I was good at. Being ridiculously tall at a young age helped but I liked it, I made the school team in the second year (thanks to Katie Branigan leaving and a bit of a shift around) and it went on from there. I eventually played for the County U16 in 1989 and went on from there to other county sides, region development and South Region U21.
I went on to university and carried on playing. My uni was naff at sport, we were proudly known as a team who actually won sports matches in the Universities cup and not by default. I changed counties and regions and eventually made it to the big one.
Yep my passion, and more a lot of hard work as I'm not the most naturally gifted player, meant that I played for England. In October 1994 (I can never remember if it was the 21st or 22nd so I have both as my lottery numbers!) I was selected for the England U21 squad. I took in a deep breath of excitement and then burst into tears. My mum did exactly the same. My county coach was so proud too. Thank you to her, Sonia Taylor and so many others who had faith. Sonia is no longer with us and netball and I miss her greatly.
From there I went on and played for the senior squad for three years and won the European Championships too. And then disaster.
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| That young England netballer and thin too! |
I'd moved counties again and I'd played my first game for new side Essex Met. Horrendous, their first loss in about six years and possibly they'd lose the league. Not the best start. I'd driven up to Derby rather than take the team bus as had to work that evening. I got to Wembley Arena in good time ahead of a televised basketball game. Dropped my bag in the box office and went to see my boss.
I took one step down the stairs and woah, the pain. My knee slid out to the side and back in again. I only didn't swear as there were kids playing basketball. But something had happened. Fortunately I only needed to be on my feet for another six hours and then drive home to south London!
Three weeks out from England trials I needed to train but my knee was still painful. I was popping ibuprofen like a mad thing and by Tuesday I decided to do the stadium stairs (not an easy workout) by Thurs still bad so spoke to basketball physio. You've dislocated your knee. Right, so I have trials in three weeks. No you don't - yeah I do. NO YOU DON'T.
I didn't trial. I had a late trial but didn't get in. I rested a bit but played that season and even ended up in the deciding game for the county in the league. Against my old county. We needed to win by five to win the league. We won by 11. I have the cutting where I was named in The Times. Good days.
Won the regional tournament a month later. A week later I was under the knife - patella tendon shortened. Six weeks in plaster. A leg brace, learning to walk again.
I played again. Lots. I had more operations. When I got married I decided it was time out. I needed a big op - my cartilage was to be regrafted. 12 weeks in a brace.
Except I got pregnant between them removing cartilage and putting it back in. Out of retirement when my son was a few months old and playing with a new team.
Coming back after three ops and one child was tough. After two children and five ops? I didn't think it was even going to happen.
Hence the target. But it did. I first did a friendly which was ok but felt my fitness needed some work. Then in the new year I was asked if I'd help the club third team out in their midweek league. Yep but no promises on how I'd go.
Well I made it, played the second half and did ok. It wasn't brilliant but I gave an experienced head to the proceedings and helped give direction to the others and even got a couple of intercepts.
Due to lack of numbers I got signed up to the regional side and played a quarter in one game (though was mercilessly picked upon by the umpire so taken off) and I almost made a sizzler of an intercept - just a finger tip away! I played again for the thirds last night and did a whole game and a lot more intercepts. The brain can read what's going on but the body is a bit slow at times!
But in reality I know that there aren't many games left in me. There is something fundamentally still wrong with the knee and chucking a body round a netball court isn't really going to help it. I have a choice to keep on and on or decide that it's the time to play with my children now and save my legs for their pastimes and being Zurg in the park. Netball has been good to me, it's been an incredible journey, but perhaps this next retirement should really be the last.
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