Page 134 - Bellfort Magazine 2024

Netball - Year 8
The year group arrived very enthusiastic and ready to learn. They competed in the
Ballymena League securing victories over St Patrick’s College, Cullybackey College and
Slemish College. It was fantastic to see the girls grow in their level of skill and understanding
of the games throughout the year. They were a competitive group yet always worked as a
team and their support and encouragement of each other was great to witness, both on and
off the court. Erika Carp in Y12 was the assistant coach and the girls greatly benefitted from
her expertise and commitment. Many of the girls play a variety of sports, and this was
evident in their understanding of space, positioning and timing . The group has great
potential moving into Year 9!
Year 9 - The year 9 team had a mixed season this year. We had some really good practice
sessions on Thursday afternoons with very enthusiastic participants seeking to improve their
skills and match performance. Ellen O'Neill and Reo Anderson were our most faithful squad
members attending all the practice sessions. Unfortunately, the score sheets for our
matches did not reflect the effort and enthusiasm of the team. There was definite strength
in our defence. Special mention should go to Ella Tweed and Aimee Burnside in GK and GD
respectively for their great energy and skill in defending the circle. We have learned lessons
that will hopefully carry through to a more successful season in Year 10.
Year 10— The Year 10 girls had a great season in netball. They were very strong in defence,
putting pressure on the shooters and collecting the majority of rebounds. In centre court the
team’s fitness was key to maintaining the offensive pressure through the games and feeding
the circle successfully allowed enough opportunities to score giving them the win in the
majority of their matches. Their main reason for their success though came from their ability
to support one another well as a team. They clearly enjoy playing netball together and this
will be a huge advantage moving into the Year 11 leagues next year.
We were delighted that Cathryn McCue was again selected for the Northern Ireland U15s
Future International Academy. This is a super achievement and playing with other elite
netballers has taken Cathryn’s game to another level. Well done Cathryn – we’re so proud
of you!

Gymnastic and Trampolining Club
A small but enthusiastic group of girls met in the summer term to work on skills and perfect
routines. Girls learned that playing on a trampoline in the garden and performing complex
gymnastic moves on a trampoline are very different things!