The Australian Netball Diamonds

After attending the junior netball games at Nagle Park, my perceptions of netball were not great. I thought the game required less skill and athleticism than other sports. However, I also took into account that the players were younger and therefore by nature less skilled and competitive. Therefore, I decided to give netball the benefit of the doubt by researching more about it at the elite level. I came across the Australian Netball Diamonds, which represents Australia at the international level. The team is composed of 12 players, who are selected prior to each major competition. I was excited to find out that the Australian Netball Diamonds will compete in the 13th World Netball Championships in Singapore from July 3-10, 2011. Fun fact: Singapore is the only Asian country to host the championship. The Diamonds will compete against 15 other teams, including the top 5 teams from the 2007 World Netball Championship, from which the Diamonds won a gold medal. The selection process starts in two days on May 27th. I also ventured onto the Diamonds' Facebook page for fans. I was surprised that only 3,230 people liked this fan page. However, I do believe my perspective of netball has changed from learning about the Diamonds. From reading the comments on the Diamond's Facebook page, I realized that the Australians, particularly women, are very proud of the Diamonds and their success internationally. More importantly, I think the Diamonds inspire young girls to be passionate about sports and to pursue netball to the highest level.