This game is indoors, surrounded by a net, which is in play. You play with a ball that is called a netball, but is in every way, a volleyball. There's a basketball hoop, extended out from the net perhaps 2.5 feet, but there is no backboard. You can't run with the ball, have 3 seconds of possesion with the ball to do what you like (shoot, hold, pass) and CANNOT leave your feet to shoot. So if you've played basketball your whole life, time moves with a glacier-like pace, and to shoot and not leave your feet seems akward at best. I got the ball at one point and had to jump in the key-like area at one point and came to a two footed stomp. I instinctively jumped up to shoot. As soon as I left, I thought "NOOOOO!!!!!" and closed my eyes. I thought I missed every shot I took (like 3) but I was told later I made that one. And that I looked good in doing so.
My gameplan quickly went from "domination" to "not look like a fool" then to something like "if I hustle, don't try to shoot and make good passes to the girl who is shooting UNCONSCIOUS, then I look like I'm not making my international debut." All in all I did well I feel, and will play again definately. I have a few sporting desires: to start dodgeball up this summer, play some cricket, watch an All Blacks Rugby game, and I might play on a basketball team as well.....
But I have to remember one thing with netball:To slow things down....
Don't try this at home kids. Or at least in netball.
3 comments:
This was written about my netball a MERE hour after the game:
"Aaron has potential, once he gets over the desire to jump and gets in that zen-like state where you wait the three seconds before you shoot. It's hard to get used to not shooting it straight away, as a basketballer. Good passer though - I like playing with people who have nice cross-court vision."
Sweet as Kate
I thought you were great too. So did Sam. A great debut :)
The float like a butterfly jump shot was pretty cool. Would have been legal under superleague rules, but we weren't playing those unfortunately.
I dunno about the volleyball comparison. I think the netball is bigger and heavier, although still smaller and lighter than a basketball. Hoop is definitely smaller than a basketball hoop.
I've seen far worse debuts. You were smart in grasping the fundamental not body checking thing, which a lot of basketball converts have trouble with. you could have taught one or two of our opposition a thing or two about how to move with people without running into them.
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