Sports

Most people in America don't know about the sport of netball. I didn't either until my daughter, Zoe, started playing several years ago. Some people describe netball as "basketball without dribbling," which is close, but doesn't capture the actual differences and nuances of the game.

Wikipedia describes netball like this:

Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. The sport shares many similarities with basketball, having been derived from early versions of women's basketball. It developed as a distinct sport in the 1890s in England, from where it spread to other countries. Netball is popular in Commonwealth nations and is predominantly played by women.

Games are played on a rectangular court divided into thirds, with a raised goal at each short end. The object of the game is for teams to score points by passing a ball and shooting it into the opposing team's goal. Players are assigned "positions" that define their role within the team and restrict their movement on court. During general play, a player with the ball can take no more than one step before passing it, and cannot hold the ball for longer than three seconds. Goals can only be scored by the assigned shooting players.

Zoe's position is one of two shooting players on the team, and she had many games this season where she was the high scorer for her team. Although she has done quite well in netball here in South Africa, Zoe is looking forward to playing some typical American sports like basketball and soccer. Kyle is looking forward to playing football and baseball in place of rugby and cricket.

We look forward to this next season of life as we prepare to transition back to the States later this year. We hope that sports will play a significant role in helping our children to make new friends and enjoy life in America.