Ku-ring-gai Netball Association (KNA) are set to run their ‘Dads and Daughters’ social competition again in 2024, after the event’s success in Spring last year.
Running over nine weeks, this competition was designed for dads and daughters in netball to share the court together, learn to work as a team in a new environment, and of course, have a smile on their face while doing so.
“We have a lot of fathers standing around and watching netball all year, and we thought it’d be a good idea to get them running around on a court to show everyone what they can do.” Rod Jackson, President of KNA, sharing the Association’s inspiration for running this event.
In preparation for the event, Jackson admits that it was initially a challenge to find engagement from father-daughter pairs who were both keen to participate. However, as hype for the competition grew and community members saw dads and daughters put their hands up to play, eventually four teams were finalised to take part in the competition over Spring.
These teams were made up of fathers and their daughters aged from 14 up to 20 years old, taking to the court every Thursday night at Lockberg Oval Netball Courts. Jackson shares that although starting out as competitive, everyone involved saw and embraced the fun side of it as the weeks went on.
“It started out as a competition, but everyone had so much fun that the competition side of it wasn’t actually relevant after a few weeks. A lot of the girls play netball in a competition format, so it is very rare that they get to play a good quality of netball in a social, fun environment. They were really grateful for that.” Jackson shared on the competition’s positive impact on the players involved.
As well as the increase of happy faces on the court, the competition also saw growth in its number of participants in the later stages.
“We were very flexible with teams, so if a younger daughter wanted to play or a mum wanted to play, we were able to take all participants. There was also options for those who arrived on the night we managed to find them a spot to play. We didn’t need to have any stringent rules, it was really welcome for everyone on the court to enjoy.” Jackson commentating on the flexibility of the competition in making sure everyone felt welcome.
Jackson reported emphatic positive feedback and praise from both the parents and children of the Ku-ring-gai community, and encourages other associations to look at running similar social competitions.
“The overwhelming thing was, they never thought they would have so much fun… I think it certainly brought the enjoyment back to netball for a lot of people. It was a truly bonding experience for our fathers and daughters.” said Jackson
Recalling the feedback from some of the players involved, Jackson highlighted one particular umpire who said what he considered the ‘quote of the season’ after officiating a match: “Next year, I am definitely going to play with my dad.”
Since its success in 2023, Jackson has confirmed that the KNA Dads and Daughters social competition will be returning this year, even potentially earlier than it was last year, to allow for more teams and engagement from the Ku-ring-gai community.
Through netball, you and your community can thrive too. Find and contact your local club today https://nsw.netball.com.au/2024registration
