Kempton Park learner earns provincial and national ringball colours
Jaiden Wilhelm Smith qualified for the Ringball Schools provincial team through Ekurhuleni North Ringball Schools Association (ENRSA) trials.
Years of perseverance paid off for Hoërskool Kempton Park learner Jaiden Wilhelm Smith, who earned his provincial and national colours in ringball after three weeks of gruelling trials at Hoërskool Brandwag.
The trials, hosted by Ekurhuleni North Ringball Schools Association (ENRSA), required players to compete every Sunday against learners from various schools to secure a spot on the provincial squad.
“It means a lot to me as this was my first year that I have made provincial and national colours. I have tried every year and either I wasn’t good enough or I just never made it past the first round, so I was very happy and surprised when I made my provincial colours,” said Smith.
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Smith first got involved in the traditional South African sport at age 11, when a rugby coach invited him to play while he was at Birchleigh Primary School.
Ringball is played in a nine-versus-nine format on a netball court, where teams aim to score the most points. Smith plays as a line defender, tasked with stopping any incoming ball from entering his side of the block.
“If I were selected for the first team, it would be a great honour, as I would be making my family and friends proud and I will try to do my best every single game.
My biggest achievement was probably getting my national colours, as it was a big step into my future as a player and a person and it was my very first goal ever since primary school,” Smith added.
Smith said his goals are simple: earn national colours and win the provincial league. He said he wants to keep competing at the provincial level, where his friends and supporters are based.
