Experienced Swart hopes to guide Tuks to victory during USSA Netball Tournament
Tuks' largely inexperienced Netball team will rely heavily on the experience of the few senior players in their team, such as their new captain, during this week’s USSA Tournament, which will take place at Camp Discovery near Pretoria.
Chantelle Swart almost always plays Netball with a smile on her face. It has become the Tuks netball’s captain on-court trademark. Apparently, it is spontaneous.
“I smile because I genuinely love being on the court. I smile when I score a good goal, turn the ball, or a teammate does something great. My smile is a celebration of small victories. Netball has changed my life. The lessons I have learned from playing are going to stand me in good stead for the rest of my life,” she explained during a recent interview.
It would be interesting to see what happens this week when Tuks plays in the USSA Tournament at Camp Discovery north of Pretoria.
The Tuks team was caught on the back foot for most of the recent Varsity Tournament, losing four of the eight games. Still, in the end, they managed to finish third, beating Northwest in the playoffs.
Swart admits that not playing the Varsity-final hurts as she has been part of the team that won in 2019.
“Since I have been at Tuks, as a team, we had established a winning culture,” she remarked.
But as most of the senior players finished studying, the Tuks team is in a rebuilding phase. Swart is currently one of the most experienced players in the team. It is why she is the captain.
“To be honest, I never thought I would captain any team. I was always the player that relied on the more experienced players for guidance and motivation. But I guess as you get older, you get more confident about being a leader. At the moment, I am in a good place as a netball player and in my personal life,” she commented.
According to Swart, she enjoys the role as captain, setting an example to the younger players and helping to calm their nerves. She believes that she is also learning from her teammates.
Swart is confident that Tuks will be more competitive during the USSA Tournament.
“We needed to establish new combinations and gain trust. Now that we have done so, it will be easier to make the right decisions passing the ball. I also think we are better equipped to handle high-pressure situations on the court,” Swart concluded.
The Tuks team playing the USSA Tournament is Alice Kennon, Blessing Sithole, Chantelle Swart, Danielle van Zyl, Hope Sibiya, Jamie van Wyk, Jani Bergh, Mbalenhle Ntuli, Melissa van Zyl, Melodine Jacobs, Sintethemba Maseko and Tracey Mthunzi.
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