August. It's my birth month. And what better way to continue the celebrations than combining the things I love most; netball, the sun, and my beloved cheer squad of one. 💞 And so, 13 days after celebrating my 38th year on this planet, I stepped out onto the asphalt, in my new white Netburners, for an all-day netball carnival down at Tweed in New South Wales.
"Netball Carnival - a tournament, bringing together clubs and teams of all ages, into a central hub, to compete in a condensed fixture, over a full day or weekend. It’s a big day out, and although often fiercely competitive, it’s a fantastic celebration of sport." - Justine
Reading the tournament information booklet (#netballnerd) in the days leading up, I noticed the games were set to be 12 minute halves — brilliant! 🙌🏼 This was a great surprise for this former Melbournian, who has only ever known tournament games to be extremely short halves (and in truth, never liked it, both as a player, and a coach).
Thus, I was even more pumped to be joining Team Stellar’s Open A Grade team in what promised to be an epic day of netty, and loads of fun in the sun. The countdown had begun! 🗓️
Fast forward to Saturday, the day before the tournament. I scribbled a check-list of everything I might need that came to mind, and then dedicated Saturday afternoon to packing and preparing some home-made snacks.
As a natural health advocate and holistic lifestyle coach, I take pride in being super organised and well-prepared. Quality nutrition is also something I’m extremely passionate about, and as much as possible, I prefer to fuel my body with real organic home-made food. I avoid packaged and fast 'food' (if you can even call it food) at all costs. It takes some time and planning, so prepping is essential (particularly when I'm going to be out all day).
I used up some left over sweet potato to bake brownies (yes, sweet potato brownies are a thing). I then whizzed up some energy balls in the food processor, and lastly, for some savoury crunch, Justin and I made our favourite home-made cassava crackers to pair with some Parmigiano Reggiano.
Next up, hydration. I filled two glass bottles with filtered water, and packed our WatersCo Filter jug incase we needed to refill (FYI, you’ll never catch either me, or Justin, drinking public or bottled water — #neurotoxins #fluoride #heavymetals — IYKYK, and if you don't, ask me). I always bring my own water everywhere I go, and if I run out, I'll get structured water from organic fruits or coconuts. And that brings me to the next item on my list - coconut water - as a source of natural electrolytes, you can't beat it. One thing I really enjoyed living in South-East Asia, particularly on the way home from training in Phuket, was the easy access to an abundant supply of young green coconuts. Unfortunately, here in Australia, I can't stop and pick one up on the side of the road, so I went out and reluctantly bought two litre cartons from the supermarket to take with me.
The only thing missing from my snack pack was some fruit. 🍎🍌
We normally do our grocery shopping at the local farmers market 👨🏻🌾 on a Sunday morning, so in order to not miss out, it meant an even earlier start the next day to pick up our groceries before our ride arrived. With my bags packed, ready at the door, it was lights out at 9PM, ready for an early start.
The alarm was set for 5:30AM, but instead, I woke to the sweet song of the Currawong just after 5AM (a much more preferable and harmonic way to start the day). Justin and I quickly walked over to our favourite farmer's stall - bioorganicfarm.com.au - and gathered our fresh produce for the week, along with some extra apples and bananas. 😉
I slid the fruit into the bag, and my snack pack was complete.
MY SNACK PACK
OTHER ITEMS IN MY BAG
Tiana (my teammate) picked Justin and I up at 6:45AM. We loaded her little white chariot, Mikki the Mitsubishi Mirage, with all our gear and headed south.
An easy 30 minute drive down the Pacific motorway, and we crossed the border from Queensland into New South Wales to arrive at Tweed Netball Association; a beautiful outdoor sports precinct boasting 16 asphalt courts, 6 grass courts, club house and amenities.
As we walked towards the beautifully branded team marquee, I was greeted by Shannon, the driving force behind Team Stellar. Shannon formed the club in 2011, with 6 other 'random strangers' who just wanted to play netball. It was originally intended on fielding solely senior teams, however, had now grown to span all age groups, right down to the adorable Under 9s. I must say, there was a notable spirit to this club, and a real sense of camaraderie. I was excited to be a part of it. Moreover, I resonated deeply with the Stellar core values, which align with that of my own.
Over and above that, as someone who has been consistently involved in netball administration, I can’t express how nice it was to be on the receiving end of good club management. Everything was so well organised. From the printed team schedules and information cut-outs, to the club merchandise and neatly packed uniforms for new players like me to borrow. The preparation for a smooth day was second to none. Plus, with my eye for detail, I particularly loved how Shannon carried the club theme and branding through all paraphernalia.
![Team Stellar Ignite [HANDS IN]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/996099_da1e40b891704d62a22362b7c4250136~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_551,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/996099_da1e40b891704d62a22362b7c4250136~mv2.jpg)
The weather was perfect, with clear blue skies as far as the eye could see. Team Stellar had seven teams entered into the carnival, from the darling little Under 9s through to ourselves in Open A grade division. My team, Stellar IGNITE, played a total of 7 games. We had 30 minutes to reset between each game, which gave us enough time to debrief and reset, without losing any momentum and falling in a heap.
My teammates were phenomenal, everyone worked hard and supported each other throughout every game. The determination, skill and attitude was so positive and uplifting. ✨ We had a combination of wins, and close losses, to finish 4th overall. Our opponents were competitive, but all played in the spirit of the game, proving to me once again, that the netball culture up here on the Gold Coast is something else.
The whole day was an absolute vibe.
Kudos to the umpires, who (according to this, sometimes sassy, defender) were fair and consistent, allowing the game to flow with good contest, whilst maintaining control.
And to Tweed Netball, thank you, thank you, thank you! 🫶🏼 You’ve definitely filled this netballer's cup. This was by far the best and most well run tournament I’ve attended in my 30 years of netball. From the fixturing and on-the-hour start times, to the live scoring and online results, the exceptional administrative efforts are certainly not lost on me, and very much appreciated. Moreover, the court-side music in front of the club house was next level. Shout out to whoever was lining up that classic play list! 🕺 It had me dancing on court mid game.
It’s Monday (the day after the carnival) when I write this, and as Elton John sings so fittingly -
I’ve got an epic tan, I’m high on Vitamin D and the body feels great. 💪🏼 Aside from a couple of incidental bruises, I've pulled up better than expected! Although, I can't say the same about my not-so-white Netburners, who after their first outdoor rodeo, have come home in new shades of grey. 🤦🏽♀️ So, with all that said and done, when’s the next carnival? Sign me up! ✍🏼
PS. I’ve just realised, I can now officially say I’ve played netball in all three states on the east coast of Australia (Victoria, Queensland, and NSW), which is quite apt given my nomadic journey. 💁🏽♀️
PPS. Special thanks to my beloved husband, Justin, who spent the morning scrubbing and bringing my Netburners 👟 back to their former white glory.
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