17 August 2022
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Story Anthony Mthembu
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Photo Anthony Mthembu
The male team of the Warriors Netball Club is finally back together, getting ready for the championship trials.
Netball has been predominantly perceived as a female sport, which is one of the reasons why
Erica Dibela argues that “there are a few male netball teams, and they don’t get as much exposure as the female teams”. Dibela, a student at the University of the Free State (UFS), is the founder and Head Coach of the Warriors Netball Club, comprising a female, mixed, and male team.
The
Warriors Netball Club started in March 2021. “I started the club as a way to acquire hours for my practical while I was completing my Diploma in Sport and Exercise, and I ended up loving it,” Dibela stated. Since its inception, the club has registered 65 players with
Netball South Africa, 25 of which are male. The team has been involved in numerous competitions, such as the
Twizza League, in which they obtained the second place – both in 2021 and 2022 in the Mangaung district. In addition, the male team has also taken part in the Mangaung League, obtaining second place and receiving a trophy for their victory in 2021. “This goes to show that the hard work the team has been putting in is paying off,” Dibela expressed.
Coaching a male team
“The nice thing about coaching men that I’ve realised, is that they learn and grasp the concept of netball quickly,” expressed Dibela. Of the 16 active male players, only three were able to play netball when the club was established. “I had to teach the rest how to catch a ball, how to pass, not to run with the ball; so, it was exciting for me to teach people who were clueless, because they were so eager to learn,” said Dibela. In addition, some of the male players had a basketball background and this required a lot of unlearning, such as not running with the ball, among other things. However, regardless of the unlearning process, the male team has gone on to win several accolades under Dibela’s leadership. Two of her players were selected to be part of the provincial team in 2021.
Erica Dibela, head coach and founder of the Warriors Netball Club. Photo: Anthony Mthembu.
Future endeavours
The male team is currently training for the provincial trials, which will take place on 20 August 2022. These trials include all the male teams in the Free State that will try out to be included in either the senior Mangaung team or the U23 team, which will represent the province in the Re a Bapala Males Festival competition in December 2022 and the Male Championships in February 2023.