The dedication, performance and growth shown by a young Mt Isa netball team in 2022 has put them in the running for a prestigious North Queensland sporting award.
The Mt Isa Under-11s are one of four teams nominated for the Teams Award at this year’s North Queensland Sportstar Awards to be held in Cloncurry on November 5.
Their nomination comes after a huge season where the team, ranging in age from 8 to 11 years, overcame multiple obstacles to compete at regional events, showing an impressive team spirit along the way.
Having made the long trek to Townsville to compete in May’s McDonald’s Netball Carnival, the team headed home without taking to the court after the event was postponed due to poor weather.
Undeterred, the youngsters returned to Townsville for the rescheduled event in July and their efforts paid off as they joined four other teams from Mt Isa in winning their nominated divisions at the event.
Just three weeks later the team hit the road again, completing an 18-hour drive to Yeppoon to attend the Capricorn Coast Netball Carnival.
The team shone once again on court, coming away undefeated in the top division of their age group.
But it was off-the-court lessons from their epic road trip which could potentially stand as the biggest legacy of their endeavours.
The team undertook a range of experiences on their journey including helping with chores at their accommodation, learning languages at 5am in the morning and working their communication skills with each other.
“We travelled with the philosophy of ‘many hands make light work’ and applied that consistently with our activities and to their time on court,” Mt Isa Amateur Netball Association’s Krissy Tolcher said.
“This gave a whole new meaning of court balance.
“The U11 team were commended for their sportsmanship, dedication to the game and their humbleness by a number of people across both carnivals.”
The North Queensland Sportstar Awards recognise sporting excellence in the region and have been running since 1990.
As well as the Under-11s team, Mt Isa-based official Kodie Kuskopf has also been nominated for the Alan Ticehurst Memorial Award for Service to NQ Sport.
Tolcher said the team’s nomination was a great recognition of their achievements and efforts throughout the year.
“Their nomination came as a shock and they are thankful to whomever nominated them,” she said.
