Netball trials today

Cook Islands netball coach Dale Atkinson will run a trial for local players at the Bluesky Sports Arena in Nikao tonight from 5pm to 7.30pm.

Atkinson, who is in Rarotonga on holiday, has offered to run trials to gauge the potential of future national reps from here.

She will be assisted by local Netball Cook Islands officials during the trials.

“We would like to register as many players on our new database so we have an online registration form that we are asking girls to complete online and it updates our online database directly,” Netball Cook Islands official Cecile Marten said.

“We are asking the girls to pre-register, so that trials can begin at 5.30pm sharp. Those who haven’t pre-registered can come early and complete the forms.”

The trials will start with fitness testing, yoyo (fitness), plank (core strength and mental attitude) and press-ups (strength).

Once the fitness testing is done, players will have some game time.

Marten said the tests were done to collect information on local players’ levels of fitness and to help the officials set realistic goals for them.

Netball Cook Islands has also sent the Netball New Zealand fitness standards to the local clubs to compare fitness levels.

“The long term goal of Netball Cook Islands is that our national representatives should be also aiming to be able to complete international standards.”

Marten said the trials would help in the selection of the 2017 national squad and would identify upcoming players that Netball Cook Islands could nurture to represent the country in the near future.

Interested players can email netballcookislands@gmail.com for more information.