Liverpool City Netball Association hosts this year's state age championships
Thousands of young netball players from across the state are set to descend on Woodward Park this weekend as Liverpool hosts the 2018 netball state age championships.
Liverpool
Don't miss out on the headlines from Liverpool. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Thousands of young netball players from across the state are set to descend on Woodward Park this weekend as Liverpool hosts the 2018 netball state age championships.
Up to 25 netball associations will contest the championship title, bringing an estimated 5000 players, coaches, family members, umpires and managers to the home of Liverpool City Netball Association over three days.
The association’s secretary Estelle Lawler, 77, said this weekend’s tournament was a momentous occasion, marking the 50th anniversary of not only Netball NSW’s state age championships, but the association too.
“It’s really good for the area … because people that are coming from distances book in at motels and hotels and eat at our places,” Ms Lawler said.
“It’s an opportunity to see what Liverpool is all about.”
As a not-for-profit organisation, any funds raised over the weekend will benefit the association too.
“It’s a big thing. It’s a lot of work and you’ve got to rely on a lot of volunteers,” Ms Lawler said.
“We have our volunteers that will come in and work in the canteen, which we do every Saturday anyway, but we run a barbecue at the state age (championships) and that’s all voluntary.”
The Liverpool SES unit will also be out in force to help with traffic management and any evacuation procedures.
Ms Lawler said Woodward Park was known to be one of the best venues for netball across the state with its room and parking capacity. Liverpool Council recently revitalised the courts ahead of the championships.
“At the moment it looks like tent city and it will look more so on the weekend when they bring their tents in,” she said.
About 190 clubs make up the Liverpool City Netball Association, which was originally based at Woodward Park in the 1960s before it moved to Collimore Park in 1971. In 2008, it returned to Woodward Park.
Ms Lawler, who has been with the association for 40 years, said she looked forward to seeing Liverpool’s netball stars shine.
“We’d like to see them all win but mainly to see the association grow and keep on growing.”