Matraville netball natural Makayla Manu trains up her peers

NETBALL is much more to Makayla Manu than a ball, net and the other 13 girls on court.

Netballer Makayla Manu -11 at Heffron park. Junior Sports star. Picture: John Appleyard

NETBALL is much more to Makayla Manu than a ball, net and the other 13 girls on court.

The 11-year-old rising star, who this year made the Sydney University Development Squad, uses her success to help train other girls in her school team.

“I like netball because there’s a lot of movement involved in it and I get to encourage my teammates,” Makayla said.

“There’s a lot of encouraging words and I get them back up when they get down.”

Makayla started playing netball when she was 7 and has since shown promise in all areas of the game.

Along with her netball achievements, she was named the Matraville Public School female sports champion last year.

Makayla -11 has used her success to help other girls. Picture: John Appleyard

Matraville Public School sports co-ordinator and netball coach Kate Spencer said Makayla was an all-rounder.

“She’s brilliant in all elements. She has got great sportsmanship, she encourages the team, but her ability is outstanding in any sport she does,” Ms Kate Spencer said.

Ms Spencer said the year-6 student took it upon herself to upskill girls playing on the school team.

“She takes them out and sets up drills and then teaches them all the extra things they can work on,” she said.

Makayla said her dream was to play for the NSW Swifts when she was older.