No team? No worries. Individual netballers welcome at MSP

RECSPORT is taking over the Mildura Sporting Precinct, offering locals the chance to get active and social in the best way possible.

Led by the popular RecNetball series, MSP was fast becoming a hub for social and friendly sport offerings, Mildura Rural City Council said.

RecNetball, played on weekends, encourages participation and social connection, offering flexibility in providing individual registration with its “no team, no problem” motto.

Council said social sporting competitions traditionally required participants to enter a team to play but RecNetball allowed anyone to sign up as an individual and then be allocated a team to play with.

No training or prior experience is required to play.

In the most recent series, the Sunday Socials team was created and has gone on to forge fast friendships.

“None of us knew each other prior to playing,” Sunday Socials team member Louise Chapman said.

“For that first game there was someone from MSP here to meet and greet us and help introduce everyone.”

Team mate Jess Inwood agreed, saying it had been amazing to meet all of the different players and be managed by MSP staff.

“We’ve gone on to forge great friendships as a result,” she said.

“The competition itself is a lot of fun and something I’d recommend others sign up for, either as a team or as individuals looking for something fun to do on the weekend.”

Inwood said the ability to sign up as an individual was a massive point of difference at MSP.

“My little boy has autism and at night he struggles to go to sleep so it’s very difficult for me to play other sports like football or netball because I can’t train, and if you don’t train you can’t play,” she said.

“To be able to come here and not have that pressure of having to train is a huge relief.

“I can also bring him here during the day and he can have a run around.

“At first I wasn’t sure how he would cope in this environment… but he wants to come here so it becomes a great social outing for us as a family and everyone is very accommodating.”

Since RecNetball’s inception in 2022, more than 400 people have taken part, with around 42 per cent of participants indicating they were trying netball for the first time, while the remainder were returning to the sport following a break.

Councillor for recreation and events Mark Eckel said the success of RecSport was another feather in the cap of MSP.

“When the business case for this facility was put forward, the focus was on providing a permanent home for a number of indoor user groups so that they could grow and develop their respective sports,” he said.

“The inclusion of RecSport competitions now and moving forward will only enhance what MSP has to offer.

“While it’s been fantastic to attract events of national and international calibre like the AFLW, WNBL and Kings of Leon, at its core MSP is about community – providing a place to connect, get active and get social.”

Council said MSP was planning to expand its RecSport offerings into the future, including on the back of Stage 2 construction works concluding later this year.

Those works will deliver new squash and beach volleyball courts, opening up new opportunities for social competitions in those sports.

Anyone interested is encouraged to follow MSP on social media or complete an online form at https://forms.office.com/r/jBcNYznfvN to stay informed.