Meeting with Karli, SA’s netball enthusiast

KARLI Van Wyk has just been selected as the vice-captain of the Woman’s Action Netball World cup to be played in Cape Town in 2019.

She is a teacher at Hoërskool President High School. The RECORD caught up with her recently to chat about her career, and action netball in general.

When and why did you start playing?

I started playing netball when I was seven years old. In 2008 I moved to Johannesburg and started playing action netball in a social league at Meyersdal with friends. Then in 2009 I was asked to help out with a club (Fourways) and started to play for them permanently.

When did you play your first competitive game?

My first club game was for Fourways in 2009 and my first provincial game was also in 2009 for Western Gauteng. My first SA tour was in 2012. We went to Australia.

How does a player progress through the ranks?

If you play for a club you are allowed to play trials for the interprovincial (IPT). So if you play for Fourways you can get selected to play for Western Gauteng during IPTs the following year. IPTs is a whole week of netball where you play against other provinces such as Western Province, Free State, North Gauteng etc. During the week of IPTs there are selectors throughout the week. Then they choose a squad and then we play trials on a day after the matches. After that, you can get selected to play for SA which usually will be in the following year. Either in the mixed side or ladies side.

How was the first SA tournament, and how did the game go?

I was so excited and proud to play in my first SA tournament. It was in 2012 in Australia. I played on the mixed side (four ladies and three men on the court). It was nerve-racking because the men can be quite rough. They are fast and really tall. So you have to adapt to their game.

How often do you train?

I train every day. I go for a run in the mornings before work. If there is time in the afternoon, I go to the gym. The netball training is on Wednesday evening where we play against the men for practice. We also train on weekends if we don’t play club games on Saturdays. I am also a road runner. I do a lot of half marathons that keeps me fit. I also do a lot of skipping which helps me jump higher and move quicker in a netball game. I have to be quite fit because I play centre for my team.

Any injuries?

I was really lucky since 2008. I didn’t have any serious injuries until last year. It was at IPTs and we played against KZN and I landed really bad with one foot on the net and tore my ankle ligaments. It was the worst pain I ever felt. They had to carry me off the court and took me to the hospital. I was on crutches and in a moon boot for two months. Luckily they didn’t operate on me. I had to do rehab for about six months. Last year September I started playing again. I took it easy for the rest of 2017. This year I was ready and injury-free and played in the IPTs in March where we took gold.

Which World Cup games have you participated in?

In 2012 in Australia; 2014 in South Africa; and in 2016 in New Zealand – all for the mixed team. In 2019 it will be hosted in South Africa, and I will play for the ladies team.

Any advice to the youngsters wanting to start playing?

Fall down seven times, stand up eight times. It is really hard to beat a person who never gives up. Hard work and dedication pays off. It won’t be easy but it will be worth it.

What do you still want to achieve?

I’ve played in three World Cup games so far and we’ve never taken gold before. Australia and New Zealand teams are really strong. Our SA team for the next World Cup in 2019 have been playing together for the past four years. I really hope we can get a gold medal next year.

What is the average lifespan of a player in action netball?

About 15 years. Girls can play action netball from a young age. There are social leagues for girls still in school as well as club games and interprovincial tournaments.

Then there are leagues for over 30s as well. So any person can play action netball until they choose to stop. I’ve been playing for 10 years.

People asked me after my injury if I will play again…or when I’ll stop. My answer: I’ll stop the day a younger player takes my spot…. Hopefully, it’s not any time soon.

Any downside to playing action netball at the moment?

The only downside is that there are no funds to sponsor players. Every player should pay for themselves. If there are any businesses willing to help, please contact me 082 780 1552 or SAINF, the South African Indoor Netball Federation via email: bruce@worldindoornetballassociation.com

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