Carli carries on the family legacy

NIETGEDACHT – Carli Bramley of HeronBridge College has been selected to play netball at a provincial level in the upcoming Gauteng Schools Tournament. Her love of the sport continues a family tradition.

April 30, 2018

Robyn Kirk 1 minute read

Older sister, Jordan Bramley, mom Leisha Askham and younger daughter, Carlie, keep netball in the family. Photo: Robyn Kirk

Carli Bramley has been chosen to play netball at a provincial level in the U15 Delta team, carrying on a family love of the game.

Bramley (15) is in Grade 9 at HeronBridge College in Nietgedacht, and was chosen by her school coach, Pippa Copeland, to enter trials for a position on the team, which will go on to compete in the Gauteng Schools Netball (GSS) tournament in June.

Carli Bramley was asked to attend three or four rounds of trials before she was selected for the provincial team. Photo: Robyn Kirk

She went through about three or four rounds of trials to be one of 30 netball players chosen to compete.

She is the only person in the history of her school to achieve this feat.

“I really l like playing netball in a team. I do athletics and swimming as well, but those sports are both more individual,” Bramley said.

“I enjoy the strategic thinking of the game and learning to work well with my team.”

According to her mom, Leisha Askham, Bramley has always had a love for all things sport. Netball is a family tradition of sorts as she’s the third person in her family to take up netball. She joins her older sister, Jordan, and their mother in playing the game at a high-school level.

Carli Bramley has been playing netball since she was about nine years old. Photo: Robyn Kirk

“Whenever you’re looking for Carli, she’s playing with a netball, or a soccer ball, even if she’s also just sitting in her room,” Askham said.

“And on Christmas day, we have a tradition where we play netball as a family.”

She’s learned as much from her schoolmates as from her family. Bramley is proud of her teammates and credits them with helping develop both her skills and her love of the game.

“Last year we didn’t do so well because we didn’t know each other, but it’s wonderful to see this year how much we’ve improved. We’ve grown together and understand how the others play. We really gel and it shows.”