Trials and tribulations for student and Sandown junior netball coach

Like any sports enthusiast, Sandown netball junior league coach Annayah Karaha sees herself as a competitive athlete who wants nothing more than to win.

But the young 21-year-old coach is wise enough to now know that winning comes with sacrifices. Karaha has been playing netball since she was seven and is currently juggling a handful of responsibilities, from attending her final year at IIE-Vega School in Bordeaux to working, and finds comfort in her passion for coaching her junior netball players.

Although her passion has always been playing netball, Karaha realised that turning professional would come a cost which she was not prepared to pay.

“I could have gotten far with netball but the break duration I had in high school took a toll on me and mentally I am always occupied. A routine for an athlete is not for the faint-hearted – you have to wake up at a specific time, eat certain meals and train more than once in a day. It’s a bit too much, especially when studying,” said Karaha.

“The challenge that I experienced right off the bat once I started varsity was trying to balance [studying], work, netball and my personal life. I have now learned to use some of these responsibilities, like netball and exercising, as an escape. I enjoy exercising and I use that as a relief from my daily commitments. Spending time with my team is a healthy distraction.”

She concluded the motto she lived by was to always play your game. “This simply means don’t be intimidated by what you hear or see but to continue play the game that you know. You will always be a winner even if you lose.”

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https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/191488/redhill-school-grade-7-netball-team-on-a-roll/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/237739/sascoc-pleased-with-new-netball-coaches/