Tuks netball team to make up what they lack in experience in the Varsity Tournament

When the question "How relevant is experience for a team wanting to win?" is typed on the internet, the answer from artificial intelligence is informative.

It states that experience forms the foundation of knowledge, skills, and problem-solving approaches that are necessary to win. But then it gets to the crux of the matter. Success in sport is about more than just experience. A team also needs effective leadership, clear goals, open communication, and a willingness to adapt and learn.

That is why when Tuks steps out in Stellenbosch on Sunday afternoon to take on the Madibaz in the Varsity Netball Tournament, they will play with confidence. Everyone in the team knows precisely what is expected. Amanda Mynhardt, the coach, and Caroline Paul, the captain, have made sure of that.

The odds are definitely against the Tuks in terms of experience. Only three of the players who represented Tuks at the USSA Tournament in July are still playing for Tuks. Kamogelo Maseko, who captained Tuks last year, has been called up to play for the Proteas. Six of Tuks's players will be playing for the SA Under-21 team at the Junior World Cup Tournament next month.

Mynhardt admits that losing seven of her starting line-up players is certainly not ideal.

"It is good that the players get the opportunity to live out their talents at a higher level. The fact that we will be playing without key players does not change anything. I am just too competitive to coach a team with the idea of not winning."

Paul described the Tuks team as being hungry.

"The younger players have been sitting on the sidelines as they competed with the national players for an opportunity to play. Now they have got it. They have the urge to demonstrate why they should be part of the team and what they can bring to it. Imagine being a first-year student in the starting line-up for Varsity netball. That is quite an achievement.

"During our warm-up games in the build-up to the Varsity Tournament, we realised we can't continue to play in the old style of TuksNetball. Netball as a sport is changing all the time. The challenge to every team is to adapt to the new trends. That is why it is good to have a relatively new team who are not set in their ways. The players we have now are open to new ideas of how to play."

As to her role as captain, Paul said, "I realise there is truth in controlling the controllable, but it is also important to let everything flow. At the end of the day, I can only lead by example. That starts from the moment we begin training and continues through to when we play.

"Captaincy also comes with finding a balance between pushing hard and finding grace. It is a given that every player at some stage of the tournament is going to make a mistake. It is something that we as a team need to understand."

Tuks will play the Madibaz at 5pm on Sunday, and on Monday at 3pm they play against Varsity College.