Moll's Moments - Life of a Netballer

GOOOAAALLLS - always believe in your soul - Yes, I know it's 'Gold,' but this has quite a nice ring to it, don't you think? (Thanks Spandau for the inspiration.) When we hear this word, 'goal,' we think about our lives; our aims and ambitions. Short term, mid term and long term. At school and netball I hear this more often than not. (At the moment, a clear goal for me is getting up before lunch time after clocking in for a bout of This Morning #LoveYouPhil) So let's break this down. 1. To find a taller boyfriend - one who won't have to stand on a step to look lovingly into my eyes. 2. To be recognised and remembered by my old primary school peers (not just for the bobble hat,) but for someone who has achieved her netball dream, representing her country. 3. To wear a pair of high heels and not have to crouch to get through the door of a club. 4. My A Levels - yes, I do still take them very seriously despite my training commitments. 5. A good job ...

A player with or without the ball cannot move into an area of the court that is not designated for their position. This will result in a free pass being awarded to the opposing team. So. Netball. There have been many 'offside' moments in my life and comparing them to netball somehow seems to help me make sense of it all. Currently being on holiday has reminded me once again of times when I have stood out from the crowd. Glances at the airport at the age of three - "Why the heck is that kid in a buggy?" (Long legs dangling and scraping along the floor - even I was confused at my inability to lose this mode of transport.) So moving on a few years, I have definitely been pulled up for being offside a few times (not as much as obstruction, granted) but enough to know what it feels like to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. My development as a player has been encouraged, nurtured and directed (literally towards my goal.) I've certainly been in the right place ...

So. Netball. OK so you know the story of the bobble hat... life seems to be about 'fitting in,' but who decides what fits in and what doesn't? I talked about differences and in my case, how they helped me as a netball player. So fast forward 12 years and here I am, on holiday, not relaxing in the sun just yet, but once again, using my uniqueness to splash around the deep end of the pool on tip-toes whilst aiming my shots at Barry. (He's not a friend of my Dad's by the way.) Its a pink, inflatable flamingo who's middle replicates the net in my back garden. Let's talk about a couple of the obstructions I have faced as a netballer, (metaphorically speaking,) some of these have been similar to my life experiences. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, (unless you're talking about the 6ft 4in goal keepers.) They will stop at nothing to get that ball from you, including the obligatory chicken leg from behind and the over-friendly 'let...