Win gives Jenny six of the best
TSHWANE: VAN DYK’S GIRLS TOO GOOD FOR MANGAUNG
Venue change brings out the best in her team.
Every time her Northern Gauteng teams lift a title, her core group of players grow in confidence, according to Tshwane netball coach Jenny van Dyk after they bagged another domestic trophy at the weekend.
Tshwane romped to a 47-34 victory over Mangaung in the A-division final at the Spar National Championships, with Van Dyk picking up a sixth win in two years with Pretoria-based sides in senior, student and Premier League competitions.
“They train against the Tshwane U-21 team (who won the age group title at the weekend) so we’ve got two generations of players who really bring out the best in each other,” said Van Dyk, also the coach of the Gauteng Jaguars and the Tuks student squad.
“The younger ones are challenging the older girls the whole time and the older girls are teaching the younger ones a few lessons in the process.
“I think the environment we’ve created at home sets them up to succeed, and with every win the confidence grows. They know they’ve been there and can do it.”
With the national championships being moved from Lotto Young Park’s outdoor courts to the indoor sports centre at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Missionvale Campus, due to poor weather conditions, Tshwane thrived in the more suitable environment.
Racing to a 25-17 lead at halftime, they were in control for most of the final, and while Mangaung fought back in the last quarter, the Free State side had left it too late to produce a significant challenge.
“I think it (the change of venue) helped both teams,” Van Dyk said.
“The quality was much better than it was outdoors, but we expected that.”
Though organisers had initially opted to hold a third-place play-off, the game was scratched and the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district team, who finished third in the single-pool round robin stage, were awarded the bronze medal.