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    27 Things Everyone Who Played Netball Growing Up Will Relate To

    Ball hits frozen finger. Finger breaks.

    1. Getting up early every Saturday morning and losing that sweet, sweet sleep in.

    2. Putting on your bodysuit or pleated skirt knowing it was going to be like 4 degrees out.

    3. Matching your hair ribbon and your "scungies" to your netball outfit.

    4. Getting to the courts when it was still actually foggy and not even being able to find your designated court.

    5. Never being able to grow your fingernails during the season.

    6. Forgetting to cut your fingernails that morning and stretching your fingers back at inspection time, hoping you'd get away with it.

    7. Not getting away with it and having to sit out the first quarter to cut your fingernails on the sideline.

    8. Having to tape your earrings after getting them pierced.

    9. Every time your coach asked you to play wing defence.

    10. Or goal keeper.

    11. When your opponent was super-tall and fast.

    12. When you first started the game and you'd stand there with your arms awkwardly up, wondering exactly what three feet away is.

    13. But eventually you nailed it and became a formidable defender.

    14. When you tried to balance on one foot after catching the ball on the run, in a desperate bid not to "step."

    15. The feeling of anticipation, waiting for the whistle to blow for the centre to pass the ball and kick off the game.

    16. When you'd accidentally run past a line on the court in an area you're technically not allowed to be in.

    17. The times you'd totally perfect that sweet bounce pass past your opponent who had their arms up.

    18. When your teammate lobbed the ball to you and you were just like, "Please God, let me catch this."

    19. Finally getting warmed up, only for your coach to sideline you for the next quarter...

    20. ...and spending that time eating quartered oranges that your mum provided you with.

    21. Falling over on the court and experiencing pain like no other.

    22. When the ball hit your cold, innocent finger and you spent the next week nursing a bruised and tender hand.

    23. The feeling of finishing your game, only to discover you're on umpire duties for another game later on that day.

    24. TFW you received the McDonald's or Blockbuster award after the game.

    25. When you had to get braces and then wear a mouthguard and you were worried everyone would judge your new look.

    26. When you spent many precious Thursday afternoons "training", which really meant throwing the ball back and forth to each other numerous times and running laps of the court.

    27. And making it to the finals, which was almost as brutal as the The Hunger Games.

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