UAE netball caps for two JESS students

 #EXCELLENCE 

20/01/2022

Two JESS Students, Arushi (Year 12) and Claire (Year 10) have been selected for the final U17 Netball squad and will represent the UAE in February 2022 receiving their sporting caps.

Both girls took part in a long selection process where a long squad of 20 girls are chosen and put through the UAE netball training programme, undertaking fitness tests, strength and conditioning training as well as practice matches before the final fifteen are chosen Arushi and Claire will represent the UAE and will travel to Newcastle in the UK in February 2022 to compete under the UAE flag.

Claire aged just 15 and a Year 10 student, is a shooter and is one of the youngest in the UAE squad. Originally from The Netherlands, Claire moved from another school in Dubai to JESS in Year 9 to take advantage of JESS’s sporting programme. “You get a lot of support to follow your sporting dreams at JESS from training to help with studying. It has always been a dream of mine to play in the U17 squad and I am thrilled to be able to wear the UAE netball dress. The other team members are amazing, they are hard-working on and off the court and are some of my closest friends.”

Arushi, aged 16, is a mid-court player and is no stranger to sporting success. Arushi plays football and basketball and was also selected for the UAE under 19 rugby long squad as well as this netball success, a true all-round athlete.

Originally from the UK, Arusha joined JESS in Year 4 and has been at JESS ever since. “I started netball in Year 3 and loved it. I have always wanted to play for the UAE netball team and took the netball selection trials as soon as I could. There is a great camaraderie amongst all the girls that play netball here in the UAE, they are all very social and supportive both on and off the courts.”

Miss Rachel Wake, Head of Netball at JESS had this to say about Arushi and Claire’s success, ‘these girls will be seen for the 4 hours match time in February but behind the scenes, there are long hours of training and strength and conditioning. Both ladies are also managing their GCSE and IB studies and have proven themselves to be very competent at time management and are extremely committed to both their studies and sport. Luckily, they also have access to four sports coaches at JESS all of whom have international netball caps and can guide them on balancing sport and study and their future careers.

"I want to wish Arushi and Claire every success and also the whole UAE U17 netball squad, it’s very different putting on an international dress and representing a country. When you step onto the court for the first time you are very aware of the responsibility you hold.”