Year 8 Netball Tournament at Chailey School 

Well done to all of our Year 8 netball players who represented Uplands at a tournament hosted by Chailey School on Wednesday 14 October. The competition featured teams from Uplands, Chailey, Uckfield and Priory, providing a fantastic afternoon of competitive netball. 

Congratulations to Piper, Poppy, Delilah, Immie, Esther, Anjali and Pearl for their efforts throughout the tournament. A special mention must also go to Jasmine and Poppy in Year 7, who stepped up to play in the Year 8 competition and did an excellent job. 

The tournament began with a closely fought match against Uckfield. Despite a determined defensive performance, Uplands narrowly lost 2-1. In the second game, a strong Priory side proved difficult to contain and Uplands were defeated 6-0. 

The team showed great resilience and took on board all the advice from their coach going into the third match. With a tactical switch that saw Jasmine move into the GS position, the team produced a much-improved performance to secure a 1-0 victory over Uckfield. Confidence continued to grow, and a second win followed against Priory's other team, with Uplands earning an impressive 2-0 victory. 

The final game against the hosts, Chailey, was a highly competitive contest. Uplands created several opportunities and battled hard throughout, but Chailey's defence held firm and they went on to win 3-0. 

Several players deserve special recognition for their contributions throughout the afternoon. Delilah produced a series of increasingly impressive performances at WD, growing in confidence with each game and making a significant impact on court. Her commitment and improvement did not go unnoticed, earning compliments from coaches from other schools. Poppy and Esther also formed an excellent partnership at GK and GD, providing strong, consistent defence throughout the tournament and making life difficult for opposition shooters in every match. 

At the end of the afternoon, Uplands finished in a very respectable 4th place overall. More importantly, every student represented the school brilliantly, demonstrating excellent sportsmanship, teamwork and fantastic netball skills throughout the tournament. 

Mrs Underdown commented 'I am incredibly proud of all the players for their attitude, determination and commitment'.  

Well done, to all the players!