AUSTIN RETROS BRINGING BACK POPULAR INTERNATIONAL SPORT TO CENTRAL

TEXAS
By Bella Tommey
Austin, Texas- Netball, a game dominating womens sports in many countries has been brought to
Austin, Texas for the first time. The Austin Retros, who meet weekly in Ramsey Park, aim to compete in
National Netball tournaments with a fully-fledged co-ed team.
Originally modified from basketball back in 1891, netball is a fast-paced ball sport played by two teams
of seven players. They continue to share similarities but in netball the player is not allowed to dribble
with the ball- instead they pivot from the landing foot before passing the ball to another player.
Although it is commonly thought of as a British sport, the game is international and the International
Netball Federation compromises more than 60 national teams, including Team USA. Despite this, there
are only three netball teams in one of the largest states in the U.S., Texas.
The Austin Retros are a new, co-ed netball team based in Austin. Founded by Welsh born Sarah Attwood
in 2013, the team consists of 20 frequent members from a multitude of nationalities. The Retros meet
weekly in Ramsey Park to practice their skills.
I have played netball all my life and when I moved to Austin last year and realized there was no team
here I was devastated! Attwood said.
Attwoods primary objective of setting up the Retros was not only to provide for people who already
know and love the sport, but for those who have never heard of netball. She hopes the team will grow
stronger and eventually submit players to the U.S. international team.
We have a huge variety of players on our team, some that aim to play professionally and some that
play for fun, Attwood said. Our aim is to encourage everyone to give it a go!
Sarah Ormerod, a British student at The University of Texas has been playing for the Retros since their
first meet. She was involved in competitive netball in England and hopes to pursue her dream of
competing in an international final.
Netball is a huge part of British culture and I have been playing my whole life, Ormerod said. I am
hoping that the Retros will give me the experience I need to make the US team.
The Retros are participating in the US Netball Championships in Miami for the first time this November.
Dubbed as the most prestigious Netball event held in the USA by Netball America, the Retros will
compete against a variety of teams including their biggest rivals, the Swifts from Katy, Texas.
Sonya Ottoway, President at Netball America Inc., believes the tournament will be very competitive this
year.

With new teams such as the Austin Retros competing this year, competition is stiff, Ottoway said. It
will be interesting to see if the newer teams will be able to knock the Katy Swifts off the top.
The Retros are aiming to participate in other major sporting events in 2015 such as National Netball Day
in California. Attwood says the team may increase their practice sessions in order to further their skills.
Netball is not just a game; its an outlet, an escape and most importantly a group of family, Attwood
said. We are excited to be representing Austin in the National Finals and are eager to see what the
future holds.