BATHURST Netball Association's under 15s and 17s teams are looking to make a big impression this long weekend when they play in the Netball NSW Senior State Titles at Campbelltown.
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The 15s and 17s Bathurst squads will pursue division two glory over this Saturday, Sunday and Monday over a busy 18 and 19-game schedule, respectively.
The state titles are often just as much a test of fitness and depth along with netball skills, given the frequency of matches of the three days.
There will be no senior representation for Bathurst at this year's edition but the next generation of stars will hope to fill that void with some strong performances.
Bathurst's 17s enter the competition with strong winning aspirations given the way that they've stormed past the majority of their opposition throughout 2022.
Coach Trish Cowra said that's an impressive achievement for a new-look side.
"We've got four players back from last year when we finished runners-up in division two. I've got some great leadership in those girls who have returned, and that's been demonstrated at our training sessions," she said.
"We've been to four carnivals which we've gone through undefeated. We've trained every Thursday night for two hours, and the girls are hungry. The four girls from last year have had a taste of what it's like, and the seven new girls in the team are extremely coachable.
"I'm really happy with the selections. I had 24 kids who came to trial, and the kids are all smiling on the court and enjoying their netball a lot."
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Cowra said the learning ability of the squad's new members has made preparation for the titles easy.
"We had less than half the squad making the return this year, which means we get to stay in division two, and it should be a really good hit out because the kids I've got are in a really great mindset," she said.
"They're creative thinkers, they can see what needs to change and they don't need much direction around that sort of thing."
This year's edition is an exciting one for the under 15s team, who have missed out on their last two chances to play at the Netball NSW Junior State Titles in under 13s and 14s.
"They're really looking forward to it. They haven't had the chance to compete at this level since 12s due to COVID. They're excited to get back out there and have a go at it," coach Belinda Kilby said.
"We took on a couple of new players this year from under 14s but the core of this side has been together for a few years now.
"We've done a few Sydney carnivals this year so they will meet a couple of the teams that we've played already this season. I've already seen a lot of improvement in this side from the first carnival through to the last one."
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