Throughout October, we will be sharing video messages and written stories from a range of Black members of the Netball Family, to celebrate what Black History Month means to them and their work within netball.
Jenny Thomas first started playing netball in primary school and is now a Walking Netball Host. Here she shares what Black History Month means to her, why it’s important that England Netball recognises Black History Month and her love of being involved in netball.
“Black History Month means learning about our culture as well as all the inventors that contributed to society.
“It also means as a race of people we will never die out because we will always have this Black History Month to remind us of what our parents, our grandparents and forefathers went through.
“It means that our children and their children will learn and continue to learn about their Black history.
“It is important that England Netball recognises Black History Month because through netball, which has been around for nearly a hundred years and has been played globally, it has brought through some fantastic African and Caribbean players which needs to be celebrated and to teach our young women and men that they can achieve this level of netball.
“Netball has had a great impact on me as I used to play in primary school and as a young adult.
“I thoroughly enjoy playing netball and I play goal keeper. And to this day, I love being a goal keeper.
“I love watching the netball on the TV. I have yet to go and see a live netball match which I’m aiming to do.
“But these days, I am involved in Walking Netball which has helped me immensely with my fitness.
“It’s wonderful, it’s almost like being in a social club, a wonderful social club where yes we have aches and pains, but through Walking Netball it helps us and it has helped me with my fitness.
“It’s a wonderful social club and Walking Netball is a fantastic way of bringing people who may be isolated at home together. It’s fantastic.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about the range of clubs, programmes and sessions available, please click here. You can also get involved with netball in a variety of other ways, which you can read about more here.
Keep an eye out on our social media channels to see and hear more from a range of Black members of the Netball Family over the coming weeks.
Read the previous Black History Month article featuring reflections from youth netballer Ebiso Whyte and Vitality Rose Jodie Gibson here.
