Jayelle, 9, has a passion for netball

VISHANNA PHAGOO

Jayelle Walcott, nine, from Arima has been playing with the Arima United Netball Club for three months now.

Her positions on the team are wing defence and wing attack.

Three months is a short time but, she has already taken part in the Republic Bank Netball competition in June.

That competition took place at the Nelson Mandela Park, Port of Spain and this park is also the only place she has played netball.

The standard three student of Arima Girls' Government Primary School started playing netball because she saw how exciting it looked on television.

"I like netball because of all the exercise and the running."

She has four sisters Renelle, 18, Kuselle, 20, Chenelle, 22, and Liselle, 24. Jayelle said she doesn't have to encourage them to play netball with her since Kuselle and Liselle play the sport. Kuselle plays with Arima United and assists with coaching the younger players.

Liselle also played netball while she was still a student at the University of the West Indies Mona campus in Kingston, Jamaica.

"I don't encourage them because two of my sisters play netball already, so I think they should encourage me."

Jayelle spends the rest of her free time painting and drawing anything that relates to nature.

"I have been doing those a while now and I started painting because I saw my mother painting. I wanted to try out."

She said painting and drawing inspires her to create more art and relaxes her mind. Jayelle is working on becoming a teacher because she'd like to teach children new things.

She told every one who wants to play netball, "Keep following your dreams and never give up."