The ball goes through the netball hoop, Chantelle Swart quickly turns around, and smiles, it is game on. That smile is sort of becoming the TuksNetball captain’s on-court trademark. Apparently, it is spontaneous. 

"I smile because I genuinely love being on the court. I smile when I score a good goal, turn the ball, or a teammate does something great. My smile is a celebration of small victories. Netball has changed my life. The lessons I have learned from playing are going to stand me in good stead for the rest of my life." 

It would be interesting to see what happens on Monday, 20 September, when Tuks play in their first match of the USSA Netball Champs at the Camp Discovery, North of Pretoria. 

The Tuks team was caught on the back foot at the recent Varsity Netball in Stellenbosch, losing four of the eight games. Still, in the end, they managed to finish third, beating North-West in the playoffs. 

Swart admits that not playing the Varsity-final hurts as she has been part of the team that won in 2019. 

"Since I have been at Tuks, as a team, we had established a winning culture."

But as most of the senior players finished studying, the Tuks team is in a rebuilding phase. Swart is currently one of the most experienced players in the team. It is why she is the captain.

"To be honest, I never thought I would captain any team. I was always the player that relied on the more experienced players for guidance and motivation. But I guess as you get older, you get more confident about being a leader.  At the moment, I am in a good place as a netball player and in my personal life. 

"So I enjoy the role as captain setting an example to the younger players and helping to calm their nerves. What is exciting is that I am also learning from my teammates."

Swart is confident that Tuks will be more competitive at the USSA Netball Champs.

"We needed to establish new combinations and gain trust. Now that we have done so, it will be easier to make the right decisions passing the ball. I also think we are better equipped to handle high-pressure situations on the court."

The USSA Netball Championships is going to be the third tournament for most of the players. It started with the Varsity Netball in Stellenbosch. Last week the first "biosecure bubble" of the Telkom Netball League was played in Pretoria. It means by the end of the week, most would have played more than 20 games in five weeks. 

Swart admits that, at times, it is challenging when you are away from home so often. 

"You miss being in your 'own space'. But our coaches have done a great job to physically and mentally prepare us. What helps is that we get two days off after each tournament to do whatever we like. It helps to clear the mind, and our bodies get time to recover." 

TuksNetball squad for the USSA Netball is as follows: Alice Kennon, Blessing Sithole, Chantelle Swart, Danielle van Zyl, Hope Sibiya, Jamie van Wyk, Jani Bergh, Mbalenhle Ntuli, Melissa van Zyl, Melodine Jacobs, Sinethemba Maseko, Tracey Mthunzi.