Sport
14 September, 2022
Asha reps region at state titles
FIERCE and dedicated, Atherton netball prodigy Asha Lynch-Simmons will be the only woman from the Tablelands representing North Queensland in the 2022 Netball Queensland Nissan State Titles.
Playing in the Under 16’s Northern Rays team, this competition is one of the most important in a young netball player’s career.
Through this competition, Asha will hit a transitioning point from association based netball (State Age and Northern Netball League) into broader regional representation such as the Ruby and Sapphire Series Competitions.
Asha is no stranger to the limelight, with this being her third state championship this year representing North Queensland at the Queensland School Sport Championships in May and playing representative level for the Cairns Pythons.
Determined to do her absolute best, the 15-year-old travels to Cairns from her home in Atherton up to four times a week to receive a high level of training to prepare her for each competition.
The competition will kick off on Sunday 18 September at the Nissan Arena, home to the Queensland Firebirds team, with Asha full of excitement, determination and nerves as she heads to the southeast corner.
She has always been in love with netball, taking up the sport at age eight when the opportunity came about at school.
“My brothers were very into basketball, and so was my dad, and I watched them play ever since I was little, but I knew that I didn’t want to play basketball,” Asha said.
“When my grade two teacher Mrs Constant started ‘Net Set Go’ at school I was hooked, and I have loved it ever since then.
“My mum was pretty happy as she was a netballer too – she played in the Australian Championships when she was younger, and she has been my coach ever since. My mum’s cousin was an Australian Diamond and I want to play for Australia too one day.”
Asha’s has strategically planned out her next steps to become a greater netball player, hoping she can continue to be role model for other players in the region.
“My next steps are to become more versatile on the court and play other positions outside of circle defence,” she said.
“I want to get even fitter and step up my healthy eating and the more focused I am the more energy I seem to have.
“I want to be a good role model for others and represent Atherton Tablelands well too and one day I want to play for the Queensland Firebirds and then represent Australia at the international level. I would also like to go to university and become a physiotherapist.”
