Violet is a true example of someone that eat, sleeps and dreams netball.
The 11-year-old, who won the competition to design the Netball World Cup 2023 mascot, recently visited the World Netball HQ to tell us all about her love for netball, the mascot designing process and the moment she found out that she won the competition.
We started by asking Violet when she first found her love for netball, and she said: “It was about a year ago, last August (2021), and my neighbour asked me if I could just go and have a try at it and I wasn’t expecting anything from it but I went to the three week trial and I just really liked it.
“I wasn’t that good at it, but I just got better and better, and now we are going to tournaments!”
“I like going to tournaments the most because you get to have fun with your friends.”
It was because of joining Tameside Netball Club, a year ago, that Violet found out about the Netball World Cup’s mascot competition.
“My coach put the competition on the group chat and asked if anyone wanted to join , and so a couple of people out of the team did it and designed a mascot just for a bit of fun, and I wasn’t expecting anything from it, but I won it!”, explained Violet.
Recalling the moment, she found out she won, with a beaming smile on her face, Violet said: “I had just come back from a sleepover, my mum showed me the letter and I couldn’t believe it, I didn’t think it was a real at first, I thought ‘is there other people winning too, is it just an accident’, I didn’t believe it.
“I felt really surprised because I wasn’t expecting it at all, I was really happy.”
Violet brought her winning drawing into the office for us all to see, and as it sat Infront of us on the table she explained where her ideas came from.
“I did a bit of research about South Africa, and about netball in South Africa and I found out that Meerkats were native to South Africa, and they work in teams and have a female dominance.”
The mascot has now been brought to life by the Netball World Cup 2023 team and named ‘Letsatsi’ which means “sun” in the Sesotho language.
Violet will get the opportunity, as part of the prize, to meet the mascot which she designed in real life at the Netball World Cup 2023 next year in Cape Town, South Africa.
“We are really looking forward to meeting her and watching a game!”
“I think the final will be Australia and New Zealand! Then maybe the third-place play-off Jamaica vs England.”
Violet won’t be waiting until next summer to watch international netball though.
“My coach is quite surprised that I watch so many netball matches, I just sit on my bed watching netball matches for hours!”
Violet’s mum added: “All I can ever hear is this whistle coming from her room!”
To which Violet quickly responded, “Me and my best friend Izzy we are thinking of being umpires, just in our teen years training to be umpires.”
It was clear just how much netball means to the 11-year-old.
Congratulations on winning the mascot competition, Violet!
To find out more about the Netball World Cup 2023, click here.
