11-year-old Violet Cassidy is storming her way through the netball scene, and soon she will travel to South Africa for the Netball World Cup.

It’s been an incredible 14 months for Violet, someone who has achieved so much after taking her first steps in the sport in August 2021.

In fact, it wasn’t until a neighbour suggested that she tried the sport, that she realised how deep her passion ran.

“She was invited to take part in three weeks of training for free, and by the first week she was hooked.

“A large group of girls joined Tameside Netball Club at that time, enough so that they were able to make two teams of U11s,” Violet’s mum, Katie Cassidy said.

When the team were first combined, they lacked teamwork and the skills needed to succeed. Loosing every match they played, the team knew something needed to change.

Bonding over the Christmas period, the girls finally cracked the code to success, and soon after this, they were unbeaten.

Promoted to the next division, this achievement was incredibly motivating for the Tameside Netball Club.

This motivation helped to spur Violet on, and when the opportunity arose, she trialled for the first team at the club.

Earning her rightful place on the squad, she felt more driven than ever.

However, when a coach posted about an upcoming drawing competition for a prestigious netball event, Violet never would’ve imagined how much her life would transform.

“It was a rainy weekend and Violet has always loved to draw, so when she saw a drawing competition to design the mascot for the Netball World Cup 2023, she was so excited.

“She decided to draw a meerkat, an animal that is native to South Africa, and always works well in a team. Meerkats are also female dominant, which just seemed like the perfect animal for Violet.

“She also called her meerkat joy, as that’s what netball brings her,” Katie said.

Conducting extensive research, Violet created the perfect character to complete the brief of, ‘what netball means to you’.

For weeks, Violet asked if she had won the competition, to which her family tried to minimize her expectations, on the scale that thousands of entries would’ve been received.

But, to her disbelief, Katie received an email from the Netball South Africa president, informing her that Violet had won the competition.

Katie couldn’t believe her eyes and re-read the email with excitement. She hurried to print of a copy to show Violet, who was overjoyed with enthusiasm.

As the Netball World Cup ticks off in July 2023, Violet and Katie have been gifted the honour of watching the opening ceremony and a match in the city of Cape Town. They will also get to meet the wonderful mascot, that Violet so beautifully designed.

Named Letsatsi, meaning the sun, the mascot name represents the rise of women and girls in Africa.

As well as providing Violet with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, this accolade has also boosted her street credit, making her a prominent name on social media.

“We were invited to the World Netball Headquarters and Violet is all over social media, especially in South Africa, she was even mentioned on a breakfast television show.

“I don’t think Violet even realises how huge this is yet, she’s just so excited to have won,” Katie said.

But, the Mossley Hollins student has high hopes for a career in netball, and dreams of playing for Manchester Thunder.

“Everything in Violet’s life is situated around netball. She watches it on YouTube, she plays it at school, and spends her weekends playing matches.

“We travelled across the country in the summer for tournaments, I love that Violet plays netball and is part of such a great team, we never expected how much it would change our lives,” her mum said.

As a parent, Katie sees first hand just how amazing the benefits of sport are for her child.

“I was sporty as a child, and I always wanted my kids to be a part of a team. A team teaches you so much, you learn how to win, lose, handle situations and so many more life skills.

“Aside from this, she also has great fitness levels. She trains twice a week, three hours in total and it is fantastic exercise for her,” she said.

At just 11-years-old, Violet is already making waves in her sport. She is dedicated, committed, and most of all, she truly loves netball.

Do you know an inspirational sporting woman in Tameside or Glossop?

Women in Sport is a weekly column which shares the incredible stories of ladies involved in sport across the area. We are always on the lookout for fresh stories to tell. To nominate someone for the column or get involved yourself, please email Katie on katie.catherall@questmedianetwork.co.uk. 

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