There's a very good chance that netball was one of the sports that was compulsory at your school. Not only was it inclusive and fairly easy to play, but it also required little equipment and had a low injury rate tanks to the comparative lack of contact. Inevitably, being forced into it meant that a lot of girls instantly hated it on principle, but such is the power of the sport that once it got its little claws hooked into you, that was it for you. Endless love. As a teenager, working hard wasn't at the top of everyone's agenda and you would rather focus on how you look, your popularity and your love interest. You wanted to wear plimsolls during a game because they were comfy, cheap and looked better than those chunky things that the girls on the team were wearing. You didn't even care if they didn't support your feet and hurt your ankles because you looked good and were following the fashion. You were allocated different equipment to put away, pump some air into the balls and you were always picked on to recommend a decent stretch. Some girls were far too competitive and treated every match like a World Cup game and others didn't even understand the footwork rule. Teams were always uneven in terms of talent and skill but at least you were having a laugh with your friends. Well, you were until it started raining...
20. Carrying Your Kit In Designer Plastic Bags
Everyone knew that high school was just another name for a fashion show. Instead of carrying around a backpack - which only the geeks did - or use two bags on game/PE days, you had to make sure that you carried your kit in a good plastic bag. These were from the best shops in the high street and you only bought things from them in order to get a plastic bag, because it didn't' occur to your teenage self to simply ask for one. You could never actually afford anything from the shop, so you only went in when there was a sale on or when it was your birthday. How else were you supposed to carry your netball kit around?
