Each winter hundreds of people from primary school children to adults take to Saxton Field to play netball. Organisers say this year will be a big one for the code.
Netball season is fast approaching and Nelson Netball Centre board member and a lifetime lover of the sport, Lisa Friis, says there are some exciting initiatives underway for netball in Nelson.
Lisa serves NNC as an appointed board member and has played netball for most of her life. Passionate about the sport from a young age, Lisa is excited to see more younger players becoming involved and more inclusion for male participation.
The Nelson Netball Centre has been undergoing a restructure in its day-to-day workings and Lisa explains this as being a perfect opportunity to revitalise the experience their members receive. “The real focus is looking after the netball community. There is so much that goes on in the background. When I was only playing the sport, I had no idea what was being organised behind the scenes. We want our life members, officials, volunteers, umpires, players, and everyone who is involved to feel a real sense of community within the centre.”
NNC is promoting the Netball Smart drive and Balance is Better campaigns, with centre activator Ani-Marie Waitai leading the charge and covering all centres in the Top of the South.
Netball Smart is a Netball NZ and ACC-funded national programme developed by former Silver Ferns’ physiotherapist, Sharon Kearney. The framework is made up of six principles helping to improve performance in a sport by preventing injuries.
Ani’s key role is to support the delivery of Netball Smart and Balance is Better principles and practices within the Nelson centre and its surrounding areas.
Holding a deep passion for the sport, Ani is keen to share her knowledge and years of training with players and says the initiatives are about helping players across all codes of sport bring out the best versions of themselves from a ‘grassroots’ level.
Leigh Gibbs, former Silver Fern gold medalist and head coach, holds many strings to her bow. Currently the general manager for NCC, Leigh is leaving the Centre soon to take an opportunity with New Zealand Netball, but will remain locally and, Lisa says, will still provide great support to NNC.
Leigh is enthusiastic about the new initiatives and says the restructure is all about delivering the best netball experience to its members. Including warm-up times into the game schedules are a great part of the Netball Smart initiative, says Leigh, with the aim of trying to reduce sports-related injuries. The number of sports injuries are higher in teens, she says, but as players get older these injuries can become harder and more expensive to fix.
The new strategies are about taking care of all involved, she says, from players to staff, volunteers and management. “We are hoping to build a better future for Netball Nelson and for the sport as a whole.”
“To mitigate the risk around ACL injuries for example, we have factored more time to stretch and warm-up into the overall court-time.” An added bonus being that congested traffic in surrounding carparks during the netball season has been alleviated by the extra cushioning of time for caregivers to pick up and drop off players.
The incorporation of the Sport New Zealand ‘Balance is Better’ (BIB) campaign into NNC is another programme that the club is excited about sharing. Balance is Better is a proven philosophy designed to support quality sport experiences for all young people, regardless of ability, needs and motivations. It is about young people staying involved in sport for life and realising their potential at the right time.
“We are wanting to provide a better environment for kids to choose to stay in sports. We collaborate with them, the player, and put them at the forefront of the decision-making,” says Leigh.
NNC is also encouraging the participation of more males into the sport with the hopes of seeing a rise in numbers and the ability to host both women's and men's competitions in the future.
According to both Leigh and Lisa, the ability for men to participate in the sport over the years has been restricted, however, they say, international rules have eased and clubs are now able to encourage more people to participate at a more ‘profound level’.
For the first time, this year will see a fullyfledged all-male team participating in the premier competition, as an invitation team.
Leigh believes having both men and women playing, including mixed teams, gives a new edge to the sport pushing players' abilities and forcing them to use different strategies to their normal gameplay.
“It enables players to enjoy a game using all of their skill sets. I do not believe one has more of an advantage over the other. Just different abilities and skill sets, and it uses all of the players experience and expertise to create a different style of play. We would love to have more men involved and grow the sport.”
Lisa agrees, adding that getting more males involved in the sport is fantastic and long overdue. “As a player, I love going up against a men's team, they are so tough to compete against. It’s a whole different way of playing.”
Jared Lock heads up the men's division at NNC and is excited about the nationwide push to create a pathway for male netball players. “At the moment, boys can only play netball up until age thirteen. What we are now trying to create is a pathway in the format of a men's division so that these kids can choose to carry on participating, with a sport that they love, at more than just a social level.”
The move has been a work in progress, says Jared, with a goal of having enough men's teams to compete at premiership level in 3-4 years.
Embracing youth culture and bringing a new perspective into the centre is the boards’ youth representative, Isla McTague. Lisa says Isla is already making her voice heard for the youth sector.
“Isla brings an enthusiasm and refreshing perspective on things.” Lisa says she has embraced the role and is quickly bringing the centre up to speed on the social media interaction with their youth members.
Having played netball since she was five years old, Isla says introducing the new initiatives into the centre is an extremely important step. “Netball Smart and Balance is Better are resources that are one hundred per cent vital for young players and helping them to find that balance in sport, and in their family and life.”
Relishing her new role, she says that the opportunity to have a youth representative on the board is a great way for the centre to get another fresh perspective and is a role that she is very much enjoying.
Trials are already underway for the top tier teams, but registrations for social clubs are open until mid-April for those looking at getting involved.
Visit nelsonnetball.co.nz for more information and a list of club contacts.
Words: Amy Russ
