Young netball leaders recognised

NETBALL LEADERS: Participants in the Netball NZ Netball Leaders Programme met Silver Ferns great Irene van Dyk when she spoke and presented awards in Gisborne at the weekend. Together for a picture are (from left) Samara McLeod, Mia Webby, Irene van Dyk, Cassidy Clark, Alani McLeod, Lillie-Mae Valentine, Saskia Diamond, Charlotte Kingsford, Zeva Peard and Caitlyn Huhu. Absent: Dipasha Narayan, Jess Hayward, Alice Sparks, Lily Heuser, Cassandra Pritzwald-Stegmann, Khaila Brooks, Cleo Ciochetto, Sandira Halaifonua, Ebonie Hitchens and Anita Hungahunga-Smith. Picture supplied

Road closures on the East Coast on Saturday thwarted plans for the Future Ferns netball festival at Victoria Domain, but the youth leadership awards were still presented by Silver Ferns legend Irene van Dyk.

Gisborne Netball Centre youth development officer Monique McLeod said a major focus of the Future Ferns Festival had been to involve rural youngsters, but wet weather meant the festival had to be postponed.

“However, it was fantastic to still be able to come together and celebrate the achievements of our young leaders to date,” McLeod said.

“Having Irene there to present the awards and impart some words of wisdom was really inspiring for our girls.

“As the participation lead for Netball New Zealand she is a strong advocate for Youth Voice,” McLeod said.

The Netball Leaders Programme uses netball as a vehicle to provide opportunities for young people to learn about leadership, develop their leadership skills and grow as leaders both on and off the court.

Participants can work towards bronze, silver and gold awards in one of three pathways — netball activator, umpire and or coach.

“Eighteen participants are at various stages of the bronze, silver and gold awards,” McLeod said.

“The bronze award engages participants in interactive leadership modules where they discuss a range of topics, including what effective leadership looks like, dealing with conflicting values, developing a growth mindset and actioning leadership.

“These modules have been delivered both in and out of school.

“A number of the participants are from Campion College, who were keen to support senior students who put their hand up to coach junior teams.”

McLeod said the Netball Leaders Programme was the perfect platform for helping them become more confident in their roles as coaches and umpires.

“The programme has also led to more students becoming a part of the GNC Youth Activation Group where they can also develop their skills as co-designers and deliverers of netball.

“The silver and gold award participants have opportunities to upskill and improve their confidence through a range of workshops and hands-on experiences assisting at netball events.

“We all know that sport requires volunteers to thrive so to have more and more youth step up in various roles is really encouraging.

“We aim to continue to wrap support around these amazing young people.

“In the wake of the Women's Rugby World Cup success and with the IWG World Conference on Women & Sport taking place in Aotearoa, I think it's timely that we remember how important it is to value and recognise female participation in sport . . . whether it be as players, officials or administrators.

“I'm really impressed with our young netball leaders and the various strengths they bring to the table. As a centre, we are grateful for what they do for the game and what they do to inspire others.”

The Netball Leaders Programme is available to any young people looking to develop their leadership skills and grow in confidence.

• Anyone wanting to find out more about the programme is asked to contact the Gisborne Netball Centre.