Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Netball: All In to help mould HB 'secret weapon'

Anendra Singh
By Anendra Singh
Sports editor·Hawkes Bay Today·
11 May, 2016 04:40 PM5 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Barbara Thompson (centre) is an exciting work in progress with co-coaches Charissa Barham and Kane Makea for the Super 6 cauldron. Photo / Warren Buckland

Barbara Thompson (centre) is an exciting work in progress with co-coaches Charissa Barham and Kane Makea for the Super 6 cauldron. Photo / Warren Buckland

If raw talent is the playdough of progress then Charissa Barham has already got her work cut out in the sandpit of Super 6 netball.

The All In Elusive co-coach is out to mould something remarkable as she embarks on her pet project with Barbara Thompson.

"She has athleticism, outstanding positional play and raw enthusiasm," says Barham of the defender who made her debut in the opening round of the Hawke's Bay premier club level in Napier last Friday.

The 27-year-old thrived in All In's 48-29 victory over Central Sports Vet Services HB although the coach reckons goal defence Emily McLaren's unassuming presence in front provides Thompson the ideal fulcrum to lever her prowess.

"Barb needs to be put up against better shooters," says Barham but that is unlikely tomorrow against Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri, after the 66-16 christening from defending champions Otane Thirsty Whale.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

So let's hear it from the woman herself although, she hastens to add, she doesn't want to come across as egotistical.

"I'm told I'm quick but I can be quicker," says the mother of three who is a front-of-office supervisor of a health food supplement business in Napier.

The Putaruru-born netballer used to play for Napier Technical in the senior two grade when she arrived here in late 2009.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

During that tenure it was common for her to hear people remark on how she belonged in the Super 6 arena.

Mothers often brought their daughters along to take photos with Thompson after senior two games.

"I'm quite loyal to friends," says Thompson, who was content to hang out with friend Connie Crystal at Napier Tech.

It was at the HB senior women's trials last August that defence specialist Barham spotted Thompson.

Discover more

Netball: 'All In' have what it takes to get job done

04 May 04:43 PM

Netball: So who will beat Otane?

04 May 04:46 PM

Netball: Halftime break too long says Otane coach

06 May 05:23 PM

Rowing: Bay teens take on world

12 May 04:41 PM

As luck would have it, Crystal was good friends with Barham so when she switched allegiances to All In Thompson followed and thus began the education of Thompson.

For the player who "likes to hunt that ball", Thompson doesn't know what she's capable of so "to have a ball in my hand now it's just crazy".

"I'm told I'm quick but I can be quicker," she says, suspecting she needs to pack in a bit more courage and trust herself at the higher echelon.

"It's all new for me so it's good experience because I'm just coming out of my shell more."

Her innate sense of competitiveness drives her through a journey of self-discovery where diligence lets her cope with raising a family, working, playing netball and training with weights on the side.

"It's pretty cool. I love it at this level. The intensity is there and it pushes me to my limits."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Thompson is mindful that Super 6 contenders don't know her so she's a "secret weapon" for All In.

"I have lots to offer but I'm just getting my confidence right now. I like to see the whole court. I don't know my timing. I suppose I just play the game."

She stands at 1.75m, hardly the physical portfolio that causes a stir in netball-dom to counter rangy shooters but that doesn't faze her in the slightest.

"It's not about height actually. It's about how you play. It's about how you move, when you move and jump," she says, lending credence to Barham's assertion that Thompson averages four intercepts in a quarter.

The work ethic goes back to the family of a small-town girl whose parents toiled to nurture five daughters and two sons.

Her father supported her through sport in high school, where she was open to any code, including rugby, netball, tennis and interschool athletics.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

But life had other plans for the girl who showed promise in netball from the age of 6.

"I got pregnant when I was 15," says Thompson, who was at the cusp of going on a tour of Australia with the Putaruru Senior A netball team.

She harbours no regrets in having her son although she suddenly had to adapt to switch lanes in the rush hour of life.

"Mentally I had to grow up pretty quickly but I had a lot of support because I was a solo mum for a few years.

"Mum took care of my son but as soon as I knocked off school I was mother."

At 17 she moved to the Coromandel Peninsula, where she played netball for Waihi premiers for a year.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I did have some coaching that year but I don't think it was enough.

"I didn't learn anything off anything until I started working with Reece [Barham]."

Thompson has embraced her three months of tuition under All In co-coaches Barham and Kane Makea.

She's heard a lot of comments about how much farther she could have gone had she kept continuity with netball from a younger age. But she's in a happy place, content with life and enjoying the now while her partner supports her.

"Who knows I might be trialling for development teams or something," she says when asked how far she wants to take the game.

"If the opportunity arises I'll take it and give it everything. With Reece behind me, I'm sure I will," she declares.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rd 2 Super 6:

Draws for the matches at 7.15 tomorrow:

* PGA 1: All In Elusive v Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri.
Umpires: P Castles & N Corbett.

* PGA 2: Hastings High School Old Girls' Proactive Huias v Central Sports Vet Services HB.
Umpires: D Thomas & K Ives.

* PGA 3: Outkast Optimise Physio v Otane Thirsty Whale.
Umpires: T Gardiner & H Lewis.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Hawkes Bay Today

Stephen Hoyle to swap NZ amateur league football for pro A-League

02 Jul 05:00 PM
Sport

Inside the Rovers: Road trip blues

Hawkes Bay Today

Napier City Rovers face must-win clashes to keep league hopes alive

25 Jun 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Stephen Hoyle to swap NZ amateur league football for pro A-League

Stephen Hoyle to swap NZ amateur league football for pro A-League

02 Jul 05:00 PM

The A-League job is the next step in the Kiwi footballer's career as a head coach.

Inside the Rovers: Road trip blues

Inside the Rovers: Road trip blues

Napier City Rovers face must-win clashes to keep league hopes alive

Napier City Rovers face must-win clashes to keep league hopes alive

25 Jun 05:00 PM
Premium
'His death has had a huge impact': Napier First XV's inspiration

'His death has had a huge impact': Napier First XV's inspiration

23 Jun 10:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP