Charissa Barham and husband Andy with their children Mana, 7 (left), Kade, 11, and Anika, 9, at their beef cattle farm along Aorangi Rd in Kereru. PHOTO/Warren Buckland
IT'S just one of those days for Charissa Barham, fulfilling her obligations with the Woodford House prizegiving ceremony only the day after returning from Auckland where she was appointed New Zealand Secondary Schools netball assistant coach.
As it turns out school's out for the year but Barham's day isn't over just yet, as she prepares to cut a track from the village to Napier to attend 9-year-old daughter Anika's ballet rehearsal.
But it's not a biggie because she'll be "floating about" so she'll try to accommodate the HB Today photographer for a portrait in the new family habitat, a livestock farm they bought early this year in Keruru, about half an hour's drive out of Hastings CBD.
Somewhere in that chaotic state of existence, the second-year head of department of physical education at Woodford finds her happy place, which is essentially a beautiful nightmare.
"We're beef farmers. It feels funny to say that," says the 41-year-old, revealing she and former Magpies husband Andy Barham sold their fitness gym in the village to acquire the farm.
A sense of selflessness overcomes her when you ask her about what it means to become an assistant to former Silver Ferns squad member Mary-Jane Araroa.
"Exciting. Amazing. It's a whole lot of pride but it's not about what it means to me but the area.
"You know, it's what you can bring back. The pride, the opportunity. You kind of feel it's always kind of an honour to be in an athlete's life and coach some of the athletes I've watched for a few years so it's a pretty amazing feeling.
"It's not about me at all. It's always about the bigger picture to have a positive impact somewhere."
That invariably takes Barham, the co-coach of the elite Netball Hawke's Bay Super 6 winter competition, back to her roots.
"For me my biggest focus is to go back to where I'm from. No matter what I learn or what I do this is where I'm from."
The Havelock North "born-and-bred girl" reveals her parents, June and Harold, were coaches in everything she took part in growing up so the values and rewards of mentoring rubbed off on her.
"I think it was just an extension of what my parents did," she says, disclosing her father coached the Havelock North High softball teams.
"Actually I used to coach the Woodford House softball team as a student," says the former Havelock North High School pupil.
Regardless of whether it is netball, softball or any other sport, that is what they are as a family.
"We were always taught to give back," she says, revealing when she left HNHS as a pupil she received an award for someone who religiously gave something back to the school.
"That is part of who I am and what I stand for and I'll probably always take that with me."
She readily admits she can't possibly fulfil her coaching and Netball New Zealand (NNZ) emerging talent selector roles without the help of her husband, parents, friends and pupils.
"You know, without all of them being supportive you just couldn't do it."
Barham's lifeexperiences in themselves are good educators, including the setting up and sale of the gym, Peak Fitness and Health, in Havelock North and farm.
"That helped me in a different sort of way but it was still coaching," she says of the gym.
Barham salutes the netball world for the opportunities and everyone who has been part of her rollercoaster journey.
"I have really a great head coach who is inclusive and has an amazing vision for the team so to be included in a national camp, to be part of planning it, in just being serving or helping out is pretty cool."
Husband Andy is prepared to take charge on the domestic front and the children when she'll be away.
"He almost had to sign my contract for me," she says. "I had to talk it through with him but he's been extremely supportive and I'm really lucky."
Her parents and Andy's as well, Erica and Mike Barham, are a godsend as babysitters for their three children, including boys Kade, 11, and Mana, 7.
Barham was coaching at Havelock North High School for nine years before embracing Napier Girls' High School as of late.
She was a pupil player/coach at the village high school as well before graduating in 1993.
"The reason why I've applied is that I've been coaching since I was 15 years old and I haven't had a year off, even through having kids."
At Havelock North High, she coached her first junior team and that's something demanding but priceless.
"Yes, coaching gets you out of bed every morning."
Barham's quite comfortable to mentor youngsters from Year 1 to high-performance athletes.
"That doesn't worry me because I'll get coaching in whatever I can get.
"Whenever I'm coaching I'll get whatever I can. I'll probably make mistakes but I'll learn."
Every girl she ever coached, she feels has enabled her to take risks for exciting rewards, regardless of whether they worked or didn't.
She is well aware coaches are on borrowed time, making their roles finite so making most of that time is imperative.
"Part of that high-performance athlete development is exciting with all the strategies in place and giving things a go."
Barham has been at the coalface of Netball Central Zone, especially in the Bay, for several years. She has deputised for Annemarie Kupa, who is the coach of perennial Super 6 champions Otane Thirsty Whale, in the Hawke's Bay representative equation at the nationals.
The NZSS assistant coach appointment is Barham's first high-performance appointment with Netball NZ.
She has taught in Manawatu, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Tararua and the Bay provinces before returning to the Bay 14 years ago.