Bay of Plenty Polytechnic is offering the country's first tertiary qualification in netball with the sport now becoming a viable career option, particularly overseas.
The Tauranga-based polytechnic is introducing a 17-week, fulltime course covering all aspects of netball that will see students gaining a Certificate in Netball.
Students can then move on
to a National Certificate in Fitness course which would open up further career opportunities and, from there, could go on to a two-year Diploma in Sport and Recreation course, followed by a year at Auckland University to gain a degree.
Tina Masters, of Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, said the course would be largely hands-on with some theory, covering all aspects of netball including development, administration, umpiring, coaching and associated fitness and nutrition.
Training camps and block courses would also be part of the studies and it was hoped there would be some involvement by the Silver Ferns.
The course would result in "holistic netballers," providing them with the skills and background to pursue a career in the sport, she said.
And there are plenty of opportunities for those with such a qualification, especially overseas in countries where netball is growing fast, according to International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) president Sheryl Dawson, of Netball Bay of Plenty.
There were plenty of job opportunities in the United States which is hosting the 2005 World Youth Championships, she said.
Meanwhile, countries like Singapore were looking for people to help develop the game, to coach, umpire, administer and teach all three and Japan, Korea, China and several African nations were all becoming increasingly interested in netball and looking for people to help them establish and develop the game.
"There are huge opportunities starting to happen ... a qualification in netball would not be one with a dead-end pathway," Dawson said.
The course, which would be heavily subsidised and accessible to all women, would also be an option for women keen to get back into the workforce, she said.
The polytechnic has worked closely with Netball Bay of Plenty to develop the course, part of which will see students working in schools around the region, helping with coaching and the development of coaches. In this way the course would benefit the sport in the region from day one, Masters said.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
