BY JULIE ASH
New Silver Ferns manager Jackie Barron quietly concedes that in her younger days she thought netball was a game for sissies.
Not interested in darting round a concrete court, Barron was more at home on a hockey field, basketball court or blazing up and down her local
pool.
"I didn't play netball till I was in my 20s. I thought netball was for sissies," she laughs.
"But I have changed my opinion."
Barron was appointed Silver Ferns manager in July, replacing long-time manager Sheryl Wells. She will embark on her first official assignment tomorrow when the team head to Australia for a three-test series.
The deputy principal at Gore High School, Barron comes to the job with a wealth of managerial experience.
She was the New Zealand under-21 manager for several years and has also managed the Southern Sting, the New Zealand academy and A teams.
"I was really lucky that I was playing basketball in Oamaru with [former Otago coach] Georgina Salter and she asked me if I'd be her manager.
"That got me into managing. I'd never really thought of it before then."
After six years of netball she decided to change tack and managed the New Zealand women's rugby side from 2001-2004.
But after three years away from hoops, Barron was ready to return to the netball fray and applied for the Silver Ferns job.
"It seemed a great opportunity and at the back of my mind it was something I had always wanted to have a crack at.
"I had missed the netball, I had loved the rugby and I would have stayed on quite happily. I would have loved to have done another world cup with them, but when the Silver Ferns job came up I just thought, this is the right move for me."
As Ferns manager, Barron is responsible for everything off the court, including the organisation of hotels, transport and sponsorship and media liaison.
Her introduction to the Silver Ferns came at a camp in Queenstown in August.
"I was a bit nervous. I had been out of netball for a while and you do do things differently, although there are a lot of things that are generic between sports codes.
"I was coming to a smaller group of people - I was used to 26 athletes and male coaches and management. I said to Ruth Aitken, 'It's a while since I have worked with a coach that has worn lipstick to training'.
"But I have got huge respect for both of those women [Aitken and her assistant, Leigh Gibbs]. They work well together and I just think they are so clever."
While there are a lot of similarities between the Silver Ferns and Black Ferns, Barron said the main difference was that the Silver Ferns had a greater profile.
"They are similar in that they know what they want and are prepared to work hard for it and they take pride in wearing that black jersey or black dress."
Barron, who also teaches English, said her pupils had responded positively to her new job.
"The students have ranged from being gobsmacked that I actually know Adine Harper to most of the boys wanting some of their phone numbers.
"They have been excited, I think, because they know even though I teach English I love sport and I think that is a good balance to show students.
"You can rave about Shakespeare and ... discuss the new All Black selections in the next breath."
Jackie Barron
* Born: Bay of Plenty
* Lives: Gore
* Occupation: Deputy principal of Gore High School.
Career highlights
* 2004: Silver Ferns manager
* 2001-2004: Black Ferns manager
* 1996-2000: New Zealand under-21 netball side manager
BY JULIE ASH
New Silver Ferns manager Jackie Barron quietly concedes that in her younger days she thought netball was a game for sissies.
Not interested in darting round a concrete court, Barron was more at home on a hockey field, basketball court or blazing up and down her local
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