Pearce climbs coaching ranks

Wanganui's Annette Pearce has taken a big step in her netball coaching career by claiming the No 2 spot with the Central region Trans-Tasman team for next year's new competition.
The professional team has yet to gain a name that's next in the line of things to do but Pearce says trials for playing berths are likely to be as early as December in Wellington.
The Wanganui woman, a former coach of New Zealand Secondary Schools and current assistant for New Zealand A, played 12 years for the Wanganui representative side under the coaching of Dot Belliss and Vanda Buttars, and started her own coaching with the Pirates Club back when present Silver Fern Jolene Henry was playing in the River City. She's recently been looking after the Collegiate netball team. "My base for coaching came from Wanganui that's where it all started," Pearce said yesterday.
She joins chief coach Kate Carpenter, who will be busy with her Singapore team until the end of the World Championships in Auckland next month.
Pearce was told of her appointment a few days ago but the announcement was made yesterday. She coached Western into a best-yet finish of fifth at the national Scottwood Trust championships in Palmerston North a couple of weeks ago. Carpenter attended those championships to run her eye over potential players for Central.
Pearce, at that stage, had not even been interviewed for the Central job.
The two first met last year when Pearce took the New Zealand Secondary Schools team to Adelaide for the International Schoolgirls Netball Challenge, a tournament Pearce and her team won. Carpenter again had a Singapore team there for the Tasman Trophy matches.
"I found her really good," Pearce said. "It will be great working under Kate with her overseas experience and also having that link with Jill McIntosh as well."
McIntosh is director of coaching for Central, and is a former highly successful Australian coach.
Pearce has no idea how many applicants she was fighting against. "But I'm sure there were quite a few because we have such a large region."
The length of Pearce's contract is yet to be finalised. From now on? "I know they're looking to have trials, probably in early December, and I'll be keeping in contact with Kate because she's back in Singapore until the world champs. We're just now working through everything what players are putting their hands up for trialling etc." Pearce will not be shifting house from the Wanganui area. "No, Wanganui's home."
There is no news yet on which players might be signed.