2016 Centre Stage
Netball South Canterbury
 |
 |
At the planning meeting in November last year, goals were set in place for the 2016 season. One of these goals was to increase the number of grades that play indoor at the STEC from 2 grades to 3 and secure sponsorship to run this competition. Last year we had 6 teams in each grade and this year we have 8 so
along with our Premier and Premier Plate grades, a Secondary Schools Premier grade was introduced – numbers playing indoors up from 12 to 24!
With hard work from our Finance committee, sponsorship of each court has been achieved and we have also taken the initiative of local primary schools – who work on a roster system – providing ball girls/boys for each of the courts, wearing the sponsors t-shirt. The wee players love the experience, sitting beside the bench for the entire game and witnessing the playing on the court close-up as well as the coaching techniques at quarter times. The feedback from having our top Secondary schools teams inside has been fantastic and looks set to continue as will the junior players turning ‘ball people’ for the night – ready to go on the Breen Plumbing, Temuka Transport and Pita Pit courts are players from the Bluestone school.
Our ANZ futureFERNS are also inside at the STEC – a much nicer environment for the little ones than the outside courts! With 21 teams we have had to expand into the South Canterbury Cricket Centre to accommodate all, including a team made up of reserve players. It is wonderful to see the goals being scored and the leaps of joy that follow.
 |
 |
 |
The introduction at our courts of the ANZ futureFERNS year 5 Programme has also been a success – mainly due to the coaches having the wonderful NNZ resource and excellent instruction from our Coaching Development Officer Sarah Harvey. This has ensured that those mums brave enough to start coaching without heaps of experience have entered the season with confidence and are enjoying the coaching experience – happy coach, happy team!
The Umpires group has had a busy year with the introduction of the new rules – something every Centre has been adapting to. South Canterbury saw record numbers as 150 players attended a theory session that was held as a follow up to the New Rules Update Workshop. New technology has hit our Centre with Umpire Convenor Fay Trezise videoing white umpires during their games and at rep trials to aid the feedback process and pinpoint exactly what needs working on.
 |
 |
Our U17 rep team for 2016 has been named: Taylah Marr, Olivia Hughes, Mieka Taylor, Hannah Dungey, Ella Borlase-Evans, Erica Phillips, Sunny Hurtig, Sophie Beard, Teisha Holden, Bridey Flynn with the players coming from 5 different high schools. At their first tournament Queen’s Birthday weekend in ChCh, the management had a terrific plan of having ex Timaru and now Tactix player Nicola Mackle (2nd from left back row) present the girls with their dresses. What a thrill – and the girls also had the experience of seeing Nicole in action as they attended the Tactix game that same weekend.
We are looking forward to an exciting season and hope it is the same for all Centres in the Zone.