The innovative five-day program created opportunities for the ADF, One Netball Tonga and League for Life Tonga, under the Team Up program, to connect.
Over 100 participants, across both sporting codes took part in sessions covering coaching, umpiring, nutrition, first aid, CPR and strength and conditioning. Boosting the confidence of Tongan coaches and officials, who rely on trainers visiting from Australia to share their expertise.
Tonga Netball Association official Lavelua Taulahi said the program has helped to build more developed trainers, coaches, first aiders, umpires and players.
“We’re hoping that these participants, with the developed skills and knowledge they have gained, will take it back to their schools, their communities, their clubs, their workplaces and make use of these skills,” said Taulahi.
“To be a coach you first have to build your relationship with your team members, get to know them better…give them opportunities to know what went wrong and to build on that,” said Mereani Mateyabaki, who participated in the netball workshop.
ADF Pacific Sports Programme Manager Group Captain Jay Clarke highlighted the benefits of the virtual program.
“The virtual programmes have proven highly successful across the Pacific with several being delivered in PNG, Fiji and now Tonga. The programmes delivered virtually from Australia have been well received and are important in building sports capacity in officiating and support roles which is in high demand in the Pacific.”
CPL Todd Tavasci 1 CHB and the PTI team at Townsville who delivered the strength, conditioning and nutrition package in the program said “it was an extremely rewarding experience to engage our Pacific partners and assist with developing sports trainers in our regional sporting community”.
