A combined initiative between Netball Australia, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Netball Samoa is set to boost opportunities for Samoan officials to get involved in netball.
A five-day virtual training program aimed towards coaching and umpiring will be delivered between 14-19 November for 30 current and perspective netball officials in Samoa.
Additionally, NRL Samoa and ADF Touch will run a similar program.
The workshop will help build a workforce in Samoa to increase the number of coaches and umpires who can deliver safe, inclusive, and accessible netball programs.
The virtual program will be the fourth in the Pacific under the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Team Up initiative, following highly successful virtual camps in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and most recently Tonga.
The Team Up program aims to attract and retain participants and strengthen Indo-Pacific relations, while creating safe, inclusive and accessible outlets for netball. This workshop will deliver on all three of those central outcomes.
The training will be run out of the Tanoa Resort in Apia, Samoa with instructors, including Defence Physical Training Instructors, participating virtually from Townsville, Melbourne and Sydney.
It will present the opportunity for coaches, referees, sports trainers and strength and conditioning coaches to become internationally accredited.
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said being able to help other nations through partnerships like the ADF would help further the success of the sport.
“Our sport relies on coaches and officials to direct the movements of the game and provide a safe environment to foster the development of upcoming athletes,” Ryan said.
“Having seen the successful outcomes from Tonga's coaching and officials workshop this year, it brings much excitement for Samoa, and I look forward to seeing the learnings actioned as netball grows globally.”
Former Queensland Firebird and Australian Diamond, Clare Ferguson, and Suncorp Super Netball official Tim Marshall will lead the workshop virtually.
As a current Assistant Coach at the Queensland Firebirds, Ferguson will facilitate the coaching workshop, while Marshall will deliver the officiating workshop.
Marshall said having opportunities to facilitate workshops like these would help build and strengthen the knowledge of officials in Samoa.
“With Australia being a leading nation in netball, I think it’s vital that we play our part in developing the sport internationally,” Marshall said.
“We are lucky enough to have some excellent resources and programs available to us as well as some of the best officials in the world who pass down their skills and knowledge.
“My approach when presenting is to build confidence and focus on the basics of umpiring first as it can be quite intimidating when you first step out onto a netball court to umpire, but even practicing little things like blowing a whistle to get used to it can help immensely.”
Netball Samoa CEO Rosemarie Lome echoed the significance behind the officials workshop and its impact on her community.
“Every person belongs to a family, and every family belongs family belongs to a person,” Lome said.
“This workshop is a great steppingstone for our netball community to grow as a family with the idea that Netball Samoa is that safe space in which it truly embodies a family.”
