This year we have 20 talent spotters around the Mainland region watching our Y11 and Y12 netball athletes. Over the next 3 years we will be watching all age groups from Y11 upwards, and depending on demands, our 2024 talent spotters may be able to watch more age groups this year. 

How the talent spotting process works: 

• Club, school and rep coaches have the opportunity to nominate Y11 and Y12 players they believe have potential to go further in their netball careers.   

• Your Centres Talent Spotter will ensure all nominated players are seen at least twice throughout the season, as well as aiming to view all top-level players in that age group at least once throughout the season.   

• Some Centres run Emerging Talent programmes or have Development squads which are places the Talent Spotters can attend.  

• Once players have been ‘confirmed’ as talented from Centre Talent Spotters they are then passed along to the Talent Spotting PANEL.   

• The Talent Spotting Panel will attend rep tournaments – Kings Birthday comp (U16/U18), NZ U18’s in Dunedin, South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) and New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) to watch these confirmed players, and more.   

• 30 players will then be invited to attend an Advanced Camp in Christchurch after the season, which will present one final opportunity for players to be observed and selected for NDC.   

• 15 players are then selected for National Development Camp (NDC).  

Nomination forms have been sent out to Centres to pass along to club and school coaches. If you haven't received a nomination form, please email crystal.wilkinson@netballmainland.co.nz and I will get one out to you.  

Each Centre has a Talent Spotter lead – they are the ones that collect the nomination forms and make a plan for the season to ensure all players are watched. 

Once the talent spotters receive your nomination form, they will view your players.  

We appreciate everyone's help in this massive process. We thank everyone for taking the time to help us identify top talent in our Mainland region. This is just the start of what we have planned, but a great place to start, as this is where the NZ Pathway starts. 

Article added: Thursday 06 June 2024