Participation is an exciting space to be in this season, with so much happening across our Zone! From Good Sports initiatives and futureFERNS, to player development programmes and new competitions kicking off in our Centres — we’ve certainly been kept on our toes.

Where to start?

Let’s begin with some of the exciting funded projects gaining momentum across our Zone.

At Waihi Netball Centre, secondary school participation was identified as a key focus area for the season. In response, they launched a new collegiate grade, attracting teams from neighbouring centres, and recently wrapped up a 6-week player development programme. Year 9–13 students from Waihi and beyond took part in sessions focused on fundamental netball skills. A highlight was a special visit from Sam Winders and NetballSmart, who helped the girls better understand their bodies and how to stay injury-free and court-ready.

Following the success of this initiative, Waihi is now rolling out a similar programme for Year 7–8s, who will enjoy the same high-quality development over the coming weeks.

Another standout project is happening in the junior umpiring space at Te Aroha Netball Centre. In a bid to strengthen their Good Sports kaupapa, they’ve provided junior umpires with bright T-shirts featuring the empowering message: “Players are learning, so am I.”

Alongside this, they’ve done an incredible job upskilling umpire coaches to support and mentor these young officials. Impressively, their junior competitions are now entirely umpired by students (Years 7–13), and several college students are stepping up as mentors and coaches. The T-shirts alone have boosted confidence — one young umpire described it as the “power of the pink T’s”! We’re excited to see how this initiative grows.

And there’s more to come — with several more projects on the radar, we can’t wait to share more success stories from across our zone.

Good Sports and Positive Vibes Only!

On our centre visits so far, we’ve absolutely loved seeing the Good Sports posters displayed and vests in action! We’re also hearing great stories about how you’re weaving Good Sports into your centres — whether it’s through coaching workshops, sharing your code of conduct, or incorporating supportive messages at quarter-time on game day. It’s inspiring to see how you bring this kaupapa to life.

Meanwhile, Positive Vibes Only (PVO) has really taken off, with Tokoroa leading the way thanks to the support of Sport Waikato. Their multi-code PVO pop-up day brought together Zone Staff, Magic Players, and local leaders to promote positivity — and what a brilliant day it was!

If you’d like to host a PVO pop-up at your centre, don’t hesitate to reach out to Amanda or Aimee — we’d love to support you.

It’s been an incredible start to the season, and we’re so proud of the passion, innovation, and commitment shown across our centres. Whether it's growing participation, empowering young leaders, or championing positive sideline behaviour, the collective mahi is making a real difference. Let’s keep the momentum going — here’s to a season full of growth, connection, and Positive Vibes Only!

Article by: Aime Te Whata, WBOP Zone Participation Lead
Article added: Sunday 25 May 2025