Empowering Tomorrow’s Netball Stars: Future Ferns in Action Across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty

This season, our Netball community across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty has been buzzing with energy as we champion the futureFERNS programme. Designed to support our young talent, futureFERNS is all about making netball more accessible, fun, and developmentally appropriate for kids.

A pivotal milestone came in February when we hosted a futureFERNS Coach Developer Training Day. These Coach Developers are the backbone of our programme, guiding and mentoring our volunteer coaches. Armed with fresh insights, Kim and I have co-delivered many futureFERNS workshops from March through April—and with several more planned for May has provided great momentum for many of our Centres to start the season. 

Our next step? Empowering Netball Centres to take the lead. Soon, these Centres will have the tools to run their own coaching support independently with capable Coach Developers locally, ensuring their futureFERNS programmes thrive with happy coaches and even happier players.

Alongside this, we’ve had a blast supporting ‘Give it a Go’ days at Eastern Waikato Netball Centre and Õtorohanga, inviting kids to experience the joy of netball firsthand and walking side-by-side with new coaches to answer questions, share techniques and support them where needed. 

We’re just getting started! Stay tuned for more inspiring stories, upcoming events, and ways you can get involved as we build a brighter future for young netballers.

Building Netball Brick by Brick: Woolworths Netball Figurines Inspire futureFERNS

This season, futureFERNS took on a whole new creative twist thanks to our partnership with Woolworths. The supermarket chain introduced a netball-themed figurine, designed like a mini LEGO brick, and we brought these to life in a fun and playful way.

At our AGM in March, we invited attendees to craft vibrant LEGO netball scenes using these figurines—a playful nod to the teamwork and creativity at the heart of netball. Congratulations to Whakatane, Tauranga and Gisborne Netball Centres who scored themselves some junior netballs for their creative scenes. But the fun doesn’t stop there—we also rolled out colouring-in pictures at Netball Centres. Kids across the region are now bringing these netball scenes to life with colour, and we can’t wait to see their creativity.

Each Netball Centre will send in their top three artworks, and soon, we’ll be choosing one ultimate Zone winner. It’s just another innovative way we’re engaging the netball whānau, bringing fun, creativity, and a love for the game to every child in the futureFERNS journey.

Creating Positive Game Day Experiences: Bringing Good Sports to Life

Over the past two years, a key focus across our Netball Centres has been strengthening the visibility and understanding of Good Sports—an initiative centred on the powerful role adults play in shaping young people’s experiences in sport.
This season, we’re taking that commitment one step further. Rather than Good Sports being something that sits on the sidelines, we’re working alongside Centres to embed it into their identity—so it becomes a natural and visible part of every game day.

A key development has been the creation of our Good Sports Padlet, a practical and accessible hub filled with ideas and resources designed to support centres in bringing the initiative to life. From recognising and celebrating positive sideline behaviour with parent certificates, to creating a vibrant atmosphere with upbeat music signalling the start of games, these small but meaningful actions all contribute to a more enjoyable environment for our young players.

Centres are also exploring ways to reinforce positive messaging through their codes of conduct and social media platforms—helping to set clear expectations and celebrate the values that make our netball community strong.

Ultimately, Good Sports is about more than just behaviour—it’s about creating a culture where tamariki feel supported, encouraged, and inspired to love the game. By embedding these practices into everyday experiences, our centres are helping ensure that netball remains a positive, inclusive, and enjoyable space for all.
 

Article by: Aime Te Whata, WBOP Zone Participation Lead
Article added: Wednesday 06 May 2026