(April 10, 2013) More than 100 coaches from across the Western Cape turned up the Netball South Africa Spar Proteas Road Show that launched at the Western Cape Sports School in Kuils River.

The road show is a country-wide drive aimed at improving the standard of coaching from grass roots level up.

Spar Proteas national team coach Elize Kotze, took the school and club coaches through the latest international coaching techniques on April 9 to bring them up to speed with international best practice.

Netball SA wants to assist coaches to develop players who can meet the needs of international competition.  The programme included among others Coaching ethics/bench protocol; Coach and player relationships; Skills coaching and Tactical play.

“This is wonderful, I’m really glad that we having coaching of this magnitude at local level,” said Danlee Mathews, a coach at the Western Cape Sports School.”

“The programme is well structured and it’s especially good to know what the national coach expects of us and what she would like us to do.”

University of the Western Cape coach Magdalene Wagner said the training was valuable for coaches at all levels.

“The variations and movement that the coaches are being exposed to going to help in improving training. I encourage those coaches in other venues to attend the workshops,” said Wagner.

Coach Elize Kotze said she was overjoyed with the turnout and would and Cape Town set the foundation for a successful tour.

“I’ve tried to instil the type of thinking that the best exponents of the sport currently employ.  The enthusiasm and reception that we have received here today indicates that we have a very passionate and committed netball culture in this part of the world.

“I believe we’ll see similar response during the rest of the tour,” said Kotze.

Participants received a Mitre ball and a training DVD to assist when they return to their clubs and schools. A follow up tour will be held later in the year.

(April 22, 2013 – Potchefstroom) Netball coaches from across the North West Province descended on the Potchefstroom Girls High Schools to learn from Spar Proteas national team coach Elize Kotze.

The coaching clinic is part of Netball South Africa’s Spar Proteas Roadshow, a nation-wide series of coaching clinics supported by the Department of Sports and Recreation, which aims to elevate the standard of coaching at grass roots level.

Members of the Spar Proteas and Spar u/21 teams assist Kotze in demonstrating the drills and provide assistance on court.

About 50 coaches braved the cold and wet Potchefstroom weather on Friday April 19 to spend four hours with Kotze who took them through a programme that included coaching ethics/bench protocol; Coach and player relationships; Skills coaching and Tactical play.

The workshop was followed by a Presidents’ Tournament in which development teams from across North West competed for honours and Royal Bafokeng walked away with top honours.

“The questions and response I received was of people who want to learn. I just wanted to get the basic skills that can be implemented immediately,” said Kotze.

“Many of these coaches have never had any formal training so it important to offer them as much support as possible so that they can help to produce the best players,” said Kotze.

Netball South Africa President Mimi Mthethwa said the Roadshow was proving a real success thus far following it first event in Cape Town that drew more than 120 coaches.

“We need to say a big thank you to the Department of Sport and Recreation co-funding the presidents tournament ,” said Mthethwa.

Tshepiso Mosegino, a high school netball coach in Ikageng, Potchefstroom, said she found the workshop had given her much deeper insights.

“I’ve learnt a lot. I’ve been a coach for about 10 years now but now I know what I’m supposed to do. Before I was doing whatever came into my head – this and that. If they could have more such clinics it would be an eye opener.

“My favourite part of the training was the focus on defence. I didn’t really have much defence knowledge but this has helped a lot.”

Klerksdorp coach Joey Schoeman, a former U/21 national team coach, said the training would prove invaluable.

“At the end of the day the kids in the national teams come from our teams so they can’t get there if they don’t get proper coaching. The basics need to start at grass roots and if they don’t have that the kids will not be able to make it at higher levels.”

Spar Proteas U/21 squad member Fifi Tsotetsi said the training would help players to know what level the national coach expected.

“Not all coaches coach the same so when we get to squad camp some players can’t do a certain exercise because they haven’t been taught how to,” said Tsotetsi.

The Netball South Africa Spar Proteas Roadshow next travels to Limpopo-Polokwane on May 7 and Mpumalanga-White River on May 8.

Johannesburg, South Africa - The SPAR South African Under-21 netball team have a tough challenge in their opening match at the World Junior championships in Glasgow in August when they come up against defending champions Australia.

South Africa have been drawn in Group A, with Australia, Fiji, Israel and Namibia.  New Zealand are the top seeds in Group B, which includes Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Northern Ireland and Malta. Group C comprises of Jamaica, Wales, Samoa, Scotland and the Cayman Islands, and Group D is made up of England, Barbados, Singapore, Papua New Guinea and the Republic of Ireland.

“We’re in quite a difficult group,” said Under-21 coach Dorette Badenhorst.  “Australia won the last junior championships and Fiji finished just behind us.  We have to beat either one of them, or both, if we want to qualify for the Top Eight.”

Badenhorst said that while meeting Australia in their opening match would be difficult, she believed the Junior Proteas would be up to the challenge. “We are now training with the SPAR Proteas, and playing against the top players in the country will help the Under-21s get ready to meet Australia.  We played the Proteas during our training camp in Potchefstroom last week, and while the Under 21s were a bit over-awed in the first two quarters, they came back strongly in the third and fourth quarters. “I definitely believe we have it in us to perform well.”

The coach said South Africa would not take victory over Israel and Namibia for granted.

“We will take every match very seriously, but we think Australia and Fiji will be the most difficult to overcome,” she said. “We are determined to get through to the Top Eight, after which we will play crossover matches against the England group.”

Badenhorst said the extension of SPAR’s sponsorship to the Under-21 team meant that the Junior Proteas would be better prepared for the world championships. “They will be able to have more training camps, and we will be working closely with the senior Proteas and getting the benefit of their experience.  I’m confident that we are going to do better than our eighth position at the last junior world championships,” she said. The Junior Proteas will also be playing in a test series in May as preparations for their tour to Glasgow.

Johannesburg, South Africa - Netball South Africa’s (NSA’s) aim of joining the world’s top three netball nations took a major step forward on Wednesday with the announcement that long-time sponsor SPAR was renewing and increasing its sponsorship for the next three years.

“For the past 10 years, we have had a strong and close relationship with netball, which has become our flagship sponsorship,” said SPAR Director, Alison Zweers. “Sport provides an exciting platform on which to build our brand and women’s sport presents an excellent channel for this. A huge majority of our customers are women, and we believe we have a duty to support them in return. Netball provides us with a great opportunity to demonstrate our support for our customers. “Not many people know that Netball is South Africa’s second most popular sport (after soccer) and certainly the most popular sport amongst woman, who are important role players in the new South Africa.”

Zweers said the grocery giant was very excited by its sponsorship of netball. “Our increased sponsorship will include the Proteas, our country’s pride and joy, and a team we are so proud of,” she said. “We are also extending our sponsorship to the Under21 and Under19 squads, who are the future Proteas. It makes sense for us to take care of them as well, to ensure that netball continues to grow from strength to strength.”

She said SPAR would continue to sponsor the annual national championships, which played a major role in the development of the sport and also gave the sponsor an opportunity to reach out to netball regions across the country. “Lastly, we have reached an agreement with NSA’s television partner Supersport as a broadcast sponsor of netball. This is important as we need to expose this beautiful game and our sponsorship not only in South Africa, but throughout Africa and the world,” said Zweers.

“We are delighted to renew our very strong relationship with SPAR,” said NSA President Mimi Mthethwa. “They have been with us through thick and thin, and have helped the Proteas to improve their world ranking.  We are sixth in the world, and with their help we believe we can break into the top three. “It is really an honour for us to have such a big household name supermarket involved with the most popular women’s sport in the country.”

Mthethwa said NSA was particularly pleased that the sponsorship was being extended to include the Under21 and Under19 squads. “They are the stars of the future and the players that could take us right to the top,” she said. “SPAR’s support will be invaluable.  For instance, the Under21s are currently preparing for the world junior championships in Glasgow in August, and the added sponsorship will mean we can organise proper training camps so that they can go to the world championships and do us proud.”

The sponsorship, worth R20million in value, runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015.

Johannesburg, South Africa - Sport and Recreation Director-General Alec Moemi has appealed to the private sector to invest in women’s sport in South Africa, and in netball in particular.

Speaking at the announcement that SPAR had extended its 10-year sponsorship of netball for another three years, Moemi described the grocery giant as a trailblazer in women’s sports.

“Netball is the biggest women’s sport and the second biggest sport overall in South Africa, and investment in netball is investment in South Africa.”

He said that the national sports plan that was developed in 2011 had agreed that the promotion of women’s sport needed to be prioritised as a means of breaking the cycle of poverty and of getting more women involved in physical activity. “One of the biggest challenges is access to sport, and netball has led the way,” he said. “Netball reaches into the most remote parts of South Africa and the success of the SPAR Proteas means that girls all over the country have outstanding role models to look up to.

“It is a shining example of what can be achieved. Netball embraced transformation as an imperative and has made great strides in this regard, having achieved greater transformation than many other sporting codes.”

Moemi said the professionalisation of netball was critical to the future of the sport. “At present, the SPAR Proteas are volunteers, who have to take leave to represent their country. Although they are amateurs, they have proved to be a force in international netball, and have out-performed some other sporting codes on the international stage. “If we are to achieve our aim of making South Africa the number one nation in netball, we need to ensure that the players get as much experience as possible.

To achieve this, the Department is developing a professional netball league, involving 10 clubs spread across South Africa.  The government is looking for sponsors for the clubs, who will then employ the players.  This will mean that top netball players, like other professional sportsmen, will be able to devote their time to their sport instead of worrying about putting food on the table, and a professional league would mean the top players get regular game time at a very high level,” said Moemi.

He said negotiations for sponsors were going well, and he was confident the professional league would be in operation before the end of the year.

Johannesburg, South Africa - Netball South Africa (NSA) are embarking on a series of road shows aimed at improving the standards of coaching in all regions and at raising the profile of members of the national senior and Under-21 squads.

The road shows begin in the Western Cape on Monday April 9 and end in Soweto on May 28. “We had identified the need for coaching for coaches,” explained the coach of the SPAR national netball team, Elize Kotze. “We work with players at a national level, but when they return to their regions, the coaches in that region do not really know what is expected of them. We have many very enthusiastic coaches around the country, but we need them to be knowledgeable as well.”

Kotze, the NSA Executive, and members of the national team will travel to 12 provincial centres over the next two months. “We will go over the basics with the coaches, and give them each a DVD that demonstrates what we want them to do,” said Kotze. “They have training manuals, but the DVD will make things clearer for them.” “It is also important for them to see some of our top players in action, so they can see the standard they need to aspire to. Some of the coaches in the more remote areas have no idea of the pace at which the game is played at the top level,” said Kotze.

NSA President Mimi Mthethwa said the road shows were part of NSA’s commitment to development in all parts of South Africa, in the remote rural areas as well as in towns and cities. “Netball belongs to everyone, so we need to reach out to everyone,” she said. “All the coaches in the region will be invited to take part in the road shows, so that we can improve the standard of coaching and also know that all coaches in South Africa are starting from the same base. Furthermore, the NSA Executive will be using this opportunity to assist regions with administration difficulties and to encourage all netballers in the rural areas to become affiliated members.

“The road shows also give us the opportunity to showcase national players in the area they are from,” said Mthethwa. “The SPAR Proteas are usually only seen in urban areas, but the road shows give people in the smaller centres an opportunity to get up close and personal with their heroes.”

Johannesburg, South Africa - The South African Under-21 netball squad made a clean sweep of all their matches in their short tour of Singapore.

The Under-21s played the Singapore Under-21, Malaysia Schools and the Singapore Open team during their brief visit.

Squad coach Dorette Badenhorst is very happy with the outcome of the matches, with South Africa showing complete dominance on the court. “We have a great group of players with a lot of potential,” said Badenhorst. “This ensures some exciting combinations, and I expect a good performance at the World Cup.”

She said the players had learned a good deal during the tour. “It was a learning experience both on and off the court,” she said. “For some of the players, it was their first time out of South Africa, and they now know something of the challenges that playing away from their country can bring. The players supported one another and this helped them deal effectively with difficult circumstances, such as the extreme heat and humidity. “They also adapted quickly to playing on the international stage. Once again, the support for one another was very important, especially for those who had won their first caps.”

The tour of Singapore formed part of the squads’ preparations for the Under-21 World Youth Championships in Glasgow in August, and Badenhorst believed it was important that the momentum gained in Singapore should be maintained.

“We (the management team) need to see the players at least once a month,” she said.

“We need more game time together, and the key to our preparations will be managing the players and their coaches.”

RESULTS FROM THE SA U21 TOUR TO SINGAPORE

SA U21 bt Singapore U21                      65-26

SA U21 bt Singapore U21                      70-29

SA U21 bt Singapore U21                      62-31

SA U21 bt Malaysia Sport School          50-35

SA U21 bt Singapore Opens                  57-33

SA U21 bt Singapore Opens                  54-20

Johannesburg, South Africa - Netball South Africa (NSA) selectors announced on Sunday a strong South African Under21 squad for a short tour to Singapore as part of their preparations for the Under 21 World Youth Championships in Glasgow in August.

“It’s a brilliant squad,” said NSA Director of Selectors, Christine du Preez. “They have the potential to be gold medal winners, and they are all very good future prospects for the SPAR national team.”

The under 21 training squad has been attending a training camp in Pretoria, and the team leave on Monday for the tour which will include three matches against the Singapore Under 21 team, two against the Singapore Open team and one against  Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).

“We plan to use this tour to see who copes best with the pressure of playing away from home and to see what we need to do to prepare for the World Youth Championships,” said Under 21 coach Dorette Badenhorst. “I am very excited about this squad.  They have only had three training camps, and because they come from all over South Africa, they’ve had to work on their own, following their individualised and specialized fitness programmes. “We have been able to see the effect of their hard work, and it shows how much it means to them to be in the squad. “I have been particularly impressed by their discipline both on and off the court.”

Badenhorst said the Singapore tour was just the start of the preparations for the World Youth Championships. “Traditionally, the Under21 squad doesn’t get to play very often, so this tour will be very valuable.  After that, we will take things month by month, but are planning some exciting games with regional teams, the SPAR Protea team and perhaps even a tri-nations.”

South African Under21 Netball squad to tour Singapore:

Danellé  Willemse, Deancke Rohde, Mari-Lena Joubert, Melanie von Gunten, Bhongolethu Ngubeni, Izette Lubbe, Nontuthuko Khomo, Nothando Mhlongo, Simphiwe Sithebe, Mukozo Fortunate Bagula, Nobulele Phuza, Rochelle Lawson, Shadine van der Merwe, Juline Rossouw, Zandré Kruger

Johannesburg, South Africa - Members of the SPAR national netball team have congratulated the Investec women’s hockey team on the impressive milestones achieved in their World League match against Ghana at Hartleyvale in Cape Town on Tuesday night.

Captain Marsha Marescia became one of South Africa’s most-capped athletes when she ran on for her 300^th Test, while Pietie Coetzee scored two goals to take her world record to 250 goals in 255 Test matches. South Africa beat Ghana 6-0.

“What a fantastic achievement,” said Proteas netball Captain Amanda Mynhardt. “The netball team has always followed the progress made by our hockey sisters, and we are so proud of what Marsha and Pietie in particular have achieved.  “Marsha is one of South Africa’s top athletes, and we wish her well for the rest of the World League, and for 2013.

“As for Pietie, she just goes from strength to strength, and seems to be unstoppable. “We say ‘go girls, you make us so proud.’ ”

Vice-Captain Zanele Mdodana was equally enthusiastic about the hockey team’s achievements. “They are outstanding role models for young South Africans.  We look forward to joining hands with them as part of Team South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year,” she said. “Congratulations to Marsha and Pietie on their incredible achievements, and we wish all the hockey players everything of the best for the coming year.”

Johannesburg, South Africa – South African netball umpire Theresa Prince is off to a flying start, as she begins her year officiating a test series between reigning world champions Australia, and third ranked England in January.

Theresa Prince of Nelson Mandela Bay has been making tracks in the umpiring circuit, as she was invited by the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) to officiate the World Netball Championships in Singapore and the FastNet final in 2011, as well as a Test Series between netball greats Australia and New Zealand last September. “I am very excited to have been invited to umpire a top test series again” said a humble Theresa Prince after the announcement was made. “It is an honour to represent my country.”

Netball South Africa’s (NSA) Director of Umpires Hannette Brewer was thrilled with the invitation, and commented on behalf of the Executive; “Theresa is an inspiration to all South African Umpires. Her achievements are a showcase of South Africa’s potential to be amongst the top in the world.”