Written by Amelia Barnes
Gayle Lambert remembers the very first time she played netball. She immediately fell in love with the game, proceeding to contribute to the sport as a player, coach, umpire, talent scout, club founder, and Netball Victoria Board member in an ongoing career spanning almost 50 years.
In recognition of her outstanding service to netball at the state level, Lambert was one of six individuals recently awarded a Netball Victoria Life Membership.
Lambert’s involvement in competitive netball began in the mid 1970s competing in A-grade indoor and state level competitions.
She began coaching (while still playing) as early as 1976, leading the national underage Victorian teams from 1981-1986 and multiple teams in the Victorian Netball League from 2008-2012. “With coaching, you make ongoing connections with people, and so that's the road I went down,” she said.
At a community level, Lambert has been a coach, coaching mentor, and coordinator for numerous clubs, teams, and associations over the years including Mont Albert Netball Club, Wesley College, Camberwell Girls School, Flames Netball Club, and various rep teams in the Cowan region.
She remains heavily entrenched in Victorian netball today as a coordinator, coach, and coach mentor for Boroondara Power (Boroondara Netball Association’s representative teams) and co-founder of Canterbury Netball Club established in 2019.
Lambert is also a Netball Victoria coaching course presenter; talent scout; and was recently appointed president of the Victorian Past & Present Netballers Association (VPPNA) that she first joined in 2010.
Lambert’s involvement in community netball has made her an asset to the Netball Victoria Board. She first served on the Board from 1978-1983 in the portfolio era, before re-joining in the governance Board era in 2014.
To see how far the Board has come over that period reflects netball’s progress and growing commercial appeal. “It is so different… On the Board back then, you did everything. Everyone had a portfolio and so much was done.” Back then, she held the portfolios of umpires, publicity and promotions, and Royal Park state competitions. “It was a volunteer role. You didn't even get your petrol money!”
Since re-joining the Board, Lambert has relished the opportunity to be involved in the organisation’s decision-making in her current position as elected director. “Today, you have the freedom, and you can express yourself.”
A naturally social and energetic person, she enjoys interacting with fellow Board members, and being a voice and advocate for grassroots netball.
“I just love grassroots netball, and I bring with me grassroots netball from the start right up to the top… I just have so much respect for what the associations do for netball around Australia. They're the people that I think just do so much hard work,” Lambert said.
“My history goes through the associations. I can walk into a lot of associations now and there would barely be one where someone wouldn’t say hello.”
Netball Victoria thanks and congratulates Lambert for her work raising and developing the profile of netball across the state. Her passion permeates every level of Netball Victoria, regardless of whether she’s sitting in a Board meeting, or in the stands of John Cain Arena cheering the Vixens on.
Lambert says Victorian netball is in the best place it’s ever been, and she’s excited to continue contributing to the sport she loves. “In Victoria, in my time, I have never seen it flourish so well.”
Find out more about our newest Life Members
