When the Covid pause button was pressed just two weeks into the 2020 season, the Waverley District Netball Association did not stop.
Instead, on it went, determined to involve and engage those who could not play/coach/umpire during the pandemic lockdown. Forward it looked, to the time the sport could resume. Hopeful it was that, after one false start in July, back-to-play day in 2020 would eventually come.
On Thursday, October 5, it did - facilitating an overdue but ecstatic return to competition for 188 of the 280-plus teams that had started the year with little inkling of what was to follow.
And the ending truly was a happy one, with the Ashwood-based WDNA rewarded for both keeping the faith and effective use of the fallow competitive period by being named Association of the Year, presented by Flight Centre, in the annual Netball Victoria Community Awards.
“Even though Covid was here, we developed a whole lot of stuff for the kids at home, involved the whole community, had a really good program for our rep players, and just sort of kept going,’’ says President Angela Mylrea.
“The year has been difficult, and we’ve got to realise that some of this stuff is still difficult. A lot of kids have come out of this feeling a bit anxious, so getting back into community sport and being with their mates and playing a game they love is really important to them, which is why we never gave up on the idea of not getting back on court.’’
Which is not to deny the moments of doubt. Or the minutes, more accurately. About five of them, with Mylrea, a committee member for over 25 years, laughing as she recounts the time one of her close colleagues threatened to lose hope.
“We said ‘how dare you, that’s not happening!’. We just were determined,’’ says Myrlea. “If we got the go-ahead we were doing it, and we had everything ready. But of course most people had everything ready because we were going to go back in July!
“That (second) time when they pulled the plug on us we were ‘oh, the year’s over', but that was for five minutes. Then it was ‘no it’s not. We’ve got everything ready. We’ll be able to start. There won’t be much to do’. So it was good. We’re really pleased we’re back.’’
Better, more connected and aware than before, it seems, as so much was done in the meantime that those in charge of the WDNA - whose motto is ‘we exist to enrich our community through the sport of netball’ - found they were busier than ever before.
On top of the education around managing Covid protocols, for example, there was the organisation of Tuesday online strength and conditioning classes for rep players, and umpires, initially. Plus online workshops, weekly team meetings, training sessions and club challenges.
A priority was to update the WDNA Netball at Home webpage, complemented by a more frequent newsletter and monthly Zoom meeting that will continue even when greater normality returns.
A Child Safety in Netball working party was established, the website updated with the appropriate links and a presentation recorded to which all can refer. Mandatory completion of the Play by the Rules Child Protection was introduced for all people in a position of authority within the association and its member clubs.
“We want somewhere safe for the kids to play, we want them to enjoy it, and we want them to come back,'' says Mylrea. "Part of it can be spectator comments or that sort of stuff that actually drives them away, so culture will be a big focus in 2021.
“There’s always going to be cracks somewhere, because you’re dealing with multiple people with multiple different ideas of behaviour, but if we can drive home the message to 90 per cent of the community, it will be great.’’
So, through all this, was there a sense that netball is more important in a community sense than even the WDNA - which caters for 5000 participants and spectators in a typical non-coronavirus-impacted week - had realised?
“I think we always knew, and I think we always had the different sides of it: those players that just aren’t going to stop, and those that are going ‘oh, I’m just going to have a rest’,’’ says Mylrea, aware of the increased post-pandemic possibility of losing an even higher percentage of the 16-17-year-olds most at risk of dropping out of organised sport.
“You definitely have both ends of the scale, but we provided for all the ones that had no plans of stopping and invited all the ones that possibly took a rest to be involved, as well, so we just gave everybody the opportunity to be doing something.’’
The clear highlight of the return to play: seeing the juniors finally return to the court.
“They were so excited. You could just see. And even the older players on Monday night, we had to kick a team out of the carpark afterwards because they were talking so much they wouldn’t leave! But really what we did it for it was the kids, knowing how much they love it, to get them back.’’
For a volunteer association with just one paid employee (part-time administrator Ginny Robertson), Mylrea acknowledges the importance of the Netball Victoria award as recognition for all the hard work done.
So, was the WDNA's biggest achievement to get (almost) everyone back playing before 2020 ended, or what occurred when the on-court show could not go on?
“Ooh, now that’s a trick question! ‘’ MyIrea says, before a rare pause of her own. “I really do think they’re equal. Everything we did on the way through was actually in part preparing for us being back on court.’’
And then they were. Having never really stopped.
On behalf of Flight Centre, General Manager Kelly Spencer, congratulates the Association of the Year Award winner, who stoically supported the Victorian Netball community throughout what has been a challenging year for many.
“Congratulations to the Waverley District Netball Association on receiving Netball Victoria's Association of the Year Award. 2020 has been a rollercoaster year, yet to see the Ashwood-based WDNA lead their players and community to stay motivated and keep aiming for the sky is inspiring to say the least."
Written by Linda Pearce
