After struggling to recruit coaching staff in previous seasons, Eltham Panthers Junior Netball has shifted its focus towards recruiting and nurturing a strong coaching outfit to propel the club into the future.
This new approach will focus on recruiting, training and supporting their coaches through key initiatives designed to strengthen the clubs coaching stocks.
As a result of the interrupted 2020 season, Nichole McCausland filled in to coach the club’s 13&U team due to a lack of available coaches. Although she had played netball herself, Nichole struggled to transition into a coaching role due to lack of experience with coaching.
‘I've played a lot of netball over the years but coaching, in particular training, had me completely clueless,’ she explained.
When Nichole was presented with the opportunity to step up and take on the role as club president in 2021, this added coaching support was at the forefront of her goals.
The Panthers developed a renewed focus on coaching from the ground up, seeing extra funding being allocated to give coaches access to accredited coaching training and extra training resources to support their needs throughout the season. This was further bolstered through the appointment of a dedicated coaches co-ordinator that will ensure that the club’s vision for a strong coaching foundation is built throughout all levels within the club.
Eltham will financially support coaches by reimbursing those who undertake the Netball Victoria foundation course, as well as their Netball Victoria membership fee.
The Foundation Coach Accreditation Course is a Netball Victoria initiative that is designed to teach the fundamentals of becoming a coach and is the first step in the Netball Victoria coaching pathway. After the foundation course, coaches can then progress through to other Netball Victoria programs, all the way to elite and high-performance accreditations.
By funding the coaching program, the club was able to establish a strong plan to support new and existing coaches through educational and confidence-building experiences.
‘I believe that has been key to our coaches feeling like they are part of a team, connected to the committee and club. It’s early days but so far, the feedback has been hugely positive’ Nichole added.
This new focus on coaching development brings Eltham’s overarching goals into line with Netball Victoria’s, offering opportunities to support grassroots netball and build stronger coaches throughout all levels across the state.
Find out more about Netball Victoria's coaching programs and pathway here.
Read more about Eltham Panthers' coaching program here.
