During a typical in-season week in the life of the Frankston District Netball Association (FDNA), around 3,500 players, coaches, umpires, staff and spectators would be descending on Jubilee Park.
During a COVID-19-restricted week in Stage 4 lockdown, operations manager, Miranda Castles, sometimes visits the 13 empty outdoor courts that would normally be abuzz with activity and energy.
“I go down there and have a look at the place every now and again just to make sure it’s neat and tidy, and there’s tumbleweeds rolling across the court,’’ says Castles, only half-joking. “It’s so deflating. It’s awful.’’
Not to mention financially challenging for one of the state’s busiest netball venues. But the FDNA is also a well-run, professional organisation demonstrating how a paid sporting workforce can remain sustainable when so much else in the age of coronavirus is in limbo.
Indeed, at odds with outdated perceptions of netball as almost exclusively run by volunteers is the fact that Castles heads a paid staff of 12, including three full-time equivalents, as well as part-timers and casuals.
Employment data shows that women have been disproportionately affected by the global pandemic that shut down competitive sport in metropolitan Melbourne and surrounds back in March. The Frankston dozen is all-female (noting, however, that the Association's Board includes two men).
Everyone is working reduced hours, but JobKeeper has helped to ensure those hours are being worked at all. Unusually, there has been both the time and opportunity to redeploy staff to work remotely on archiving and other tasks that would usually be relegated low on the to-do list of essentials.
The FDNA has also accessed State Government assistance through the Small Business Support Fund and after encouragement from Netball Victoria, the Community Sport Stream. It also plans to apply for one of Frankston Council's sporting grants when applications open this month.
“Another thing we tried to use the downtime for is looking at our governance, which speaks to that move from being just a couple of ladies around the kitchen tea table, to running something that’s really professional,’’ says Castles, who was appointed in 2016.
At the core of the reduced operations has been an emphasis on building community relationships, both with the local council and partners in other sports. There has been an increased emphasis on social media, to ensure that there are good non-netball stories still being told and information is being shared, including in the key area of mental health.
But what of the others whose netball-related income has diminished, or disappeared altogether? Umpires, for example, with around 120 on the FDNA’s books.
The majority are teenagers, pocketing the $30-$50 per week they might otherwise earn at McDonald’s or Coles, and are suddenly short of online spending money.
“That has dried up completely,’’ says Castles. “There’s not anything that we’ve been able to offer them.’’
Except, importantly, engagement. Education. Information. The conversation has continued, even if the revenue has not been replaced.
Geelong umpire, Karen Green, is usually assigned at least two games a week, and up to four, which augments the income from her full-time job in administration at Barwon Health.
“I don’t rely on the money, I enjoy the money - it’s some nice extra money that goes to our holiday fund, and it’s good that I actually have to exercise to get it,’’ says Green, who also mentors younger umpires several times a week, and whose 16-year-old daughter, Emily, is following her mum’s path.
“We get paid for mentoring, but it’s more that I like to give back a little bit, [considering] all the people who invested time in me, helping me get to my B badge.
“I like to see the junior umpires coming through. I’m getting old. I can’t keep doing all these games all the time. We need these juniors coming through and taking over from us, so it’s nice to work with them and see them develop and improve.’’
So what of the coaches? The FDNA remunerates with an honorarium those in charge of its elite squads and Bupa Victorian Netball League club, Peninsula Waves.
“I don’t think any of our coaches probably pay the mortgage with their revenue [from netball] but it’s obviously money that they’ve been able to count on, and they’ve lost that,’’ says Castles.
During the first lockdown, online training and strength and conditioning programs were among those that continued remotely, but the dream of a season going ahead in a meaningful way ended with the return to Stage 4 restrictions in July. Yet, most paid Association coaches have received 75-100 per cent of their usual money. Frankston has the means to have found a way.
Netball Victoria has been both a support and an advocate during these testing times.
“We know that for some, on top of missing the game, there is also the loss of income; for some a wage, others its top-up income or its first job pocket money. We continue to advocate for our community for funding to support what are essentially small businesses with a great community focus," says Netball Victoria's General Manager - Government Relations and Affiliate Services, Amanda Basu.
"We are ready to support netball’s return in a COVID normal with a great confidence because every Association and League is built on these great people. And it’s in the DNA of a netballer to simply get on with it, regardless of what challenges we face. And when we get the go ahead, we’re ready to support everyone to just get on with it, both immediately, and the in years to come as Victoria recovers.”
The future is the next question. A big one. Considering that participation is the base of the pyramid on which a grassroots colossus has been built.
There will be older players with the sore knees who were threatening to retire and finally do. Teenagers who were wavering anyway, and take the chance to walk away. Maybe because their friends already have.
There will be families for whom the cost becomes prohibitive post-COVID. Or who go from playing a few times a week to the once they can now afford.
“Participation is going to take a big hit, initially. I don’t think it’s going to be that ‘V’ snapback, I think it’s going to be a longer road to recovery, And that’s probably across all sports,’’ says Castles.
“Then I think the flow on from participation dropping obviously comes back into the business model and staff. If we’re not running the same number of games in our night time comp, which is really the main revenue driver, I don’t need the staff there for the same hours, so they’re going to be impacted, and that goes proportionally all the way through to my role.''
Yet Castles is also confident the recovery will come, and that the strength of the netball community will prevail.
"We're a good sport,'' she says, "and we know we do things well.''
