Harrison Lefebure is working his way through the netball ranks both on and off the court. An assistant coach for the 14/Under WDNA side, Harrison is using his netball knowledge to teach and inspire the next generation of netballers.
“We had a junior competition for boys aged from 8-11 where they learnt the basic skills. Being able to see all the younger boys wanting to play the sport is really good,” he said.
“I also got the chance to coach at my high school – they’ve always had boys interschool netball and I had the chance to coach the Year 7 and 8 boys team this year where we won state. It was great seeing all those boys enjoy netball.”
An avid netballer himself, Harrison has accomplished quite a lot at just 16 years of age. Named in the 17/Under Victorian Men’s side, Harrison played an integral role in securing the gold medal at the Australian Men’s and Mixed Netball Championships earlier this year.
“Having the ability to represent the state and wear the state colours was an honour. It was amazing to go over to Adelaide and represent Victoria throughout the week, where we were able to win the National Championship,” he said.
His passion originated from his sister’s love for the sport. Tired of always seeing her dominate out on court, Harrison decided it was time for him to hit the court and showcase his netball prowess.
“I watched my sister play and went to her trainings, and I got sick of always watching so I thought I would start playing myself. I started playing with my primary school when I was nine and then started playing at Whitehorse Netball Association, I was in rep teams for under 11s and under 13s.
“Once I aged out of that competition Mum looked around and Waverley District Netball Association got back to her saying that boys were allowed to play in their Saturday competitions, and I’ve been playing there ever since.”
There’s not much Harrison doesn’t love about netball, from the physical elements of the game to the social benefits.
“Everyone is there for the same reasons – everyone is there to enjoy themselves and play netball, and to make friends,” he said.
The recent international test series between the Australian and New Zealand men’s sides also brought plenty of inspiration for Harrison who is eager to see the Aussie men continue to grow on the big stage.
“Seeing Riley Richardson out on court playing and then playing with him a couple of weeks later at our club, St Therese, was cool. All the information I’m getting from these more experienced players, I’m trying to pass on to the next generation of players as well,” he said.
“The end goal for me is to make the Australian Men’s Open side and hopefully get to play in those big games on TV.”
As a coach and a player, Harrison gets the best of both worlds and his passion for netball is only growing thanks to the support and knowledge of his teammates.
“I got picked for St Therese when I was doing under 17s for Victoria, and obviously playing against grown men can be a bit daunting at times because I’m about half the size of them. It’s an exciting challenge and I think I’ve lived up to it so far.”
Want to know more about Junior MLeague and opportunities for boys aged 11-14? Contact Craig Moore (mleague@vmmna.org | 0402 017 383).
