Southland netballer selected for NNZ training camp

Southlander Kate Hartley has been invited to be part of a Netball NZ national training camp in January.

The Academy Southland and Southland Girls’ High School player will be amongst 50 promising netballers who will attend a three-day camp in Cambridge.

The group was selected based on performances at the national age group championships, regional secondary schools and New Zealand secondary schools championships, as well as the Zone-led talent identification programmes.

“It’s very exciting, it came as a bit of a shock to me to be honest. I hadn’t been thinking about that until I got the email,” Hartley said.

Photo: Southlander netball Kate Hartley. Pic: Academy Southland

“I think my confidence with netball is growing - I just feel like I’m a player on court, rather than a talented player. Through the Academy this year, and making the Southland under 19s, I have more belief in myself.”

The Year 12 student, who lives near Winton and boards at Enwood Hostel, was part of Academy Southland’s 2018 intake and says she has learnt a lot this year.

Mental skills, identifying ways of improving her game, better nutrition and working under strength and conditioning coach Tyson Huia at the Mike Piper Training Centre had all played a role in her netball development, Hartley said.

Dad Tony Hartley and her nana Ngaire Sheedy had been major supporters, and Hartley also credits the input from Netball South coach developer Jess Huia, Academy Southland’s Carly Anderson, team mate and training partner Holly Munro and her Girls’ High netball coach Natalie Avellino for the progress she has made this season.

Avellino, a former Australian international and Southern Steel representative, had been a great mentor, she said.

“She’s coached me for the last three years, which has benefited me so much.

“She is way more hands on than any other coach I’ve had. She’ll join in and she knows what the physicality is going to be like when we play those North Island teams and she prepares us for that.”

Hartley is one of three players selected from the South zone, alongside Taneisha Fifita (Waitaki Girls’ High School) and Kaya Laban (South Otago High School).

NNZ Chief Executive Jennie Wyllie said the National Development Camp was an opportunity for prospective talent to display their ability and netball skills.

“We want to extend and inspire our development players and see how they operate in a challenging performance environment,” she said.

“The camp is essential as we continually look to improve the athletes progressing into the Netball New Zealand pathway.”

Players will undergo a series of movement competency screenings with fitness tests to be submitted prior to the camp.

A competitive short-tournament structure will be held during the three days where the players’ ability to thrive under pressure will be observed.

The five teams will be led by coaching experts including New Zealand’s Pathway to Podium (P2P) specialist coaches – Jodi Brown, Irene van Dyk, Sandra Edge, Rebecca Gable and Anna Galvan.

P2P head coach Yvette McCausland-Durie and Tania Karauria will also provide support to these coaches in the build-up to the camp which runs from January 18-21.