Support Netball : Van Dyk
Netball legend Irene Van Dyk yesterday began the NET-Go programme at the National Netball Centre in Suva yesterday.
The former Silver Ferns will also be mentoring teachers from around the Suva area as part of the Pacific Sporting Partnership (PSP) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Van Dyk praised the students and teachers who came in numbers to be part of the programme despite the rain.
“They came in numbers and it just shows how committed they are to netball and how much they love the sport regardless of the weather,” she said.
Van Dyk added the programme needs the support from the schools to get involved in netball.
“I am here on behalf of Netball New Zealand and I run the entire workshop for teachers and they present the Net-Go programme to their schools as a part of their physical education,” Van Dyk said.
“I think the most important thing for us is to get more schools involved because the more teachers involved, the more students who will take part.
“Obviously by getting more involved the more they will grow and the more they will be able to play against one another.”
Former Fijian Pearls captain/coach Una Rokoura said the programme is centered around grassroots development.
“The main target is getting the teachers to be certified couches.
“So far we have accredited 236 teachers in Suva alone and we have got 13 schools and 13 primary schools junior umpires that we are currently developing,”she said.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr said the programme has been a success for netball so they are hoping to have a programme for rugby as well.
“I think it is great that someone of Van Dyk‘s profile could be in Fiji and work with Fijian children and New Zealand is keen to support sports in the Pacific,” Curr said.
Edited by Osea Bola
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