Deeply immersed in the futureFERNS programme from the outset, Hawke’s Bay Netball is now reaping the rewards with growing numbers of players from the region being recognised at higher levels.

When the organisation was first formed in 2013, Hawke’s Bay Netball piloted the futureFERNS programme before it was rolled out nationally the following year, beginning a pathway for the development of junior players at progressing levels.

The programme offers four different year groups, progressing players through modified formats of netball that recognises their stage of physical and mental development, beginning with 5 - 6 year-olds (Year 1 & 2) and culminating at Year 7 & 8 by which time, the players are fully immersed and playing the traditional 7 v 7 format of the game.

The original Year 1 participants in Hawke’s Bay are now Year 11 and making their mark at U16 age-group level. Since 2013, it has become the signature way of coaching netball across Hawke’s Bay.

``It has become imbedded in what we do and we don’t run any other units (programmes),’’ Hawke’s Bay Netball General Manager Tina Arlidge said.

``We have a very high participation rate and everybody across Hawke’s Bay is involved in playing the same and using this programme. Our young talent that is now coming through at secondary school haven’t played it any other way and is the only style of netball that they know.

``We have a 100 percent belief in the programme the whole way through and we’re just starting to see the results from the kids who kicked it all off.

``What we’re seeing is a huge influx of really well-rounded, good-skilled players and I think the futureFERNS has been one important factor in that.

``The success of it, is that we have more people from Hawke’s Bay recognised regionally and definitely within the Zone and nationally than we’ve ever had before.’’

With six selected for the recently-held Netball New Zealand-run National Development Camp, it was the highest number of players ever from Hawke’s Bay.

``In the past, we’d be over the moon if we got one person at that level,’’ Arlidge said.

For Hawke’s Bay, it is a strong endorsement that despite coming from a smaller area, if the right tools, programmes and personnel are in place, players can make their mark in netball wherever they live.

With six teams apiece at two Central Zone age-group tournaments held earlier this year, Hawke’s Bay won the Northern edition staged in Palmerston North.

These tournaments are used as the vehicle to select for the Advanced camp which has been operating in the Zone since 2017.

`This is a highly valued camp for developing players,’’ Netball Central Director of High Performance Wai Taumaunu said.

``This would be the first year that we had more players selected from the Hawke’s Bay than any other Centre and that has been building over the last few years, and they also had a substantial number of players attend the National Development Camp.

``They’ve put time and effort into their kids, there’s no doubt, and it’s reaping benefits now. At the tournament, they played with maturity, high skill levels and good conditioning. Those are all the sorts of things that we try and coach across the Zone and certainly Hawke’s Bay have shown enormous improvement in that area.’’

Taumaunu also acknowledged the input of quality coaching going on behind the scenes from Charissa Barham, who has held a variety of roles with Netball New Zealand, former Silver Ferns shooting great Irene van Dyk and Anne Marie Kupa, who have played leading roles in delivering the futureFERNS approach.

``Hawke’s Bay have produced some very strong players, in particular, midcourters over recent years and we have seen a substantial change in both their skills and physical capabilities,’’ Taumaunu said.