Described by her Hauraki Plains Netball Centre as a netball coaching guru, we talk to dedicated Centre coach Tania Herewini about why she got involved with volunteering and how it has enriched her netballing experience.
Hauraki Plains Netball Centre President Ash Hill doesn’t mix her words in labelling dedicated netball coach Tania Herewini as a “netball coaching guru”.
The passionate club member has been coaching Hauraki Plains netballers for over 20 years and despite considering retiring this season, stepped up to take on another coaching role – her desire to help the next generation still strong.
“I was retiring from coaching this year....so naturally I coached our regional U18 team, Thames Valley,” she quipped.
What started out as a volunteer’s role as a coach with her old college team, when her family was young, has become a lengthy passion for guiding netballers from the sidelines.
“I wanted to bridge the equity gap and I’m passionate about netball – developing players on and off the court,” she said. “I’ve coached at all levels at all ages. I’ve also helped coach coaches and been a coach co-ordinator.”
Tania was also a player and inevitably did her share of umpiring during her career – “let’s face it, who hasn’t umpired,” she said.
But it has been as coach where she has found most satisfaction, guiding many netballers from the Hauraki Plains Netball Centre.
Over her time on the sidelines she has coached multiple teams including school teams, the Hauraki representative team and adult teams. She has coached in Thames and also travelled to Whitianga one year to support coaching their U15 team.
This season she has spent training sessions with the Thames Valley age-group team along with three pre-national tournaments and a week away at the national age-group event.
Tania also coaches an adult team – a club team called the “Heresons” (a side she started with her sister and named after both of them) which involves playing on a Wednesday and Friday nights.
But the busy schedule is no deterrent for the netball enthusiast.
“I love it when I see players connect successfully with others and for them to achieve their goals,” she said.
“When a team finally gels as a unit, there’s nothing like it and it’s the foundation of a team excelling. That very moment you know they’ve accepted others ‘warts and all’ – especially with teenagers.”
