Local Mangonui volunteer Sarah Hammond can usually be found working quietly away behind the scenes. However, Sarah has given over a decade of service to the sport and believes that volunteering offers rewards far beyond the game itself.
“I've met many wonderful people and made friends that I would not have had the privilege of knowing otherwise. These relationships extend beyond people’s roles – they help build a strong supportive community,” Sarah reflects.
Although Sarah’s official roles include treasurer and funding coordinator for Mangonui Netball Centre (MNC), she wears many hats and contributes in various ways as her daughters have come through the sport. She also Chairs and has roles within the Northland Cluster Committee and coordinates a very successful walking netball pilot programme.
“Living in an isolated part of New Zealand, makes accessing opportunities for our people that much more challenging. We lose a lot of sporting talent to urban boarding schools, and I want our youth to have the opportunity to experience similar opportunities without having to leave their home,” notes Sarah.
In 2019, Sarah with Estelle Thompson helped launch the Player Development Programme (PDP) at the Centre, which she passionately supports. “I'd go as far to say that MNC runs one of the best PDP programmes in New Zealand - it's simple, we just followed the booklet!”
Sarah arrived in her volunteering role with minimal netball knowledge.
“I played netball for two seasons when I was about eight years old, that was the full extent of my netball experience! But then our eldest daughter, aged 5, joined netball when a lady (MNC Life Member, June Matiu) came to her class at school asking who wanted to play. I'm not sure she even knew what netball was - she just put her hand up when lots of other people did!”
“So, we signed the permission form and sent it back. The next afternoon, she came home with a coaching handbook. On the front in big bold vivid it said Coach: Sarah Hammond Manager: John Hammond (my husband) and a training time to start the following week. At that point I figured I had better get reading that booklet! I got great support from our club and many of those people are still friends today.”
Sarah encourages others to give volunteering a go.
“The most rewarding moments are seeing other volunteers on a similar journey. People who know nothing about netball, turn up to support their child, then they see a need and take on a small job, and they keep developing from there.” So many people say that they don't know enough about netball to help volunteer. My advice to them is that there are plenty of roles that require no specialist knowledge, just a willingness to get involved and learn from those around you.
Mangonui Centre President Rhonda Martin-Raharuhi says Sarah’s dedication and hard work have made a huge difference to their Centre.
“She deserves to be recognised for everything she does. She’s been a driving force behind so many of our initiatives, and her efforts should be celebrated."
If your community wants to run the Year 7 & 8 Player Development Programme, this resource has everything you need to get started:
If you are interested in becoming a netball volunteer, you can register your interest here and we will connect you to your local Netball Centre.