Two ANZ Premiership netball coaches have been included in the latest cohort of High Performance Sport New Zealand’s (HPSNZ) Te Hāpaitanga Scholarships aimed at the development of emerging and high potential female coaches.
The MG Mystics’ ANZ Premiership winning coach Tia Winikerei and newly appointed head coach of Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse Anna Andrews-Tasola, have been named to start the 18-month programme where they will join NZU21 coach Julie Seymour who is in her second year of the scholarship.
Netball New Zealand (NNZ) High Performance Pathway Coaching Manager Tania Karauria said they were delighted to have three elite coaches currently involved in the HPSNZ scholarship programme.
“This is an amazing achievement and opportunity for all of our coaches involved in Te Hāpaitanga,” she said.
“Netball New Zealand has been fortunate to benefit from the continued support from HSPNZ since the inception of this special programme in 2020.
“The approach in the scholarship programme is a holistic one aimed at coach development to enable more females to be involved in high performance coaching. Te Hāpaitanga means the act of elevating, lifting and empowering and it is a great initiative which I know Anna, Tia and Julie will grow from and take their coaching practices to new levels.
“We’re excited to follow the careers of our netball coaches.”
All three coaches will also be involved in the NNZ International Programme following this month’s Netball World Cup in South Africa.
Seymour will join Dame Noeline Taurua in September’s Cadbury Series when the Silver Ferns take on the English Roses for the Taini Jamison Trophy, starting 24 September in Christchurch, while Andrews-Tasola and Winikerei will take part in the Silver Ferns camp in December leading into the Quad Series in January.
There have been 28 female coaches go through the Te Hāpaitanga programme since its inception in 2020, enabling more women to pursue and maintain a career in high performance coaching in New Zealand.
Each coach will receive personal and professional development in the form of residentials, mentoring, and a $15,000 scholarship which will allow them to drive their own development forward in their respective careers.
The latest cohort has seen 15 coaches selected for the programme from sports including netball, snowboarding, rowing, rugby, cricket, cycling, swimming, athletics, equestrian, football, water polo, and basketball.