The journey to being a New Zealand Secondary School (NZSS) player continued this weekend at a Talent Development Camp held at Te Wananga-O-Raukawa in Otaki for 29 talented young players from Netball Central Zone.
 
The group took part in the intensive two-day camp which included sessions on attack, defence, movement, game play skills and fitness, as well as special presentations from former All Black and current Assistant Coach of Samoa Alama Ieremia, life-coach Bella Ansell and nutritionist Celine Evans. National selectors were also in attendance including NZSS Head Coach Julie Seymour.
 
Mojo Pulse Assistant Coach and Netball Central Zone Emerging Talent Manager, Frances Solia, was delighted with the players’ attitude. “I’ve been really impressed with the attitude of these girls,” she said. “Towards the end of the first day, after they just got run quite hard in the fitness session, they were really tired and just wanted to go home. It was great to see them just picking each other up and encouraging each other in their groups. That’s a really good sign of the culture we’ve got going here in our Zone and that’s very pleasing.”
 
“When they came into this camp they didn’t know what to expect and as they’ve progressed throughout the weekend they developed an understanding about what they have to be and what they have to do,” explained Frances. “It’s been really good for them to have a look and see that this is what it’s about, but we have to keep reminding them it’s not a shopping camp, we’re here for business and they are very fortunate to have an opportunity to be seen by the National selectors.
 
“I think having Alama running a mental skills session on the first day meant the girls took some stuff out of that. He had some really good keynotes. He spoke to the girls about his journey to become an All Black. His father said to him twice that he wasn’t allowed to become All Black. That was really good for the kids to hear because all they know is that he’s an All Black and they don’t understand what he went through and the sacrifices he made to get there. You could see from the look on the girls’ faces, they were so in tune with what he was saying.
 
“Another key point was the hard work that he put in and what it felt like when he got dropped and how he fought to get back in that line-up.
 
Frances has been impressed with the preparation and commitment the girls have undertaken over the holidays. “There has been a massive improvement since October when I started going around the Zone. Whether or not they’ve actually gone and decided to do their own training, they appear to have done the preparation. Their body shapes look different.”
 
Netball Central Zone Selector, Aroha Marsh, has also seen a difference in the players’ fitness over the last few months. “The girls have clearly worked hard in their fitness since October, they appear very focused with some girls having now taken the hard decision to focus on netball above their other sports,” she said.
 
“I’ve been involved in the Wellington Region talent development programme since it was started eight years ago under the directorship of Waimarama and I’m encouraged by the recent successes of players from the region like Whitney Souness, now at the Mojo Pulse, and Nicola Mackle, now at the Tactix. It’s good to see these former secondary school players playing in the ANZ Championship.
 
“Since moving in to the Central Zone set-up, it’s exciting to observe the Netball player riches and to think that one or more attending this camp this weekend becoming a Silver Fern in the future.  The Zone has a wealth of talent and could potentially produce five secondary school players this season, ” Aroha acknowledged.
 
“It’s been really good and very positive. I am hoping that 7-10 girls are invited to the trials. We didn’t have that last year, but when I look at the product they put out on court this weekend I’m really confident,” added Frances.
 
The 2015 NZSS Championships take place in Ashburton in early October.