Howick College has announced an exciting new netball initiative, offering an academy program to year nine students enrolling from 2024 onwards.
The announcement comes on the back of an impressive season for the school’s premier netball side, which won the Upper North Island Secondary Schools (UNISS) tournament last month.
The team has subsequently qualified as one of the top 16 teams in the country to compete at the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) Netball Championships next month.
Howick College director of sport, Adelita Sotutu says she is excited about what the new program has to offer students passionate about netball.
“Our premier team made Howick College history when they won at UNISS and the Netball Academy will ensure that our next generation of talented young players have the skills they need to become the best athletes they can be both on and off the court,” she says.
The half-year, subject-focussed program will develop fundamental netball skills and abilities for those students identified as having talent in the sport.
The course will build on existing skills and knowledge and provide an opportunity for students to engage in practical and theory sessions that cover rules, nutrition, fitness, skill acquisition and development, and game analysis.
Selection for the academy, which is decided by application and trial, will take place later in term four this year, with dates still to be confirmed.
Sotutu says she is incredibly proud of the calibre of netball players the school has produced.
“We were absolutely thrilled when Amelia Walmsley was named in the Silver Ferns squad and Lili Tokaduadua was offered a full contract with the ANZ Northern Stars for next year. I can’t wait to see what the future holds,” she says.
Both Walmsley and Tokaduadua have recently been named in the NZ U-21 netball squad.
