Julie Grindle has coached netball at Tauraroa Area School for six years. That’s because when she arrived at the school it felt to her like netball just didn’t exist. Julie wanted her daughter to be able to play and as a keen netballer herself she felt that she could help improve the situation at the school by volunteering to coach. Her team from when she started, her ‘babies’, are now in Year 10.

Julie ‘gets’ the value that sport plays in the lives of school children and has seen for herself the positive effect it can have on the overall well-being of a student. The girls who have played netball with her as a Coach have not only learnt to socialise well, they have had valuable lessons in team work. Two years ago they won the inaugural Intermediate Fairplay trophy at the Whangarei Netball Centre. In her role as a teacher’s assistant, Julie has also seen the positive effect sport can have on a student’s academic success.

Julie likes to coach by encouraging and giving positive feedback. It’s important to her that her players feel special and realise that they have talent. She enjoys getting to know all the girls that she coaches and she feels part of her success as a Coach is due to her philosophy that “You need to be firm but fair”.

Julie is quick to point out that the rise of netball at Tauraroa Area School could not have happened without the help and support of school Sport Coordinator, Julie Tarr. These two women share strong, common values in sport and their friendship and respect for each other is very evident. Such is their working relationship that netball is now firmly entrenched at Tauraroa Area School. From being almost non-existent six years ago, Tauraroa Area School now boasts four senior teams as well as teams down to Year 4 level. This positive trend reflects the increase in Year 9 to 13 student sport representation that has occurred at the school over the last year. It appears that Tauraroa Area School is in very good hands.