Other programmes include the Netball Development Trust who provide opportunities to deliver programmes in India and Uganda. The young leaders who attend have to raise all the funds themselvesVolunteers are chosen from the annual Sports Leaders Camp. The Safari programmes are led by IFNA ( Liz Broomhead) and supported financially by Uksport. Rebecca Skinner from England Netball identifies those outstanding leaders at the camps who then have to write a résumé stating why they would like to volunteer for one of the programmes. Natalie Simpson from Lincolnshire was one of those volunteers chosen this year. With support from the East Midlands management Board and Lincolnshire County Netball Association and under the guidance of Liz Broomhead, Natalie embarked on a remarkable journey to Zimbabwe.
This is her story...
Every year for the last five years UK Sport and IFNA have been delivering Netball Safari’s primarily in the African countries. The aim is to empower the teachers from the regions and provinces so they can support the many young children who live in some of the world’s poorest regions with the sport of Netball, to make a difference for them through Netball. Developing skills that will enable the programme to be sustained after the volunteers have gone home.
Having spent a week in the country deemed to be the ‘hardest country in the world to live in’ I can safely say that I have had the most inspirational experience possible. I have met some of the most amazing people that despite all the hardships they face have a passion for netball and use it not only for enjoyment but also as an escape from their personal difficulties. The coaches and teachers that we spent the week with help provide high quality netball coaching for children of all ages across the country in order for them to regain their childhoods and as a contrast to their difficult lives, even for a few hours every now and again. Yet they never failed to have a smile on their faces, which was what was truly inspiring and I believe that the week long Safari was an experience that not only benefitted the Zimbabweans but also all three of us that went over there.
When we finally landed in Harare, after three flights and 28 hours of travelling, we met two very special people, Joan (Ambassador for Netball in Africa) and Barbara (Secretary of ZINA). The taxi driver was a reckless driver on the way to the hotel, I was literally petrified!!!!! But the scenery was breath taking! This barren land suddenly turns in a high-rise city, but the roadsides seemed so poor! I already knew that we were going to do something so worthwhile. We visited the venue, which was a local girls school and we saw them measuring and painting the courts on an area that they previously used for tennis – the tennis net posts were welded into the ground in the middle of the court, there was no health and safety issue for them though, we seemed to be the only ones worrying!! We knew tomorrow that teachers were coming (how many we weren’t sure of!!) and we were going to deliver a course on how to coach netball, the skills they need and introduce some simple drills to them because it was the ideas for useful drills that they lacked.
Some of the teachers/coaches had travelled over 8 hours on public buses to be there!! By the end of the week we had 108 enrolled on the safari!! The Zimbabwean people are the most friendly and funniest people I have ever met, but also they have the most inspirational work ethic! They literally wrote down everything we told them, word for word! We had an opening ceremony too, where they sang the national anthem in three languages at the same time and you couldn’t even tell!!!! They were so grateful and it’s as if it’s an honour for them to have us there, as much as to me it’s an honour to be there! We taught them the basics of coaching and netball and learnt some fun things about them - one man has the most brilliant dreadlocks and one was a preacher! The afternoon we spent in the gorgeous sunshine showing them drills and they all still wrote everything down. It was however, so humbling to see them laughing and having fun, remembering these are grown adults playing children’s’ games. We used this point scoring system and even then they would do anything to get a point, its so much fun! It was so nice to see they have such a desire to learn! And how they could tell us what they learnt the previous day, they remembered even the smallest details!
When it got to the day the children were joining us they didn't arrive on time, they run on Africa time here you see, so when we said 10am, it was gone 11am before any arrived! But they have the most gorgeous and brightly coloured netball kits ever! It amazed me how they play without shoes, especially on the terrible uneven and dusty surfaces! But to them, they find it harder in shoes as it alters their balance! The children (ages 9-20) have the same work ethic, they listen so attentively and behave so well but mostly they do everything with the most massive smile on their faces! They loved every second of it and they are very good netballers too! But what was best was seeing the teachers put into practice everything they knew/we'd taught them, the end product was excellent! They always want to be the best they can be and they clarify even the smallest point so they know they are right! And they were so good, their coaching is magnificent. What I love though is how their warm ups involve singing and dancing so the atmosphere is always so happy and jolly!
At the end and beginning of the day they always sung for us and they have the most vibrant gospel voices and harmonies (well to my untrained musical ear!) And it’s always so uplifting. We also always said a prayer and what stuck in my head was this line.. "From good to better and from better to best". It just summed up their tireless work ethic that I learnt so much from.
They all get so animated when we talked about rules and umpiring and in Zimbabwe it’s like ‘Chinese Whispers’ and the rules are interpreted so differently from province to province! Watching them play though was wonderful, they are so fast and athletic and the men and women play so differently. They are so passionate and enthusiastic, even all the supporters sing and dance constantly and they do everything with a smile on their face! Its a joy to watch them learn an develop.
One morning they starting firing netball questions at me and I slowly attracted a crowd of people who asked me question after question after question about netball, some which were such bizarre scenarios and hard for me to get my head around. But what got me was their hunger for knowledge and their determination to get everything right! What worried me was I was hoping I was telling them correctly because they were hanging off my every word!
We played a tournament with the children and their netball ability is so incredible, they have the most amazing power in their passes and the most amazing fitness levels, but its because they are so used to walking distances to school or doing household chores or carrying younger brothers and sisters on their backs!!! But also, the coaches became so protective and energetic and completely engrossed and passionate towards their own teams - it was amazing!
I think it’s so important to teach the adults, as it’s them that will implement it after we left and nurture the younger generation. I felt like we made such a difference and giving countries like Zimbabwe a structure within sport gives children skills in general as well as a passion for something and allow them to learn discipline too. All they want is to be recognised by the rest of the world and be known for their sporting talent and not be dismissed due to their politics.
by Natalie Simpson.
You are viewing the text version of this site.
To view the full version please install the Adobe Flash Player and ensure your web browser has JavaScript enabled.
Need help? check the requirements page.
