# @netballaust on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CDa-7kQp2RG
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/16697278-netballaust-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/342cd819f8.jpg
- **Posted:** 2020-08-03T09:09:48.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Netball Australia (@NetballAust) — https://gondola.cc/NetballAust

## Caption

"If someone had told me a decade or so ago that I would become a netball dad, I probably would have nodded approvingly. But if someone had said ‘you’ll be a netball coach’, I probably would have gone ‘no, I don’t think so’. Yet here I am teaching the basics of catching, throwing and footwork with my daughter Zoe, and her team in Sydney's north-west. Here, after 25 years as a rugby player and 10 as a coach, attempting to guide the Beecroft 12-and-unders to a third consecutive premiership. I’m one of just two ‘dad coaches’ at the club. You could say we’re as rare as Tasmanian tigers. I became involved after filling in every so often as coach of my daughter's Suncorp NetSetGO team and then took over the role the following year. It’s interesting because I’ve certainly learnt the rules on the run, so I’m not your traditional netball coach who’s grown up in the sport, who knows all the intricacies. But I’m really glad I did fall into it, because I love coaching and I love seeing the look on the girls’ faces when they do pull off a miracle pass or an incredible shot, or they get an intercept, or they play against a girl who’s a foot taller but they can dodge and weave around that person. I mean, that’s what coaching is all about, isn’t it? Team sport, for me, is about having fun, learning responsibility and empathy. Understanding that, as awesome as it is to win, losing well is just as important. So I taught the girls from the beginning that if you win the game you have to be gracious, and you have to thank people, and you’ve still got to play again next week, so don’t get on your high horse. You also have to be gracious losers, congratulate the other team, thank them, and just stay humble. So, I guess they’re the kind of life lessons that I wanted to teach them - and we’ve been lucky enough not to lose too many games."

#NetballNation

## Stats

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- **Likes:** 1,174
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- **Comments:** 11

## Tags

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