Two local teenagers have spent time overseas honing their netball skills and developing friendships. Maddy Black and Evie Mackenzie participated in netball tours to the UK and New Zealand respectively, and both have said their trips developed their netball skills as well as wider personal development. Maddy and Evie have shared their experiences with The [Koondrook and Barham] Bridge readers.

Evie Mackenzie 

• Age 14
• Plays for Macorna 

What was the name of the program? 

NETFIT Tours. 

How did you get involved? 

I received an email from my netball club for any interested players 14-17 years. I applied online and was lucky enough to be accepted.

When and where was the program held?

This year’s tour was held in Aotearoa, New Zealand from January 12-19.

What was involved in the program?

The program was based on living like elite athletes for the week, including lots of training on sand, mountain climbing and healthy eating. We competed in a netball tournament while over there as well. 

How do you think it benefited you?

I benefited from the trip because of not only the physical side, CrossFit, training etc, but the mental side, the NETFIT team organised a very well put together trip and set me and my team up to continue the habits they have implemented into our life. They gave us healthy ways on diets, being on time, taught us respect, responsibility and so much more. 

Any other comments about the program?

The highlight of my trip was helping a little girl at a clinic the tour ran. She was quite scared and did not want to participate, so I took her hand and showed her she was very capable of doing it. We were both very happy.

If you love netball and want to continue to learn and grow in netball, I would recommend going on this tour. 

What else did you get to do while overseas? 

We went white water rafting, which was definitely my highlight of the trip!

Apart from local netball, what other teams have you played for, and/or what other programs have you taken part in? 

The only other netball I have played outside the local area is the spring competition at EDNA, however, I am hoping to try out for interleague teams this year. 

Now that you’re back in Australia, what is next for you (with netball)? 

For now, I am focused in training and getting my peak fitness up. I enjoy training every week and running sometimes. I have been selected to try out for Murray Region over the next two weeks.

What/where do you aspire to be with your netball in 10-15 years’ time?

Where I see myself in 10-15 years is still enjoying netball and playing. I don’t know if I am going to play professionally, but I’ll just see where I go. If it doesn’t work out, I will still be grateful for everyone that has helped me along the way.

Maddy Black

• Age 15
• Plays for Cohuna Kangas

What was the name of the program? 

Junior Netball Europe tour with Wanderers Australia.

How did you get involved? 

I was made aware of the Wanderers program through friends that recommended the trip and thought it would be a great experience for me.

When and where was the program held?

We flew out of Melbourne on December 30 to London, where we would continue to travel around England until January 13, when we proceeded to Paris to finish off the tour on the 17th.

What was involved in the program?

This tour involved bringing Aussie netballers from all over the country to represent Australia while also developing netball skills with several high level coaches. Throughout the tour, we played a total of nine netball games against local representative teams, where we were faced with some harsh competition. 

We were also met with many adventurous days wandering through some of the most iconic places in the UK and France. 

While touring, I was constantly met with new people, whether that be on the netball court or on the streets of London. This aspect really came to play when we were given the opportunity to be billeted with an opposing player’s family. This was my personal favourite part, as I was taken into their homes and lives for a day, with the cost of answering a million burning questions they had about Australia.

How do you think it benefited you?

Given such an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity, I was challenged on and off the netball court. Starting the tour off with no familiar faces was an aspect I was dreading, however, as the days went on, my confidence and social skills improved immensely. My coach, Naomi Pannell, a high level netball development coach, taught my team and I many lifelong netball skills, while also being a mum and best friend to all. 

To be allowed this kind of opportunity at such a young age is an achievement in itself as it has taught me to be more independent and a smart traveller, which has given me knowledge for any future journeys. 

Any other comments about the program?

Although some days were very draining and full on and I was ready to go home, I had a great bunch of girls that suffered and enjoyed it with me. Given it was such a confronting and very scary challenge, I would honestly recommend doing such a tour. It allowed me to make lifelong memories and connections with people from around Australia, while also connecting with people from around the world through something we all loved.

What else did you get to do while overseas? 

While in the UK, we saw many sights such as Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Greenwich meridian, Princess Diana’s Memorial Gardens and Shakespeare House. We also watched a soccer match, where we experienced an unreal atmosphere as the crowd sang chants to the opposition. 

While in France, we visited the Australian War Memorial and many war sites, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Arc, Cathédrale Notre-Dame and many more. 

Beside playing netball and being the biggest tourists known to man, we got to enjoy many home cooked meals from our billet families, traditional lollies and snacks, and indulge in many English customs. 

Apart from local netball, what other teams have you played for, and/or what other programs have you taken part in? 

Apart from Cohuna Kangas, I have also played for Echuca District Netball Association representative squad for interleague and association tournaments for the past three seasons, which has given me the opportunity to be in the Bendigo Academy of Sport. Through Cohuna Kangas, I have been eligible to represent and play for Murray Region, where we were taken down to Melbourne to participate in State Titles for the past two years.

Now that you’re back in Australia, what is next for you (with netball)? 

For the 2024 season, I will be continuing with Cohuna Kangas, however, I am hopefully going to shift over to Central Murray for my representative season while also trying for Murray Region again in March. I have also been selected in the Netball Victoria Northern Talent Academy, which will be an exciting challenge for the New Year.

What/where do you aspire to be with your netball in 10-15 years’ time?

In 10-15 years’ time I hope to have continued to utilise all netball opportunities and maybe become a state player or in my dreams be a Diamond. Even if I do or don’t live up to those high expectations I have set upon myself, I will definitely give back and possibly coach others, to pass on past and future knowledge from my coaches. I will probably continue to play netball for as long as I am capable, so this tour definitely isn’t the last thing I will do.

This article appeared in The Koondrook and Barham Bridge Newspaper, 25 January 2024.