No Images? Click here To the West Australian netball community, Over the past month, netball in Western Australia has undergone a number of changes at a strategic governance level, all of which will have a significant and positive impact on the future of our sport in Western Australia. The most significant change has been the adoption of the new Netball WA Constitution at our Annual General Meeting on March 24, and we wanted to personally take this opportunity to outline what this change means for you, as a member, participant, key partner or stakeholder of our proud netball family. - At the grassroots level, this change will see Netball WA more closely engage with each of the 72 Associations across the State, as we transition into having regional offices, replacing the previous Regional member structure. Our resourcing will increase to ensure we support member servicing and compliance education and training at Club and Association Level. Additionally, we have a focus that we continue to develop our officials, coaches and volunteers to deliver a consistent sporting service to our Members and participants across the State through regular netball programming, and through programs such as Suncorp NetSetGO and Fast5 Netball, as well as other initiatives including Aboriginal Grassroots Sites and No Limits Netball. - For our stakeholders and partners, this closer engagement with our Members and our physical presence across the breadth and depth of the State will provide greater opportunities to further enhance our partnerships and engagement in every market. - At the governance level, the constitutional change sees our voting members change from Regions to Associations, with Tier 1 Associations receiving the right to vote at Netball WA General Meetings. To ensure all Members have a voice, Netball WA has worked to develop a Membership Policy ensuring our Tier 2 and Tier 3 Associations also have a voice through to the Netball WA Board and voting members. The roll out of the new Constitution will be a significant priority at a strategic level across the next 12 months, with the key focus on ensuring that Netball WA is more accessible than ever, through a new regional office structure. With staff to be located in three metropolitan offices, and one each in the North West, Midwest-Gascoyne, Wheatbelt-Goldfields, Great Southern, South West and Peel, from January 1, 2019, we are committed to ensuring that our Members’ voices are heard, regardless of their proximity to our Perth office. These changes, coupled with the rollout of our recently launched Strategic Plan 2018-2022, High Performance Plan 2018-2022 and Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2018-2019, will guide our direction over the coming years. Each Region and Association will receive a hard copy of these documents, however you can read them here. We firmly believe these changes will not only see netball flourish at the grassroots level, but also have a positive impact on our competitions, particularly the West Australian Netball League (WANL), which will undergo its most significant change in its 30-year history. Later this year, we will launch a Men’s Division, and we are also currently in market for eight new WANL clubs to compete in a revamped competition from 2019 onwards, further cementing its position as the pre-eminent netball competition in Western Australia. A critical component of the Netball WA Athlete Pathway, WANL remains of the upmost importance, as we look to foster West Australian athletes into Western Sting, West Coast Fever and beyond. Excitingly, West Coast Fever will commence their season on Sunday April 29, with a squad that features five players who have progressed through this Pathway. Annika Lee-Jones, Kaylia Stanton, Ingrid Colyer, Jessica Anstiss and Captain Courtney Bruce are wonderful examples of the netball talent we possess in our State. It’s for that reason that we call for your support of West Coast Fever in 2018 by purchasing a ticket or a Membership, both of which can be done here. While these changes are exciting for netball, none are possible without the backing of our corporate community. Netball needs corporate partnerships. We can tailor packages to suit any business from any industry, and we urge you to contact our Commercial Team to find out how you can support this netball community that you are a part of, the largest female participation sport in Western Australia. There is significant change underway in Australia, with greater recognition and profile for women’s sport. Netball is well positioned to continue to be the leader in this area and be recognised for the years of commitment and service made by so many to get netball to this position. Please consider this a request to assist us achieve sustained success as a sport, a sport that gives more than 221,000 people across the State, an opportunity to grow, belong and play the game they love. Deane Pieters - President Simon Taylor - Chief Executive Officer |