AMI NORTH HARBOUR NETBALL with Adele Lendich

Focusing on the kids

Earlier this year AMI Netball North Harbour took the lead in a pilot project KiwiSport initiative. The programme focuses on giving primary school children who do not normally participate in organised sport ‘taster’ sessions in the heart of their own community. Netball has been involved in two of these programmes.

This is an important SPARC/Harbour Sport initiative which has seen over 1000 children participate in a cluster type programme from the Beachhaven/Birkdale region. They are aptly named clusters because they are multi sport and include Netball, Hockey, Softball, Volleyball, AFL Kiwikick and Tennis. In addition to this cluster - 1000 children have also participated in a Glenfield cluster group including Netball, Waterpolo, Rugby League, Volleyball, Hockey, Basketball and AFL Kiwikick.

The schools involved have been excited by the activity generated and with all sports working together for a common purpose of increasing participation on a regular basis - this initiative could have a significant impact on the future growth of sport on the North Shore.

For Netball the Kiwisport programmes have been delivered throughout the year by an experienced and dedicated team from Netball North Harbour together with some coaching sessions delivered from LG Mystics stars Catherine Latu and Larissa Harrison. On Tuesday 30th November the BeachHaven/Birkdale Cluster will see an end of year Sport Carnival at Netball North Harbour with all the children from their participating schools involved in an exciting day out filled with Multi-Sport activities.

AMI Netball North Harbour has also developed an exciting and vibrant new series of Holiday Programmes for children to participate in throughout 2011. Starting with the Summer Series commencing on 17 January, which will offer a fun filled Multi-Sport programme over the last two weeks of the holidays. The Autumn and Winter series held in April and July School holidays will have the added bonus of the children accessing our fabulous, brand new covered court complex. Our staff will be able to breathe a sigh of relief on wet days as there will no longer be an issue about how to entertain 200+ children. The new covered complex is going to be a fantastic asset to our community.

Building work is due to commence in early December on this complex. The facility is more than just covering courts; it will have a sprung wooden sports floor and see us playing netball on courts compliant with international standards. In layman’s terms this means the area surrounding the actual playing area is huge to allow for umpires controlling the game as well as hundreds of spectators.

For further information and to register for the Netball North Harbour Summer Series holiday programme and to donate to our covered court project please visit

www.netballnorthharbour.co.nz