Netball has played a big part in Natalie Corbett’s life for as long as she can remember, and now she’s set to pass on her wealth of knowledge to netballers in Mid Canterbury.

Corbett is Mid Canterbury Netball’s new netball development officer/umpire co-ordinator, and she can’t wait to really sink her teeth in to both roles.

An umpire and a player herself, who has previous experience as a development officer, umpire co-ordinator and personal trainer, Corbett brings a huge amount of experience to the role and she’s looking forward to sharing it.

Growing up in a family where her mum and older sisters both played and umpired netball, it was only natural that Corbett would follow them in to it. She started playing as soon as she could catch a ball growing up in Culverden, and started umpiring when she was around 13.

“We spent all day at the netball courts so it was just easier if I started umpiring, too, so that I wasn’t bored sitting around while my sisters were umpiring and playing,” Corbett said.

She found she really enjoyed it, and after her family moved to Waimate she really got in to the umpiring side of the game. As the years went on she progressed through the ranks to the point where she obtained her NZC umpiring qualification, which allowed her to attend tournament such as what is now the national under-18 championships.

Living in Ashburton for the past 2 years and umpiring in Mid Canterbury Netball’s ACL premier one grade, Corbett’s face is one that will already be familiar to many in Mid Canterbury Netball circles, but she can’t wait to get out and about and meet new people, and help them to take their netball further.

“It’s about helping people grow in their playing, umpiring or coaching roles, and getting out in the community and seeing what people can do and taking them to that next step of where they want to go,” Corbett said.

The development officer role is one that was previously held by Natalie Shaw, who finished in September, while the umpire co-ordinator role is a newly created position set to help support and develop Mid Canterbury Netball’s umpires.

As an umpire herself Corbett knows that, for many, the prospect of umpiring can be scary. She wants to help take that fear away, and help people realise that umpiring is actually fun and there are opportunities to go far as an umpire.

The 2021 netball season is set to start in late April/early May for most, and clubs will hold trials in March, but before then Mid Canterbury Netball is providing opportunities for players to prepare.

Corbett is about to run two free introduction to netball fitness sessions (January 25 and February 1) aimed at those not currently active and keen to give netball a go, and later in February Mid Canterbury Netball is putting on a 4 week Fitness Bootcamp.

One of Corbett’s first jobs is acting as the duty manager for Mid Canterbury Netball’s post-Christmas Subway Summer League, while planning is also under way for a secondary schools’ Fast 5 competition to start in February.

In March they’ll run a four week player development programme, and there’s holiday programmes planned for the April school holidays.

For more information on any of the programmes being run by Mid Canterbury Netball, check out their website or Facebook page.

Article added: Tuesday 09 February 2021