Netball: ANZ grant allows William Colenso College players to buy uniforms

William Colenso College netball players in their new uniforms made possible by an ANZ netball grant.

William Colenso College players can take their netball game to the next level after being awarded an ANZ netball grant.

The ANZ grants give netballers across Aotearoa an opportunity to apply for anything they need to continue playing the game they love – from uniforms and training gear to resurfaced courts and money-can't-buy experiences.

The school's sports co-ordinator, Tini Williams, applied for the grant because they didn't have any uniforms for their boys and the wrong sizes for the girls.

Tini said some of their kids were dropping out of netball because the uniforms didn't fit.

"We are a low-decile school, a lot of our kids either don't have shoes or shorts. Some of our boys have been playing in their school uniform shorts because they don't have PE shorts."

Tini had heard of the grants, but had never applied. The school was awarded new uniforms to help unify the teams, and have their boys and their girls in matching kit on the court.

Tini is grateful to have received the grant. "It's a positive for our kids because they will look well-dressed when they play and it will make them feel proud to wear their uniform and represent the school."

Coach Bea Carter-Judd said whānau would be incredibly proud to see the whole team in a matching uniform.

"This is the first time a junior sports team have been given a new sports uniform. They normally get hand-me-downs."

The school had struggled to provide uniforms that fitted and were suitable for both boys and girls to play in, especially as participation grew, she said.

"The participation of our junior students in netball has increased over the last few years. We now have an increasing number of boys now participating too.

"As a low-decile school we have had to be creative and adaptable when it comes to dressing our students in a sports uniform. Often teams have to share sets of uniforms or they're used for more than one code."

Tini hopes this grant will help to secure the future of netball at the school.

"Now that our Year 7, 8 and 9s will have a decent uniform and in the right size, it will hopefully increase interest in netball for next season."

Bea says most of their players go on to play netball throughout the rest of their schooling.

"Even though we are a low decile school, with a small number of students, we have had some success with students being selected for rep teams due to this participation."