Netball: Defender breaking silence to lift young

Actions speak louder than words for Otane netball defender Briar Chalmers. Photo / Paul Taylor

Briar Chalmers isn't the type to trip on her laughing gear while searching for the appropriate words to inspire on the netball court.

Instead, Chalmers adheres to the edict of following effective action with quiet reflection, comfortable in the knowledge that from solitude will emerge an even more meaningful accomplishment.

"I've always been pretty quiet. I think if you ask anyone, while growing up I was always the quiet one and quite shy," says the Otane Thirsty Whale defender before they play Havelock North Jazz Apples Kauri from 7.15pm tomorrow in the Hawke's Bay Netball premier club Super 6 competition at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale.

"I prefer to let my actions do the talking. I'd rather how I play and how I hold myself kind of be more than words."

She attributes that persona to a childhood stemming from a livestock farming family in Ongaonga before relocating with her parents, Leonie and Jim Chalmers, to Tikokino when she was 11.

"My parents are always hard-working people so I guess I get that from them."

Otane coach Annemarie Kupa prefers to see the 26-year-old Woodford House sports co-ordinator in the mould of a "silent assassin" although Chalmers won't play tomorrow because she's taking the school crosscountry team to Rotorua this weekend for their national championship.

However, Chalmers' ability to read play contributes to the foundation of a "nuggety, hard" defender who has a tendency of making attackers second guess themselves before she gradually wears them down.

She had forged a formidable pairing with Rhiarna Ferris before the latter went to Palmerston North this season to push for higher honours.

"For the last four years it's been pretty much me and Rhi in the circle so it's been a little different for me."

Teenager Jaydi Taylor-Chaffey and Chalmers have been swapping the GD/GK bibs but tomorrow a seasoned Claire McGettigan will join the fray.

"She [Taylor-Chaffey] is similar [to Ferris], very athletic and really strong in the air."

Nevertheless, Chalmers realises she has to break a lifetime's habit to loosen her vocal chords as a senior in helping put up the shutters.

Her initiation to netball was more a question of when rather than why as she watched her mother play for the Ongaonga netball team as a child.

"She played with a lot of my friends' mums so it was always like a good family thing ... so it kind of went from there."

The senior Chalmers also coached her daughter before the likes of relieving schoolteacher Denise Pearse, formerly of Tikokino Primary School, and Jeannette Oliver, former Central Hawke's Bay College premier team coach, progressively helped her sporting prowess. Oliver is at the helm of the Central Sports Vet HB.

"Now that I'm here it's definitely Annemarie," says Chalmers, after graduating from Massey University in Palmerston North to join Otane because of the convenience of training but, foremost, respect for Kupa.

"I just liked the way Annemarie and the Kupas played so I wanted to be part of it and learn off them as well."

It is coach Kupa's no-nonsense approach ("If they get a chance to perform and don't then they're off. I don't muck around.") that Chalmers feels is why Otane do so well.

"We've got that attitude that every time you're on the court you've got to perform so everyone agrees with that and it's never been an issue."

Chalmers believes the opposition who apply 60 minutes of pressure on Otane can prevail.

"There's been a couple of times when we've had a few bad quarters but we've always seemed to bounce back so the other teams have probably not been able to maintain that pressure. If anyone wants to beat us in a game, that's it - full 60."

However, Chalmers echoes the sentiments of Kupa that Otane's bench has depth.

"We can bring fresh legs on when people get a little tired."