Netball: Helene Wilson's bittersweet switch from Mystics to new role

Helene Wilson has taken a new role as manager of women in high performance sport. Photo / photosport.nz

Northern Mystics head coach Helene Wilson has always wanted to serve others.

While that makes stepping into her new role as manager of women in high performance sport at High Performance Sport New Zealand all the more exciting, it's also made the decision to leave her title-holding Mystics incredibly difficult.

After taking on the head coaching role in 2017, Wilson's proud of the team culture she's helped to foster and the success it has reaped, including the Auckland side's first ANZ Premiership triumph last year.

"Changing the culture creates sustainable change, and culture change is not about me, it's about how do you facilitate the people around you to bring their best foot forward, feel like they're adding value," Wilson said.

"I hope, and I know, that when I step away from the Mystics the next person that will take the team will make the Mystics stronger and if the Mystics are still successful in ten years then I'll know I've done my job."

It's a testament to her ability to forge meaningful relationships within high performance sporting environments that Mystics captain Sulu Fitzpatrick was taken aback when Wilson broke the news of her departure after their game this week. But she's ultimately thrilled at the opportunity for Wilson to continue to make her mark on sport in Aotearoa.

"Bit shellshocked but also bittersweet, because we're happy for her and it's really important now that she focuses on her family and also the bigger picture which I know she'll have an impact not just on netball but on women in our country," Fitzpatrick said.

The often uneven balancing act that comes with being a mum in high performance sport is something Fitzpatrick knows well, the defender announcing her own retirement after next year's World Cup in order to spend more time with her twins.

Wilson, who has two teenage boys, sees the new role as an opportunity to continue to contribute to the community of high performance women in sport that she loves, but it's also allowing her to commit more time to her family - something she's missed over 30 years of coaching.

"The time's right for me to step back and give some quality time back to my kids," she said. "But also new opportunities in high performance sport don't always come around at the perfect time so the new role excites me."

After immersing herself in the world of elite netball since joining the Mystics organisation, Wilson's looking forward to widening the scope of her involvement with women's sport again, returning to High Performance Sport NZ after a previous stint which saw her work one on one with athletes from a range of disciplines.

"I know the sport system really well, I've worked in the system and I've worked on the ground as well, so I think that will be really valuable.

"I don't think I have all the answers, definitely not right now, but my strength is talking to people and using the value and strength that is around the place and then using the collective knowledge to take a positive step forward."

Wilson's experience of the highs and lows of high performance sport - it took her five years at the helm of the Mystics before they clinched their first Premiership title - is something that captain Fitzpatrick is confident places her well to have a positive impact on the continually growing space that female athletes occupy in Aotearoa.

"We know the power of women and we want to empower women and I know that that's going to be her goal."

While the new role is an exciting step in a new direction for Wilson, the focus is still firmly on getting the Mystics across the line in the Premiership come finals time.

"This time of the season is always emotional, not just because there's tired minds and bodies but also because everyone wants it so badly, so this will only add fuel to the fire," Fitzpatrick said.

"We're very determined. I know that she'll just switch into business mode and she'll give it to us in trainings to prepare us the best we can so that we can put the best Mystics out on court."