Former Silver Fern Joan Hodson’s teaching swayed her into coaching netball and Taranaki is relishing her experience.  

The 36-capped international first started coaching at the school’s where she was teaching at to get involved in extracurricular activities.

“I see that as my role as a teacher,” said the 1987 Glasgow netball world champion, who now works at Sacred Heart Girls’ College.   

“There are so many benefits seeing the kids outside of the classroom and seeing them doing something they love. I get huge enjoyment out of that.”

She first started taking school and representative teams that was recognised.

Her ability, understanding and enjoyment was noticed domestically when she became the Auckland Daimonds coach in 2003 for two years during the New Zealand competition.

Her coaching ability was unique. Not only was she an international player but she also just finished a seven-year international netball umpiring career, after becoming a senior umpire at age 11.

“That influenced me to become a teacher because I was so bossy,” she quipped.

She umpired at a Netball World Cup and Commonwealth Games. 

Adding to her netball experience, Hodson won a New Zealand touch World Championship in 1991, the same year she was involved in the Silver Ferns narrow loss to Australia in the World Cup.

Today, she is still involved locally and coaches the Taranaki under18 side, which came 16^th out of 38 teams during a national tournament in Rotorua during the school holidays. She also coaches her daughter’s school team and was a selector at the recent EnviroWaste North Island Junior Netball Championships.  

The dual international admits the game has become more physical and the umpiring has changed during her time.

“Umpires are still trying to get contesting and contact right. There are so many injuries and clashes, that’s what’s changed due to the speed of the game that’s picked up.

“If you look at what’s happening in Australia, we’re having more collisions and they’re a bit more cleaner. It used to be the other way around,” she said.

When Taranaki teams go away to tournaments, she feels the players need to back themselves but fear against larger centres like Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury.

“Our girls in Taranaki have the skills, they can put it together. We are really nice girls from Taranaki, we need to be mountain woman that establishes really good practices and Netball Taranaki provides those opportunities for players and coaches.”

But with over 30 years’ experience in the game, Hodson would like to pull back.

“It’s been a big part of my life. I’ve done my dash. I really like watching and would prefer to do that.”

Article added: Monday 02 August 2021