Taranaki’s senior representative women’s coach Che Tamati has been named Community Coach of the Year today in national awards announced by Netball New Zealand.

The coaching awards are a new innovation and cover three categories – Coach Development, Community Coach and Performance Coach of the Year.

Auckland’s Natalie Milicich was named Performance Coach and Tania Heap collected the Coach Developer title for her work with the Northern Zone.

Che Tamati, Taranaki Netball’s 2017 coach of the year and a nominee for the top coach in last weekend’s Taranaki sports awards, said he was “blown away” when he received the call from Netball New Zealand.

“I was both surprised and delighted. To be not only the first person to receive this award but also male and from Taranaki gives me a sense of achievement that I feel we all at netball in Taranaki can share in,” he said.

Che Tamati, who is working towards his Netball New Zealand (NNZ) Performance Coach qualification, was described in a media release from NNZ as being highly respected by players and quick to share his skills with other club coaches.

In 2017 he coached both the Shoe Clinic Tysons East Premier 1 team and the Greymouth Petroleum Taranaki Open Representative team – for the second successive season -  through unbeaten campaigns.

His nomination for Community Coach of the Year Award came from Tysons Waitara Club, supported by Netball Taranaki. He said Shoe Clinic Tysons supported his every idea – “and some can be pretty radical” and understood “the method to my madness”.

“I quietly think they enjoy the excitement of something new and different. The ladies and management from Greymouth Petroleum 2016 and 2017 unbeaten open teams have really set Taranaki netball up for success as the top Central Zone side. All those ladies have put me in the running for this award which I am truly grateful for. It belongs to us, all of us at Netball Taranaki.”

The Netball Coach Awards, supported by Barfoot and Thompson, celebrate those who have stood out in the coaching community.

NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie said it was a fitting recognition for the hard work the coaches put in for their teams and centres.

“We are very fortunate in New Zealand to have such dedicated coaches who have supported the aspirations and dreams of their players,” she said.

Auckland’s Natalie Milicich guided her Central team to their first Beko Netball League crown in an unbeaten season after moving north from Wellington.

Tania Heap, the third winner, was praised for her passion for the game and her ability to listen to the needs of coaches and find the best solution to problems. 

■ 2017 Netball New Zealand Coach Awards: Coach Developer of the Year – Tania Heap.  Runner-up:  Emma Haigh. Community Coach of the Year – Che Tamati.  Runner-up:  Rachel Brown-Cole. Performance Coach of the Year – Natalie Milicich.  Runner-up:  Vicki Morgan

Ends.