Name: Melanie Symcox
Age: 36
Club/Association: Rovers Netball Club – Noranda Association
Role (& accreditation): President, Club Coach, Development Coach
Give us a snap shot of what your coaching role(s) consists of:
I coach 2 teams at Rovers Netball Club – division 1 seniors and A1 juniors.
As well as being President of the Club, I am also the coach coordinator and I coach an Association team.
Why did you start coaching?
I started coaching at the age of 16. At that age it was a power thing – who doesn’t like to boss people around? As I got older and developed new skills it became more about the players and what I could teach them to get the most out of their game. I love netball and really enjoy sharing that love with the players and building teamwork and good sportsmanship.
What do you love most about coaching?
Success! Not just the winning side of success (although, that is fun too). The success that comes when you have shown players new skills and they put them into play on game day. The success that you are getting through to players, breaking down walls and improving their game play every week. Helping them to understand the game and work as a team. The joy on a players face when they learn and execute a new skill is priceless – that’s what I love most about coaching!
How has being a coach benefitted you?
In my 20 years of coaching at the Rovers Netball Club, I have become much more patient. I have been able to develop my own self-confidence in speaking to groups and sharing my opinions and ideas. I have learnt to accept that players develop at different speeds. I have learnt to listen to what players need and understand how I can help them through the situation – both on court and in their personal lives.
I have developed so many friendships and watched so many kids grow into beautiful people, and I’d like to think in some small way – I had a part in that growth. I would not change a single part of my journey for anything in the world. I have loved every part of it, and I am so thankful for my netball family at the Rovers Netball Club.
What piece of coaching advice would you like to pass on?
Be open to learning new things – you will never stop learning, no matter how long you have been coaching. Yes, it is tough at times, but you are not alone. There is always someone out there to lean on. There are pathways and courses to develop your skills as a coach and it is so rewarding.
You will make mistakes – we all do! It’s how you grow and learn from those mistakes that will define you as a coach.
Have fun! Remember why you got into netball in the first place. Share your love of the game with your players. Yes winning is great, but it’s not everything. Learn to lose as well as you win.
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