Netball New South Wales has recognised the talent of local coach Kirstie Fuller with an official coaching role in next year’s program.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Miss Fuller has been appointed the NSW under 17s apprentice coach for 2017.
The role will see two very experienced coaches mentor Fuller with the view to her eventually being a head coach in her own right.
Fuller said she worked hard for the role and was overwhelmed when given the news of her appointment.
“I was absolutely stoked to have been appointed,” she said.
“I got the news two weeks ago and I was jumping for joy, like actually jumping.
“The process involved a written application plus an interview with ANZ championships head coaches Rob Wright and Julie Fitzgerald on a panel alongside NSW institute of sport head coach Briony Akle.
“So it was pretty nerve-wracking.”
Miss Fuller has been working towards gaining a place on a NSW netball coaching panel for some time.
“To get the position I had to gain my advanced coach accreditation, It's a big process that involves having a mentor assess your coaching, followed by a panel who then pass or fail you based on a one hour training session on a specific skill of my choice,” she said.
“I was given the opportunity to come to Sydney and coach the NSW institute of sport players as my group of athletes to do my assessment with in front of the panel.
“It was a scary moment as I didn't know any of the players, but it was an absolutely brilliant experience to be immersed in the high performance arena, and has given me a taste of more of the experiences athletes I will be working with in my new role.”
Fuller fast tracked her development by being singularly focused on achieving her goal.
“So to apply for the role I had to firstly get the accreditation, it is a main requirement,” she said.
“The process normally takes roughly two years, and I sped this up to one.
“This will be my first nationals experience as a coach.”
This will be my first nationals experience as a coach.
- Kirstie Fuller
The Nationals will be contested in April next year.
The new job will see Miss Fuller spending more time away from Glen Innes than in previous seasons.
“The role will require me to be in Sydney every Friday to Sunday from January to April assisting in coordinating two training sessions with the selected squad before the nationals tour begins,” she said.
“This means so much to me and it is very special, I can’t wait to get started.”