SPORT

Playing career summary, plus highlights:
Netball - Mount Albert Grammar, Auckland Age Group (U15,U17,U19) Representatives. Currently still playing Women’s Premier Netball for Waitakere City Rugby Netball Club. Athletics - Auckland Representative and NZ Medallist in 400m, 200m, 4x100 and 4x400. Touch - NZ Nationals Champions while at school.
Coaching career summary, plus highlights:
Coached Netball for the past 10 years - Have previously coached the Premier netball team in 2018 and now again assist coaching the premier girls (2021). Manager of Premier Girls Volleyball - HIGHLIGHT- Both boys and girls team winning Auckland champs and girls placing 3rd. Being part of the volleyball family in the most successful year we have ever had.
Coaching qualifications, or anything special we should know:
Netball Community Coaching Certificate and Umpiring badge.
What do you love about coaching Rangitoto teams:
We are starting to build a culture where the teams take pride in putting on the Rangitoto uniform. We are determined and never shy away from a challenge.
What you love about sport and or the sport you coach:
I love that netball is a competitive sport. It is a sport that can be played long after you leave school. It requires both skill and athleticism. I love the culture that Rangitoto Volleyball has created. Ex-students are wanting to come back to the school to help with the volleyball programme in any way they can. There are opportunities for students to play both socially and competitively, which allows so many more students to take part in the sport. I love that sport allows a platform for students to be recognised outside of the classroom and to highlight their strengths.
Goals, aspirations, focus areas for your team at the school:
Create Culture where the girls are proud to represent the school - Teaching the girls to do their job - not focus on the win. The win will come if they do their job - Goal - To stay in A grade at UNISS.
Goals, aspirations, focus areas for your sport at the school:
To create a netball programme that is appealing to girls at intermediate. Have a netball culture that is successful, but also that many girls want to be a part of. Always taking pride in wearing the Rangitoto jersey in whatever context you play in.
Coaching philosophy or approaches to coaching:
You play sport to win. Every training should have a meaning or a purpose. You want the athletes to walk away having learnt or accomplished something regardless of how big or small. It is also really important to not only help students succeed within their sport but also to help encourage them to succeed in all aspects of their life.
Any key coaching related/team related quote(s) that you might use:
A good coach can make her players see what they can be rather than what they are.
Any coach mentors you may have and why:
Gina Coombes - past coach Gina was the first coach that I had that ever put an emphasis on fitness. I have the belief that having a good fitness level is incredibly important for everyday life and if you are wanting to be a successful athlete you need to have a solid base of fitness. Gina is incredibly passionate about health and fitness and also the sport of netball. As a coach she always made trainings relevant and worthwhile. We walked away from every training having learnt something, even once we had left school. Gina was honest and never beat around the bush, this was to get the best out of her players.
Where do you work or what is your do full time job:
Rangitoto College Physical Education and Health Teacher, Kahui Ako In School Leader and Sports Leadership and Development.

Playing career summary, plus highlights:

Rangitoto College Volleyball teams 2005-2009. University of Hawaii 2011-2014. NZ Mens Beach and Indoor since 2011. NZ Beach Tour Champ and MVP 2019. NZ Indoor Club Champion and MVP 2017 and 2018. NZ Interprovincial Champ and MVP 2017/18/19. Northern Moana NVL Team 2021.

Coaching career summary, plus highlights:

Rangitoto Premier Volleyball Coach 2018 - Present. 2nd, 7th, Covid, 1st at NZSS. 2nd, 2nd, 2nd and 1st Auckland Champs. Rangitoto Beach Volleyball Team - 2nd NZSS 2017 and 1st. 2018 Various Harbour teams and assistant roles NZ GDM Role - overseeing and working with all performance teams and camps.

Athletes you have coached that have gone on to higher honours:

Ryan Gunn - Georgetown University, NZ Under 23. Jarrod Ferguson - University of Mount Olive, Northern Moana, NZ Junior Men. Matty Bell - NZ Under 23 and Midlands Te Waiora. Nico Lietz - Long Beach State (verbal), Midlands Te Waiora, NZ Junior Men. Ethan Skelton - Central Pounamu and NZ Junior Men. Mitch Coulthurst - NZ Junior Men.

Coaching qualifications, or anything special we should know:

Volleyball NZ Game Development Manager - Delivery and lead of development camps, delivery of coaching courses. Attended Sport NZ Coach Development Courses.

Any special links to the school:

Student 2005-2009. Both brothers attended and my mother.

What do you love about coaching Rangitoto teams:

Connection, welcoming, sports are starting to acknowledge and work with each other, support from school and staff.

What you love about sport and or the sport you coach:

Fun, given me lifetime experiences, team based, never had a bad experience/trip.

Goals, aspirations, focus areas for your team/sport at the school:

Continue to build the programme to allow more athletes to be involved and experience what volleyball has to offer. To provide an opportunity for them to grow as people through sport and allow them to continue playing once they finish at the school.

Coaching philosophy or approaches to coaching:

Provide leadership, while guiding athletes in a positive direction allowing them to explore their own paths along the way. Helping them understand the importance of having a direction by setting goals and helping them achieve them. Empower athletes along the way so they can grow as people.

Any key coaching related/team related quote(s) that you might use:

``Figure out what's important, focus on what you can control``. ``We before me`` or ``RC before me``.

Any coach mentors you may have and why:

Milan Zarkovic - University of Hawaii assistant coach. He brings so much passion and knowledge but it’s never done as the expense of an athlete. He wants the best for you as a person and player.

Where do you work or what is your do full time job:

Volleyball NZ - Game Development Manager.

Anything else not covered above that you would like to include:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to coach and the school for their support towards the volleyball programme and sports. Awesome to see the improvements and opportunities given to students to play sport at Rangitoto.

Playing career summary, plus highlights:

Sailed competitively all my life 1996 Olympic trials 470 10-time world laser master champion (current reigning champion) 20 + national titles 2012 London Olympic training partner Laser Radial 2016 Rio Olympic selector Laser and Finn classes.

Coaching career summary, plus highlights:

Women's World Laser Coach, Team Racing Coach, Junior and Youth Sailor Coach, Olympic training partner, many National championships coaching.

Athletes you have coached that have gone on to higher honours:

Sara Winther, 2012 Olympics. My daughter Lucy, 2020 worlds team 29er (number 1 ranked NZ), my son Joe, 2020 and 2021 worlds team Optimist (number 1 ranked NZ).

Coaching qualifications, or anything special we should know:

Run the highly successful Murrays Bay Sailing Club (MBSC), as Commodore for 3 years, awarded service award by Yachting New Zealand. Fund raising for the new $2m+ club, plus hundreds of thousands on club boats. Help run Waterwise North Shore for the past decade, as lead instructor and Blues rugby team business mentor.

Any special links to the school:

My wife and I attended and met each other at Rangitoto College and all three of our children currently attend Rangitoto College. My Dad and all my brothers and sister and nieces and nephews attend(ed) Rangitoto College.

What do you love about coaching Rangitoto teams:

The team environment, youthful passion, success, and being fortunate to be in a position to give back and share my knowledge. I love helping people generally, and success does feel great! I also enjoy learning.

What you love about sport and or the sport you coach:

I love every aspect, whether it be fitness training, focussed attention to detail, rising up on competition days, learning, team and friendships and ultimately development and improvement and success.

Goals, aspirations, focus areas for your team at the school:

Working as a team, and everyone pulling together and understanding their role and having confidence in what they are doing. Making a difference!

Goals, aspirations, focus areas for your sport at the school:

Winning regionals and winning nationals back-to-back for Rangitoto College. Tick!

Coaching philosophy or approaches to coaching:

Take time to listen to the sailors and ask lots of questions to put them under pressure BEFORE the big dance. Prepare for everything and make training as hard as possible and not shy away from the tough stuff. If it’s to be its up to me (athlete), I've (athlete) got to make it happen!

Any key coaching related/team related quote(s) that you might use:

Champions do extra, be the best you can be, make it happen, stay determined, sail like your life depends on it.

Any coach mentors you may have and why:

I love to learn off all sports, all coaches and teams, and am an avid student of all sports, a few that I have asked for help with wise heads are Dan Slater, Jim Maloney, Hamish Willcox, Dr Ceri Evans and Sir Graham Henry.

Where do you work or what is your do full time job:

I own a few businesses, I like investing in motivated people.

Anything else you may deem important to you relating to your role:

All the support of all the people behind the athletes like their dedicated parents, teachers, friends and relatives - it really does take a community to take athletes to the top - but mostly athletes need intrinsic motivation within.

Anything else not covered above that you would like to include:

Thank you to Rangitoto College particularly to Mr Meiklejohn, Mrs Beck, Mr Harwood and Mr Gale for all their support of our sailing team.