Chelsea Routhan had a fair idea that running netball in Nelson would be a busy job, but even she couldn’t have predicted how full-on the start of the season would be.
This Thursday night the premier grade teams have a pre-season game, before 2500 players take to the Saxton Field courts on Saturday for their first game of the season. The very next day, Nelson Netball hosts the Canterbury Tactix in an ANZ Netball Championship game at Saxton Stadium.
“It’s definitely going to be full-on,” says Chelsea.
“But it’s exciting.”
Chelsea was appointed as manager for Nelson Netball at the start of the year and has been focussed on this weekend since.
The start of the season is always a huge event for the governing body but throw in an ANZ Championship game and it makes it even bigger. But Chelsea says she’s more excited than nervous.
“It’s a big challenge and this job has been a huge learning curve for me, not so much what I’m doing but the quantity of it. But we have great support from community volunteers and it’s really neat to have people there backing you up and supporting you.”
Netball is one of the highest participation sports in Nelson and having the entire code played in one area of Saxton Field creates a huge “buzz” and excitement. Chelsea says that is a huge asset for netball and the sport is in a great health, with player numbers on the rise and a new junior programme already attracting plenty of interest.
“I think because it’s for females and it’s traditionally been such a big sport, like rugby has, for our young players. Their mothers have played it, their grandmothers have played it and it’s exciting to be a part of it as a family.”
She says her goals over the next few years is to grow the number of players, make sure the sport remains financially stable and grow the number of elite players coming from Nelson.
“We’re probably not representing ourselves as highly as we could when it comes to elite level. But that is a real focus of mine, to have quality rep teams and pathways for our elite players.”
It hasn’t all been plain sailing though, with Trafalgar Centre closed their normal court time at Saxton Stadium has been cut significantly. Chelsea – who admits she is now in her dream job – doesn’t seem too bothered by it though and says it’s just another challenge that they will work around.
“I’m really passionate about netball and have played here in Nelson since I was seven. I knew the job would be a big challenge and an exciting one, and so far I’m really enjoying it so problems, like the stadium, is just something we have to work around and keep focussed on the bigger picture.”
