Melbourne Vixens Workshop

Ballarat High School was one of 4 secondary schools in Ballarat invited to attend the Melbourne Vixens Workshop on Tuesday 12th March. Students were introduced to Mwai Kumwenda and Emily Andrew who outlined how they achieved their goals of playing top level Netball, including playing with the Melbourne Vixens in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN).

Mwai’s story was inspirational. She was born in a small village in Malawi, one of eight children. She lived with her family in a one room, dirt floored hut (with no power or running water). As she explained, she walked for 2 hours to get to school each day and did not wear shoes until she was 15. For her, getting the opportunity to play netball for Malawi and to fly in an aeroplane to get to the World Championships was an amazing opportunity. Being talent identified and brought out to Australia to play for a Melbourne VNL club was the stepping stone she needed to eventually get to play for the Melbourne Vixens in SSN. Mwai is widely regarded as one of the top international netballers, being top goal scorer and player of the tournament at the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZxd_wOIOWI Click here to see more about Mwai’s story.

Emily Andrew had a vastly different netball journey to tell. She grew up idolising Mwai. She was the tall skinny kid that didn’t initially get selected for representative teams in Melbourne and had to work hard and stick at it. Her hard work and resilience eventually paid off with junior state team selections and eventually national junior selections. Whilst she was working hard to study for her VCE (she scored an ATAR of 92 whilst training and playing netball 7 days a week) she gained the attention of Simone McKinnis and the coaching team at the Melbourne Vixens and was offered a training partnership. Emily studies at university, works 2 part time jobs and still has netball 7 days a week. She is currently vying to secure a goaling position in the Melbourne Vixens team (the position that has become available for 2024 due to Mwai’s pregnancy).

Our students then actively participated in a 90 minute court session coached by the Vixens. These activities focused on footwork, balanced landings and attacking leads. With 2 world class goalers coaching, they then demonstrated correct goaling technique for shooting accuracy. The session finished with all of the students getting the opportunity to put all that they had learnt on show in match play.

What a fabulous opportunity for these up and coming netballers to learn from these wonderful role models.

Students Involved: Marley Abbott, Finley Adam, Hannah Branson, Alana Burns, Casey Butterworth, Grace Drummond, Lily Graco, Ruby Graco, Isabelle Harrison, Mia Hayne, Embly Jenkins, Myah Johnston, Jez Jumamoy, Isabelle Loader, Gracie O’Donnell, Clare O’Donnell, Dakodah Pearce, Keeley Pelkonen, Mia Pring, Pippa Pring, Lilac Remilton, Eve Simpson, Sabra Wilkie, Lena Wiltsher.

Kerry Lightfoot 

Netball Coordinator