Netball Australia was one of several sporting organisations which partnered with the Australian Defence Force to help deliver a five-day training program for sports officials in Fiji.
Match officials and support staff immersed themselves in the program where they focused on the importance of sport and healthy lifestyles.
Training included practical and theoretical aspects of skills development in officiating, coaching and support roles as well as game strategies, nutrition, lifestyle advice and game day preparation for players.
This marked the fifth workshop, and fourth one netball has been involved in over the past two years which have helped about 960 officials (across various sports) become accredited in the Pacific.
There’s hope the program would help grow sport in Fiji by encouraging players and ex-players to take on sporting officials’ roles.
Netball Fiji has done a mountain of work on the ground to ensure the workshops were a huge success, while its participants travelled all day just to be there.
The workshop provided a platform to build strong connections, with sport being a powerful tool in aiding the development of key relationships.
Those who really paved the way from Australia were national AA umpire Tim Marshall and Netball Australia Coaching Facilitator Karen Topp, who is an advanced accredited coach from Queensland.
The duo was able to share a wealth of knowledge in their respective disciplines and were praised for their ability to keep participants engaged.
Other sporting organisations which took part include the National Rugby League, the Australian Football League, Federation of International and Sports Medicine Australia.
"(This partnership) between the Australian Defence Force and Netball Australia is designed to grow the capacity, the capability, and the sustainability of sport within the Pacific region,” Topp said while speaking to Netball Fiji.
The programs were delivered by the ADF in partnership with local and international sporting governing bodies.
