Netball: A Game of Numbers

Managing a netball association is no easy feat. It requires a diverse set of skills and expertise to ensure programs are both effective and enjoyable for everyone involved. A key factor in any association’s success is strong financial management, and four Pacific Netball Federation’s deepened their understanding of this during an intensive three-day finance management workshop.

Hosted by Netball Australia, with the support of the Australian Government, critical staff members from Pacific Netball Federations attended, including CEOs, Finance Managers and Board members from Netball Fiji, Netball PNG, Netball Samoa and Tonga Netball Association.

Significantly, all attendees indicated the training had improved their financial management skills and knowledge, building their capability to manage finances across their organisations.    

Facilitated by Don McLennan, Director, Celadon Professional Training, this training helped participants with financial management and accounting best practice and in particular learning to use XERO accounting software.

McLennan explained how participants were engaged and worked together to overcome issues commonly encountered within their Netball Federations.

“Participants improved enormously because they were genuinely engaged and excited about how XERO will help them,” he said.  

Workshops like this not only improves the financial management of the business, but also builds the capacity of participants, most of whom were women, contributing to gender equality and empowerment of women in the Pacific.  

Malia Kupu, Finance Officer at Tonga Netball Association, commented on the impact the training has had on her ways of working.

 “The system has fast-forwarded Tonga Netball’s operation to three years ahead,” Kupu specified.

“I have witnessed the power of the saying ‘two heads are better than one’. Having the inputs of other countries’ finance officers and the guidance of Don shed some light on my role, and I’ve realised how much I missed out on working alone.”

Kupu emphasised the importance of good finance administration in contributing to the running of an organisation.

“It has a huge contribution to the transparency of our work. And this is much more so in sporting organisations, as it assists well with the decision-making and planning of programs, activities and tournaments delivered,” she said.

Moving forward, McLennan hopes the workshop has provided new skills and resources that will be useful for the participants in the future.

“It will provide the decision makers more up to date and meaningful information that will enable them to make more informed decisions.”  

This workshop was designed to help participants apply their learning to the Federation’s business, and ensuring financial management compliance while addressing local challenges. This will be an ongoing process, as Sallee Caldwell, Head of Market Development for Netball Australia explained.

“Netball Australia’s support in financial compliance will extend beyond this workshop. We will provide ongoing assistance through the expertise of our financial specialist, Don McLennan, helping to address any local challenges our Partners may be facing,” Caldwell said.

To accompany their ongoing learning, workshop participants received up-to-date hardware to take back to their Pacific Federations to increase the efficiency of their office operations moving forward.

The long-term aim through these capacity-building workshops is to position netball as a leader within Pacific sport, and our Netball Federations are well positioned to achieve this.

This workshop was supported by the Australian Government through the Official Development Assistance Programs, which supports women and girls to take their place as leaders and champions in the netball community.

To find out more about Netball Australia’s work in the Pacific, please click here.