3 min read

Netball Australia Building Off Strong Women’s Sport Foundation

image

Reflecting on her time at the Women In Sport Summit, Netball Australia CEO, Kelly Ryan discussed the organisation’s strategies that propelled netball to become a premier sport, as well as her three-year plan.

Netball Australia’s strategies:

On Netball Australia’s strategies, Ryan said Netball Australia is fortunate to have such a high performing elite product.

“The fact that we’ve got the number one league in the world, we have all of the world’s best talent coming here to Australia to play week in week out means we already know we have a fabulous product,” Ryan said.

“It’s highly competitive, the athletes are phenomenal. They are incredible at their craft, and they put on a fabulous show. So, our role behind the scenes is to make sure we elevate the presence of the game at the elite end and elevate the presence of the athletes as well.

“So, a lot of power and energy comes out of our sport in those two spaces. And it’s really up to us just to make sure that we’re telling people about the power of netball, and what a great sport it is. That’s essentially one of the key things that we’re trying to make sure that we continue to drive,” she said.

Ryan also said it’s important for Netball Australia to connect with the grassroots level to empower the one million players who see their role models on TV.

Three-year plan:

On their future, Ryan said Netball Australia has three-year plan with 10-year horizon, where the governing body is working towards including netball in the 2032 Olympic Games, however being included will not be a defining factor on their success.

“It’s not a moment that will define our success, whether or not we are included in the Olympics as a sport, because we already have a number of other strong international sports competitions that we’re a part of. But the movement starts now to achieve things like that and that’s where our vision is centred.

“We want to be the number the one sport for women and girls who want the number one netball league in the world, and we want the number one women’s team in the world. They’re all things that we already own. So, we’re incredibly lucky to have those and that’s the inspiration that continues to drive us. But the aspiration comes from also having the number one men’s team in the world and being the top team participation sport in Australia.”

Additionally, Ryan said that achieving their goals for the sport will help with their inclusion in the 2032 Olympics, and they can build off the successful growth of netball to achieve gender equity.

It's free to join the team!

Join the most engaged community in the Sports Business World.

Get all the latest news, insights, data, education and event updates.