Ballina Netball Association hosted its inaugural Indigenous round on Saturday 17 July following on from NAIDOC Week (3 -11 July).
With the help of members Carla Ellis, Kelly Smith and Tammy Moran, Ballina NA took the opportunity to unite and bring their netball community together for the common purpose of building awareness and respect for the Traditional Custodians of the Land.
Ballina NA identified the round as a stepping stone and affirmed their commitment to building a brighter future together through their vision of:
- a welcoming, supportive culture
- inclusiveness of all levels of participation
- strong community partnerships & pathways
- being the sport of choice whilst meeting our communities’ needs
In the lead-up to their Indigenous round, via social media, Ballina NA showcased 15 player profiles of local Indigenous netballers with role model Jemma Mi Mi's celebratory profile also featured on the eve of the round. This initiative was such a great success that Ballina have continued to share more player profiles after the inaugural round. Check out the Ballina NA Facebook page to view these player profiles.
A Welcome to Country from Bundjalung elder, proud Ballina netball Poppy, Uncle Lester Moran set the tone. He reminded the audience "that sport has no colour".
The round's scoresheet featured artwork by Ballina twilight netballer Locklyn Moran while some teams wore bibs with Indigenous designs and across the courts was a sea of black, yellow and red ribbons and scrunchies.
Tywana Caldwell, a Ballina representative player spoke about what Indigenous round meant to her and how "it was about empowerment and having fun" and "a time of understanding and connection for both our Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people". She highlighted the round as an opportunity to "gain empathy and deeper connection through sportsmanship and being a team player".
Local year 6 student Finley Wallace had the audience mesmerised as he played the didgeridoo to close out the round.
Ballina NA are committed to seeing the Indigenous Round become a regular fixture on their calendar for many years to come.
Check out the local NBN News article and video about the day HERE.
