Tegan Holland may be a young athlete playing for South Coast Blaze in the Origin Energy Premier League but she is wise beyond her years.
A proud Indigenous netballer, she doesn’t shirk from issues that need addressing. At just 21 years of age, she is already an important ambassador for her sport and community.
“It is a quite surreal experience, thinking that I could be a role model for young Indigenous kids,” she says.
“It is no secret that there is a very low number of Indigenous Super Netball players for these girls to look up to, especially when comparing to the likes of a male-dominated competition like the NRL.
“It is really quite sad and frustrating the under representation we have for young Indigenous children to aspire to be like.”
But Holland is keen to be part of positive change. When Netball NSW held an Indigenous High Performance Camp she was front and centre, and she wants to see much more of this in the future.
“This is why Camps like this are so important,” Holland adds. “Having a role model to look up to shows young aspiring athletes that they are represented in the pathways, encouraging them to give netball a go.
“Most of the players at the Camp came from regional, remote NSW. I know from growing up in Port Macquarie there is a definite lack of education and promotion regarding the pathways for these players. This highlights the importance of the Talent Camps.”
On Sunday, Holland will be part of Netball NSW’s inaugural Indigenous All Stars clash with the GIANTS Netball Academy. The game will be a curtain raiser to the NSW Derby clash between the GIANTS and Swifts at Ken Rosewall Arena.
Coached by GIANTS Academy guru Ali Tucker-Munro, and also including Indigenous players from the QBE Swifts Academy, Holland hopes the All Stars game is just the start.
“This is a very special match, coming off the back of what is always an intense and emotional Reconciliation Week.
“We have girls coming from all around the state to play in this weekend’s game, some familiar and some not so familiar faces, so we are really excited to get out on court together.
“We have spoken in the lead up to this game with an emphasis on what stepping out on court means to each of us individually and as a team. To me, it is an opportunity to recognise my culture, make my family proud and showcase the talent our Indigenous girls have.
“Hopefully, paving the way for future games and future camps that will help to build relationships and take another step in the right direction to making netball a culturally safe and supportive sport that our younger generation want to aspire to play at the highest level.”
Like Super Netball, the Premier League now has an Indigenous Round as part of its annual calendar. For Holland it is another step in the right direction.
“It is really great that Premier League has an Indigenous Round, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
“Although netball has a long way to come in terms of developing pathways for Indigenous athletes, this round is a starting point.
"For me, it is a round that actively includes and recognises the diversity of Indigenous talent Netball NSW has, whilst beginning to recognise and start conversations about creating a better, more inclusive future.”
From a performance perspective Holland harbours ambitions to play at the highest level. First up is the goal of achieving a spot in either the Swifts or GIANTS Academies before she can think about Super Netball. But she knows how tough it is to make it to the top, and study is also foremost her in mind.
“A goal of mine is to definitely make an Academy squad, and I think every netballer dreams to get an opportunity to play for an SSN team,” she says.
“In terms of studies, I am striving to finish university and graduate as a physiotherapist in 2022. By doing so, I’ll be the first in my family to finish a university degree and I hope to inspire my many little cousins that they are able to achieve anything they set out to do!
“Both netball and my studies are a huge part of my life. I think it is important to be organised, set goals and know what work needs to be done to achieve them. In saying that, it is so important to be able to have open communication with people around you like coaches, tutors, family, friends to avoid taking too much on and burning out.”
After playing three seasons of Premier League with the Sutherland Stingrays, this year Holland switched to South Coast Blaze and she has enjoyed the move.
“It is very exciting being in the new environment and surrounded by a new bunch of awesome athletes and new coaching staff.
“I have loved every minute so far, and especially enjoy the team culture at the club.
“What I love most about the coaching staff at South Coast Blaze is the support provided throughout the season such as the holistic approach Marj Parr takes to developing a player on and off the court.
“The whole coaching team is very approachable and make you feel a part of the Blaze family, which I believe is a very important aspect in any team.
“My highlight for Premier League this year is being able to play with the high calibre of teammates I have… the likes of Tay Davies (ex-Swifts and GIANTS) and Kayla Cullen (ex-Swifts and Silver Ferns) to name a few. It adds a whole new level of learning that is so different to being coached.”
