NSW Swifts Head Coach Briony Akle sent a letter to the club's Members and Fans today, asking the netball community to get behind every request health authorities are making just now. Below is that letter.
Dear netball fans,
It’s hard to know where to begin when trying to process the events of the past few weeks. We only have to go back to the start of the month to remember a time when the world was a very different place.
I’m not sure about you but I, for one, am a little shell-shocked. Like most Australians of my generation I’ve been fortunate enough to live in a time of general prosperity. Of course, our nation isn’t perfect (none are), but generations like mine and younger have never witnessed a national emergency quite like this.
Yesterday the Suncorp Super Netball League made the right call to postpone the 2020 competition. It was a decision that puts people first. Was it disappointing? You bet it was, but having seen how quickly Covid-19 can attack the most vulnerable in our society, it demonstrates that our most important job now is stemming the spread of this insidious disease.
Let’s put it in netball terms. We need really solid defence. Now, at the NSW Swifts we have some pretty talented defenders. I mean if this Covid-19 battle was a netball game, who wouldn’t want Sarah Klau or Maddy Turner popping up and smashing germs back to where they came from?
It might sound like an odd analogy but I think it’s actually quite apt. Our netball community across Australia is over one-million strong. That is a powerful army. If our troops do what the amazing doctors and nurses in our health services are asking us to, then we are going a long way to bringing this crisis to an end – and netball back to our local courts.
To our youngest netballers out there, this is your chance to defend like Sarah and Maddy. How can you do this? Well it’s pretty simple. I would love to see you helping your parents by doing the simple things they ask: washing your hands, keeping a safe distance from people, not meeting in groups, understanding that you aren’t going to be separated from your friends forever (just until we get through this), and calling your grandparents to say you love them.
This will form part of rock-solid Swifts-like defence which will help everyone in the long-term and I know Maddy and Sez will give it a big thumbs up. (PS: I know the attackers will be asking why we aren’t taking about them – typical shooters, lol – but sorry guys, this one is all about Team D!)
To older members of our netball community, I know that seeing netball courts empty at the traditional start of the season is difficult, but it is a small sacrifice for the greater good. Our game has always been there when people have needed. Now we are working even stronger together by staying apart. Yes, it’s a paradox (I’ve always dreamed I’d get to use that word one day – I’ll take small wins at the moment), but the science shows it’s what we need to do.
Need a reminder of what do to? You can find it HERE
Maddy Turner’s Instagram post yesterday was perfect in its simplicity. Mads gets how social media works and her addition to our club motto – Together We Can – was genius. She ended with the hashtag #TogetherWeCanIsolate. Great Swifts lead off the court as well as on it.
The attitude of our players has, as ever, been first-class. There have been no pity parties or ‘me-first’ attitudes. Instead there is a realisation that what we can do for others at the present will serve us far better in the future. Even yesterday, when they knew the league was on hold, Maddy Proud and Tayla Fraser were giving their time to the NSW Department of Health, to help raise awareness of what it takes to defeat Covid-19.
To our Members, many of whom have sent us beautiful messages of support, we can’t thank you enough for sticking with us through these challenging times. Our Membership Team tells me that packs for the 2020 season will be distributed from next week. Now, it may well be the deep winter before we see you, but why don’t you wear your Swifts beanie proudly in the meantime, and send us a picture? We want to hear from you now, more than ever.
To our Junior Members who are getting a Swifts cape, why don’t you wear it at home when helping Mum and Dad? There’s never been a better time to show your powers by being the superhero we need at this time.
I’d like to finish with a special mention of a long-time Swifts Member – Joan Smith – who said the following this week: “What am I going to do without my netball, especially my Swifts?”
Well Joan, let me first say that your passion, dedication and goodwill at this time means we are all going to get through this.
People like Joan, and all our Members and Fans, are the heartbeat of this club. Yes, times are bad, but everyone is in this battle together and there is solace to be found in that.
We may have six Premierships in the trophy cabinet but perhaps the club’s greatest achievement will be helping the national effort to overcome the biggest global crisis in a generation.
So, channel your inner netball umpire and keep those safe distances and please contact the club at any time if you need to.
Together We Can. Together We Will. Go NSW Swifts
- Briony Akle, Head Coach, NSW Swifts
