Our September Netty Legend of the Month is not only a legend, but a true champion of netball beyond his local court in Eastwood Ryde.
Sutha Sivagurunat embodies everything a Netty Legend should be, and more. From establishing junior and senior development programs and supporting representative teams at ERNA, to helping introduce new players to the game through a weekly Come and Try program, Sutha is always looking for ways to help people grow and feel connected through netball.
Serving as an ERNA committee for 6 years, during this time Sutha has undertaken a number of key roles, and has also managed ERNA Representative teams at Metro and State level. As Rep Coordinator, Sutha has established and run both Junior Hawks programs and Senior development programs which have been well-received by the community, providing players quality coaching and valuable opportunities to grow their skills.
Sutha champions his association’s individual players and encourages them to have pride in themselves and their community, helping them to find pathways to grow as players and people.
Recently, he set up and run a "Come and Try" Netball program at ERNA. Every week, he has taken the time to be present at the courts, guide both parents and players, encouraging them and helping shape the start of many netball journeys.
Having attended events such as the recent UTS Seminar “The Netball Effect: The Social Impact of Community Sport”, Sutha is someone who is always looking for ways to promote the sport, staying active in many forums and making the most of every opportunity he can to elevate the game.
Beyond Eastwood Ryde, Sutha is the driving force behind the Australian Asian teams assembled to play against Hong Kong’s U21 side, Singapore tri-series, and, in November, twenty-six Singaporean schools.
He has worked extremely hard to contact the parents of every player, promoting the association’s values of inclusion and community pride to them. Here, Sutha demonstrated an incredible amount of resilience and initiative — these events would not have been possible without his passion and perseverance.
Sutha demonstrates the values of community, pride, resilience, inclusion and well-being in everything he does at the netball courts, behind the scenes with ERNA, AUSTRALIAN ASIAN netball and Woods Netball Club.
Whether he’s supporting his daughters from the sidelines, lending a hand to teammates or creating new opportunities for the next generation, Sutha’s community pride, resilience and generosity make him a deserving Hyundai Netty Legend worth celebrating.
