For more than 20 years, Renee Webster has been giving back to netball in North Otago, helping players, coaches and umpires develop while making sure people of all ages have the chance to enjoy the game.
Her dedication was recently recognised when she was named a WM Volunteer of the Month following a nomination from her club.
Webster sits on the North Otago Netball Committee, where her role is Umpire Coordinator. She also runs the Year 1 and 2 Programme and co-coaches the North Otago Under 18 team, work that adds up to around 10 hours a week during the season.
"I always look forward to the start of the netball season," Webster said. "We have such a dedicated committee that gives so much of their time and energy into running the sport we all love so much. The friendships I have made within the netball community mean the world to me."
Webster's involvement began while she was still at high school, where she started coaching and umpiring.
"My mum coached me and was on the junior programme committee when I was a kid. Her passion and love for netball has definitely been passed down to me," she said.
Umpire development is where she puts in some of her closest attention. Each week she coordinates appointments for junior and senior competitions, runs education sessions, supports umpires working towards centre awards, and helps candidates prepare for theory exams.
"It's those quick moments, like having a conversation with an umpire on something to work on, and then watching them go straight out in the next quarter and do it. Seeing that growth, big or small, makes me incredibly proud and reminds me exactly why I do this."
She has found a different kind of reward this year coaching North Otago's Year 1 and 2 programme, which introduces around 50 young players to the game each season.
"This is the first year I have coached this age group, and I have had so much enjoyment seeing these young players come back every week to learn the next skill they need to know to play netball," she said. "Hoping to see them continue their journey as they get older too."
Her commitment extends off the court as well, including organising fundraising for the North Otago Under 18 representative team and supporting players from three different schools to compete together at the Under 18 National Championships.
What stands out most to Webster is watching that long-term arc play out.
"It's pretty cool that I've coached a few netballers now from when they were in primary or intermediate school, and now I'm at the stage where I get to play against them on the court."
North Otago Netball is heading into a new chapter too, with the opening of the region's new six-court indoor community centre giving players a year-round home regardless of the weather. For someone who has given more than two decades to the sport, it is another step forward for a community Webster is proud to be part of.
Supported by WM 91色情片, Aotearoa's leading materials recovery, recycling and waste management provider, the WM Volunteer of the Month Award celebrates volunteers who make an outstanding contribution to netball communities across the country.
If Renee's story sounds like the kind of role you'd enjoy, centres across the country are always looking for volunteers, whether on the court, in the committee room or somewhere in between. Get in touch with your local Netball Centre to find out where you could fit in.
Know someone like Renee who goes above and beyond for their netball community? Nominate them for a future WM Volunteer of the Month Award here.