By Oliver Lees
First time senior coach Leigh Miles is looking forward to the challenge of leading Romsey in the Riddell District Netball League 2022 season.
A mainstay at the club, Miles has previously coached Redbacks juniors teams to three consecutive premierships.
He said he was excited to fill the role and to get to know the A-grade team.
“At the presentation night I mentioned that if they were short [of a coach] to keep me in mind, because I was happy to help out the club. I wasn’t really expecting it to be for A-grade, but I’m excited,” he said.
The Redbacks will be hoping to bounce back from a difficult 2021 campaign where the team was unable to find a win from 10 outings.
The shortened 2021 season marked a significant departure from the 2019 season when Romsey finished in fourth with 11 wins and five losses.
That year they fell just four points short of a preliminary final berth, losing the semi final by four points to eventual grand finalists Macedon.
Miles said he hadn’t had a chance to sit down with the players yet, but hoped he could carry the same approach to coaching he’d developed with the juniors.
“I think players, in all aspects of life, perform better if they’re happy. They have to be able to enjoy their netball to do a good job,” he said.
“I don’t like to be a sergeant. Obviously they need to know when to switch on and switch off, but everyone wants to enjoy what they’re doing and generally I’ve had more success that way.
“Obviously they’ll be more mature, so instead of the parents getting upset with me, it’ll be the girls themselves. It won’t be as much about learning the basics, but the game plans and playing with intensity I’m sure will be similar.”
The Redbacks also confirmed coaching appointments for their football sides.
Dual Redbacks premiership player Phil Lobb has taken on the reserves coaching role while Paul Kennedy will return as the club’s senior coach for 2022.
Miles said the club is currently in the process of organising a trial day for new netball players.
“If anyone is willing to come and have a try out, we’re recruiting hard for anyone who wants to stay fit and have some fun playing netball,” he said.
If you’d like to get involved, contact Romsey netball coordinator Sam Richardson on 0421 347 458.
