Blog 2 - Example isn’t another way to teach, it is the only way to teach.
Example isn’t another way to teach, it is the only way to teach. Albert Einstein.
Many people over the last few weeks have called me inspirational and a role model. I am exceptionally proud and flattered that that is how my story has been viewed. Although I am now a cancer fighting netballer, first and foremost I am a teacher. Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a teacher, to use the old cliché, for me, it was definitely a calling. 19 years later (how did that happen!) I still feel the same way.
I am now Head of Netball at Dubai College and to be honest, that is partially what made me trial for the UAE national team. Thinking about Einstein’s quote, how could I coach and teach these young talented netballers, encouraging them to push themselves further each day, if I wasn’t prepared to lead by example.
I’ve been thinking a lot about who has been my inspiration, who my role models are, who are the people who shaped me into the character, and player, I am today. Although there are many people who make the list, last October I was able to take a trip down memory lane with the Dubai College netball tour and spend some time reliving my youth, and in the company of my inspirational people.
During the tour, we were lucky enough to attend a training session with the Team Bath girls. It was amazing to be back ‘home’ at the STV amongst the blue and gold. I loved every second of my time at the university and was lucky enough to be part of the early days of the high-performance program that shaped domestic as well as international netball. For me, it was here where my netball was taken to a whole new level by Lyn Gunson. This Silver Ferns Legend played a huge part in shaping the netballer I am (I can still hear her shouts of “squares and triangles Sara” whenever I take to the court!). Her presence brought the young stars of today flocking to Bath for a chance to work with her. The Dubai College girls were fascinated with the old pictures along the corridor to the sport hall of the first to the last super league teams, spotting stars, old and new in the blue and gold kit. Many of whom had been in the England team at this year’s Commonwealth Games, winning gold.
After Bath, we travelled to Gloucestershire to play Huccelcote, thanks to my very dear friend Gilly Salter. It was amazing to be able to link up with this Netball luminary. Gilly had been a massive inspiration to me as a young netballer in the region and is still encouraging and supporting hundreds of others like me.
I then took the girls to meet my on-court inspiration. A player I met in Bath many years ago when she was a teenager, a very raw, driven, talented attacker. Someone I had the great privilege to play and train with each week for many years in blue and gold…Tamsin Greenway. Now Director of Netball at Wasps, Tamsin has been a driving force for netball in the U.K with her on court performances, both domestic and international but more so in the last few years as player coach first at Storm and now at Wasps. The Dubai College players were very lucky to be able to tour the facility at Wasps, listen to some very inspirational and motivating words before meeting the players and watching Tamsin at her very best, coaching on court. This unique experience gave them an insight to U.K netball and what they could expect if they aim high and work hard in training and matches.
We must be doing something right, Dubai College has seven U17 UAE players selected with a three further training partners as well as three senior Open squad players, (one of which was me!). Those girls are now reaching out to inspire and motivate others. A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to visit a school in Al Ain, a town inland from Dubai where my life in the UAE began in 2009. As part of the UAE netball association we are passionate about increasing involvement in our sport and this includes raising awareness amongst Emirati women and girls. The Principal of Liwa International School for Girls (an old friend, funnily enough made on the netball court – a cracking WA who ensured we won a sudden death situation one tournament, but that’s a story for another time!) welcomed us into her school to run a coaching clinic. I took Arya Flisher and Jemma Shand from the Open squad and Millie McMurray U17 captain with me as coaches and role models to this next generation of players. The Al Ain girls had never heard of netball before but at the end of the session were playing a full game, explaining the positions and rules, cheering and whooping as they scored each goal!
I hope that I have been able to inspire future netballers the way past coaches and players had inspired me to strive for more than I had thought possible, to push myself, and fight for what I wanted. It was those experiences and people that have given me grit and determination that has allowed me to be about more than just cancer and I cannot thank them all enough for that.
So….Take a moment, what inspires you…?
Check out my Instagram and the UAE Netball Association Instagram for pictures of our recent activity.
@s_donovan78
@uae_netball
Many people over the last few weeks have called me inspirational and a role model. I am exceptionally proud and flattered that that is how my story has been viewed. Although I am now a cancer fighting netballer, first and foremost I am a teacher. Ever since I can remember I wanted to be a teacher, to use the old cliché, for me, it was definitely a calling. 19 years later (how did that happen!) I still feel the same way.
I am now Head of Netball at Dubai College and to be honest, that is partially what made me trial for the UAE national team. Thinking about Einstein’s quote, how could I coach and teach these young talented netballers, encouraging them to push themselves further each day, if I wasn’t prepared to lead by example.
I’ve been thinking a lot about who has been my inspiration, who my role models are, who are the people who shaped me into the character, and player, I am today. Although there are many people who make the list, last October I was able to take a trip down memory lane with the Dubai College netball tour and spend some time reliving my youth, and in the company of my inspirational people.
During the tour, we were lucky enough to attend a training session with the Team Bath girls. It was amazing to be back ‘home’ at the STV amongst the blue and gold. I loved every second of my time at the university and was lucky enough to be part of the early days of the high-performance program that shaped domestic as well as international netball. For me, it was here where my netball was taken to a whole new level by Lyn Gunson. This Silver Ferns Legend played a huge part in shaping the netballer I am (I can still hear her shouts of “squares and triangles Sara” whenever I take to the court!). Her presence brought the young stars of today flocking to Bath for a chance to work with her. The Dubai College girls were fascinated with the old pictures along the corridor to the sport hall of the first to the last super league teams, spotting stars, old and new in the blue and gold kit. Many of whom had been in the England team at this year’s Commonwealth Games, winning gold.
After Bath, we travelled to Gloucestershire to play Huccelcote, thanks to my very dear friend Gilly Salter. It was amazing to be able to link up with this Netball luminary. Gilly had been a massive inspiration to me as a young netballer in the region and is still encouraging and supporting hundreds of others like me.
I then took the girls to meet my on-court inspiration. A player I met in Bath many years ago when she was a teenager, a very raw, driven, talented attacker. Someone I had the great privilege to play and train with each week for many years in blue and gold…Tamsin Greenway. Now Director of Netball at Wasps, Tamsin has been a driving force for netball in the U.K with her on court performances, both domestic and international but more so in the last few years as player coach first at Storm and now at Wasps. The Dubai College players were very lucky to be able to tour the facility at Wasps, listen to some very inspirational and motivating words before meeting the players and watching Tamsin at her very best, coaching on court. This unique experience gave them an insight to U.K netball and what they could expect if they aim high and work hard in training and matches.
We must be doing something right, Dubai College has seven U17 UAE players selected with a three further training partners as well as three senior Open squad players, (one of which was me!). Those girls are now reaching out to inspire and motivate others. A few weeks ago we were lucky enough to visit a school in Al Ain, a town inland from Dubai where my life in the UAE began in 2009. As part of the UAE netball association we are passionate about increasing involvement in our sport and this includes raising awareness amongst Emirati women and girls. The Principal of Liwa International School for Girls (an old friend, funnily enough made on the netball court – a cracking WA who ensured we won a sudden death situation one tournament, but that’s a story for another time!) welcomed us into her school to run a coaching clinic. I took Arya Flisher and Jemma Shand from the Open squad and Millie McMurray U17 captain with me as coaches and role models to this next generation of players. The Al Ain girls had never heard of netball before but at the end of the session were playing a full game, explaining the positions and rules, cheering and whooping as they scored each goal!
I hope that I have been able to inspire future netballers the way past coaches and players had inspired me to strive for more than I had thought possible, to push myself, and fight for what I wanted. It was those experiences and people that have given me grit and determination that has allowed me to be about more than just cancer and I cannot thank them all enough for that.
So….Take a moment, what inspires you…?
Check out my Instagram and the UAE Netball Association Instagram for pictures of our recent activity.
@s_donovan78
@uae_netball
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