After a successful start to their tenure, title-winning trio Ngarama Milner-Olsen, Renee Matoe and Cushla Lichtwark will be back to coach Central Manawa in next year's National Netball League (NNL).
Paired together for the first time in 2023, head coach Milner-Olsen and her assistants Matoe and Lichtwark made the brightest of starts in the infancy of their high-performance coaching careers when guiding Manawa to a fifth Synergy Hair Netball League title in eight years.
Elevated from the assistant's role for this year's league, Milner-Olsen was joined by first-timers Matoe and Lichtwark to form an exciting new-look coaching trio.
All are former top-tier players who plied their trade for a variety of teams in the Central Zone, including Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse. Now extending their pedigrees, all three are gaining the appropriate qualifications on Netball New Zealand’s coaching pathway.
Succession planning is key to the Zone's ability to build on its impressive success at NNL and ANZ Premiership level where the calibre of coaching has played an instrumental role. With a view to widening and developing their depth, Netball Central has a focus, wherever possible, to develop and progress potential from within its own ranks.
"Identifying and developing coaches who aspire to coach our senior team (Pulse) in the future are important parts of our planning," Netball Central Director of High Performance, Waimarama Taumaunu said.
"We're delighted with the results and success these three achieved in their first year and the respective roles they held in 2023. We look forward to their continued growth and development next season."
Sarona Tolo will also remain as Manawa team manager.