Shooting Higher
New Zealander NATALIE MILICICH arrived here two years ago to take up the role of Singapore’s national netball coach. And while she’s loving the challenge, it’s not without its sacrifices.
What do you miss about home?
My children and husband have stayed behind in Auckland, so I miss that I’m away from my family. All four of my kids play competitive sport (water polo, netball and football) and I miss not being there for them all. My husband is a “Super Dad” (and a “Super Husband”!).
Tell us about your early experiences with playing and coaching netball.
I continued playing netball and other sports after moving from the small city of Whangarei to Auckland when I was 18. I also played tennis, squash and touch rugby, but I focused more on netball once I played at representative level. The transition into coaching came slowly – I was still playing and coaching while having children.
You worked in finan e for 15 years; why did you return to coaching?
I was approached by former New Zealand coach Yvonne Willering – I have a huge amount of respect for her; she suggested I look at coaching a North Harbour age group team. I’d previously been coached by Yvonne, and then she mentored me into coaching.
Did you have your sights on Singapore at any stage?
Not initially, though I was interested in applying for an elite team after finishing a sports degree in 2016 to formalise my coaching. It was really about the timing of the Singapore role and the fact that another former Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken had worked here. I had a chat to her about the role, and she supported my application.
How did you find settling i ?
Settling in wasn’t difficult; the Netball Singapore office staff, led by Cyrus, made me feel very welcome. Cyrus made the transition easy – his support has been immense. Settling into the coaching role has had its challenges. Players have to balance work, studies and personal commitments alongside a very demanding netball schedule.
How would you assess the team’s recent World Cup performance?
It was a challenging time. We went in as the lowest-ranked team, so it wasn’t going to be about results but about individual performance – players taking ownership and delivering a performance they could be proud of. We talked about who we are representing and who supports us – our sponsors, the wider squad, Netball Singapore and our families. I believed we could be competitive, rattle a few cages and send a message that we had improved as a region.
There have been enormous learnings around our attitude to the game, consistency, mental toughness and having fire in the belly. This needs to come through in all the players; we can’t rely on one or two players to have that. This is something we’ll be working on as a group in our preparations for the M1 Nations Cup and SEA Games.
What’s ahead for the team?
Our short-term aim is to improve on individual performances; longer term, we want to build on our strengths and minimise our weaknesses as a squad – and we want to win gold! The M1 Nations Cup will give fans the opportunity to watch the team on home soil, and we welcome all the support.
What’s the key quality of a good netball coach?
The ability to connect with all players. Coaches need to understand how players tick, to get the best out of them and give them confidence to go outside their comfort zone.
Tickets are on sale now at apactix.com for the M1 Nations Cup, which will be held from 20 to 26 October at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub. Visit netball.org.sg for more information.