Work in inner circle propels MVPs
Coaches look to reward players who support teammates as well as on-court efforts
The distinction of MVP nowadays is handed out as robotically as jet-plane lollies or, for the health conscious, orange slices, at halftime or quarter breaks in sport.
But what is actually the thought process behind gifting the “most valuable player” awards at the end of match?
Some coaches and their stable mates in the Karamu Holden Super 8 netball competition tend to factor in myriad attributes when singling out players for accolades in Napier.
After all, team sport is built on the foundation of collective drives where individuals operate like cogs in a wheel to eke out victories.
For argument’s sake, how do you differentiate the worth of those who put up the shutters in the defensive end of the court to those who post up for goals at the other end?
It isn’t unusual for adjudicators to award points to their player/coaches but then isn’t that a given when you’re wearing the stripes of leadership that personify qualities such as inspiration and vision?
The counter theory is to spread the love a little, as it were, to motivate those who are at the brink of realising their potential but perhaps need that smidgen of intangible reinforcement to bring out the courtsavvy components of their game.
On the flip side, do losing teams’ MVPs have to take the kudos with a spoonful of sugar.
So how fair is it to award points to an individual after a 60-plus minutes of hard yakka after round two of Hawke’s Bay Netball’s elite championship format at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale, last Friday night?
“I think it’s there and beyond the effort of the way the game goes,” said Havelock North House of Travel Kauri coach Angela Harvey after naming her goal attack, Michelle Bazalo, the MVP in their 59-44 victory over newly promoted Toki Mana.
Bazalo shot at 79 per cent (22 goals from 28 attempts) in backing up goal shoot Tania Laking (37/46) at 80 per cent for a team overall percentage of 80.
“She put everything together in training and then into the court of play,” said Harvey, highlighting the significance of a player’s attitude leading up to a match in the week, as opposed to rocking up and riding the waves of inherent abilities.
“It is quite admirable really because it takes skills from a few practices to keep things in court,” she said of Bazalo whose volume of shooting has been increasing incrementally, never mind feeding Laking in the circle.
Harvey said it was good to play Toki Mana, a foe they had faced on previous occasions when they had yo-yoed to the Saturday morning competition in the past few winters.
“They’ve worked every season to
get a spot in Super 8 so it’s great for them to get there and Havelock North know that feeling.”
GS Mele Leutele was Toki Mana’s MVP for an 86 per cent returns after working in tandem with GA Rachel Stellar (89 per cent).
They trailed 13-15 in the first quarter, 9-16 (22-31) in the second, fought back 12-13 (34-44) in the third before the final 10-15 statement.
All In Tremains Elusive player/ coach Candis Timms was the MVP recipient in their 50-48 victory over Napier Girls’ High School.
“[We’re looking for] someone who’s probably consistent throughout the game but it’s hard for to answer that,” said a chuckling Timms, revealing Danielle Pomare-Mackay and Natalie Brown, taking a hiatus from Super 8 because of pregnancies, picked the recipients on court side although they performed other duties, such as making interchanges, as well.
Pomare-Mackay and Brown also mentor All In’s Saturday morning team.
However, midcourter Timms lauded the team but suspected the MVP had come down to the last five minutes of a match where NGHS had kept them honest 13-10, 12-all and 14-11 in the first three quarters before the strong 17-9 final quarter from All In.
“We were seven down with eight minutes to go and it came down to the last four minutes,” she said.
Otane Thirsty Whale player/coach Tammy Kupa echoes Timms’ sentiments of consistency after she pinned the MVP accolade on the GD/WD bibs of captain Briar Chalmers in their 52-41 win over Central Sports Vets Services.
“I want to see consistency for the whole one hour in the game and not a player coming in and out of being on fire and then passing a couple of balls away,” said Kupa after Otane won the first quarter 13-8 then slipped 11-15 before bouncing back with 18-9 and 10-9.
She tended to look for who punched out from their shift beyond the call of duty.
“You look at if they are communicating more than they need to on the court because they may not have the leadership-type role but on the court they are being vocal and positive for the other team members, especially if everyone is playing at a good level,” she said, revealing Chalmers provided cohesiveness from GD to WD.
Captain/GS Judy Brown got the gong from Hastings High School Old Girls Proactive Huia coach Rebecca Martin after their 48-36 win over Outkast Optimise Physio.