Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) have named 15 Kōhine (young women) from around the country as participants in its first-ever Emerging Leaders Programme for 2022.
The 15 successful participants are:
South: Brittney Young, Petra Sparks, Sophie Currie, Nicole Gleason and Holly Parish
Central: Daphne Martinez, Raneigh Hannah, Ella Major, Danielle Hanson and Sasha Nicholson
Northern: Jade Fairley, Jazmyn McGregor, Olivia Carey, Lisia Tuini Ngaluma’a Misa and Danielle Kooge
During the programme’s inaugural year, these Kōhine will work in three regional hubs or ‘home groups’ supported by BBNZ’s Community Women and Girls Leads in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The participants are also partnered with a mentor to support their development journey.
Each kōhine will embark on an eight-month journey, beginning in July with the first of two national residentials where they will connect with other kōhine in the programme. These residentials will help to find inspiration, participate in a range of activities, and learn about the four key pou which will act as their grounding pillars throughout this programme.
BBNZ People Development Lead, Amy McClintock says that the organisation is committed to driving positive change for women and girls in basketball.
“We’re excited about what this programme means for the future of the game,” says McClintock.
“We’re really pleased with the representation of leaders from across the basketball system that will be part of this pilot programme. Leadership is diverse, and this group reflects that.”
McClintock says it was important for the programme to be designed so that it enables direct connection and impact between these emerging leaders and their local communities.
“Throughout the year we’ll be creating a safe and empowering environment, but we also recognise that leadership development doesn’t happen it a vacuum. We want to equip these participants with real-life skills that will enable them to not only develop as leaders, but to shape the growth of the game.
“That starts with them understanding and working with their communities from the beginning.”
The Emerging Leaders Programme is a key initiative in response to BBNZ’s Strengthen and Adapt Plan that was published in 2021. The plan is a result of months of extensive consultation and research across the basketball community and identifies eight improvement areas that will help transform basketball in New Zealand.
BBNZ Chief Executive, Dillon Boucher says that growing the game for Women and Girls was identified as the number one area of opportunity during the Strengthen and Adapt process.
“We know that this is where the largest participation growth opportunities are. We also know that it’s not just about growing participation numbers but also making sure that we’re enabling our leadership system to better reflect the future of the game,” says Boucher.
“Our communities told us that women and girls want to lead this change themselves, and that as an organisation we need to do a better job of enabling and supporting them do be able to do so. The Emerging Leaders Programme is one way that we’re able to start doing that.”
The Emerging Leaders Programme is funded by Sport New Zealand and the Four Winds Foundation. Find out more about the Emerging Leaders Programme for 2022 at nz.basketball/leadership
Emerging Leaders – South:
- Brittney Young, Otago
- Petra Sparks, Otago/Gisborne
- Sophie Currie, Canterbury
- Nicole Gleason, Canterbury
- Holly Parish, North Canterbury
Emerging Leaders – Central:
- Daphne Martinez, Wellington
- Raneigh Hannah, Wellington
- Ella Major, Taranaki
- Danielle Hanson, Manawatu-Whanganui
- Sasha Nicholson, Hawkes Bay
Emerging Leaders – Northern:
- Jade Fairley, Bay of Plenty
- Jazmyn McGregor, Franklin
- Olivia Carey, Franklin
- Lisia Tuini Ngaluma’a Misa, Auckland
- Danielle Kooge, North Harbour
