College Sport Media netball profile: Theresa Ngata (Aorere College)

The Beko Netball League is the development competition running alongside the ANZ Premiership. The league consists of 31 games run over 13 weekends, culminating in a Grand Final in Auckland on 18 June.

A number of secondary school netballers are involved in one of the six teams and College Sport Media is profiling some of these players.
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Theresa Ngata plays for the Northern Comets, who meet the table topping Central team in Otaki, just north of Wellington, this coming Saturday afternoon in round seven.
Versatile defender Theresa is in the 2017 New Zealand Schools squad and represented the New Zealand U21 team in Fiji at the start of this year.
Name: Theresa Ngata

Beko Netball League Team: Northern Comets

School: Aorere College

What positions do you play?
GD, GK, WD

At what age did you start playing and how did you become involved?
I started playing Netball at the age of 8. When I was 8 I would watch the Silver Ferns, not even knowing any rules of the game, but I wanted to play netball and be in that team.

Favourite on-court netball moment or highlight in your career thus far?
So far, I'll say standing on the transverse line facing the opposition team on the tour to Fiji, representing NZ in the U21’s competiton. That feeling standing alongside amazing players and wearing a black dress was something special to me.

What other club or provincial teams have you played in growing up?
When I was 8, the first club I joined in was Papatoetoe Rangers. When I hit Intermediate, I started playing Auckland Reps. I then started representing my country in the Auckland Tonga team that was competing in the Pacific Cup Challenge. These were the teams I played in to start off with.
What challenges and rewards are there for you training and playing in the Beko League, with and against all the aspiring elite level players?
I guess the challenge for me playing the Beko League is training. You have to give it your all in trainings because as said “You train how you play”. The reward in that is me becoming a better athlete mentally and physically.

Will you also be playing for your school team this year and if so what’s coming up with them that you will be striving for?
 I will be playing for school this year and I think that our goal is to make nationals from the UNISS tournament and hopefully place better than last year where we came 12th.

Who are your favourite netball players?
 I have many favourites but from when I was little I use to say that I'm going to be like Anna Scarlett who is now married and is called Harrison. More of my favourites are Casey Kopua, Kayla Cullen, Serena Guthrie, Laura Geitz and Maria Tutaia.

Do you have a personal motto that you bring with you on court?
Have fun!

What are your pre-game rituals?
Listening to music.

What other team/individual sports do you play or have played competitively?
I have played Basketball and Volleyball competitively over the years.
See our article last year on her volleyball and basketball here http://www.collegesportmedia.co.nz/basketball/busy-life-on-the-court-for-theresa-ngata  

What subjects do you take at school?
The subjects I take at NCEA L2 are Maths, English, Business, Classics, History, and PE.

Who are your greatest supporters?
I'm blessed to have such support from my family, friends, school and even Netball New Zealand! Just a shout out to my Family. They're kinda the reason to why I’m still going. They've helped me be the person I am and what I want to become and that is, being a Silver Fern.

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