Netball Australia, in partnership with the Australian Government through Team Up, is excited to be working alongside Netball Fiji to bring the Pass It On program to communities across the country.
Pass It On is a grassroots netball program harnessing the power of netball to address gender inequalities, support inclusive participation, and encourage positive social outcomes for children and adolescents.
Co-designed by Netball Australia, Team Up, and Pacific Netball Federations, and having already been delivered in Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga, the program has been developed to empower children and adolescents through engaging netball activities.
The launch of the Pass It On program in Fiji builds on the existing strong relationship between Netball Australia and Netball Fiji, which has supported high-performance netball in the country since 2021.
Through expanding this partnership into community netball, Pass It On will create more opportunities for young people to participate in netball and support the growth of the sport across the country.
To launch the program, 11 of Netball Fiji’s coaches joined Netball Australia representatives in Suva this week to explore how the Pass It On program can be adapted and integrated into existing community netball programs as well as new clubs.
To put the training into practice, Vunidawa District School became the first school to trial the program, with 11 Netball Fiji coaches delivering the newly introduced activities using the knowledge and skills gained during the workshop.
Chair of Netball Fiji Transition Oversight Committee Vasiti Vugakoto welcomed the introduction of the program to netball communities across Fiji.
“The program will be a valuable initiative for the participants and the wider community. It will make a meaningful contribution to youth development and community engagement, while providing an excellent opportunity for young emerging coaches to develop their coaching skills,” she said.
“We are confident that the program will provide valuable opportunities for our coaches to learn, grow, and share their knowledge, creating a positive and lasting impact on the sport at the grassroots and community levels.”
Australian High Commissioner to Fiji H.E. Peter Roberts said the Pass It On program reflects Australia’s commitment to using sport as a platform for positive social change across Fiji and the Pacific.
“Australia is proud to be Fiji’s largest sports development partner, supporting pathways from grassroots participation through to elite competition.
“Through Team Up, we’re pleased to support the expansion of Pass It On in Fiji and look forward to seeing the positive impact it has for young people, families and netball communities across Fiji, whether you’re a goal shooter, a wing defence or play any position in between.”
Netball Australia Executive General Manager of Netball Megan Simpson said she was looking forward to seeing the Pass It On program reach more young people.
“We are excited to see the program expand into Fiji, where netball already has such a strong presence and provides a valuable platform to engage children and young people,” she said.
“Netball brings together diverse groups of people while developing important life skills and leadership abilities, particularly among young girls.
“By expanding our partnership with Netball Fiji into community netball, we can build on the strong foundations already established through high-performance and create more opportunities for young people to participate in netball.”
Following this workshop, Netball Fiji coaches will begin delivering Pass It On as a pilot program, with opportunities for coaches and participants to provide feedback as the program is trialled and adapted to local contexts.
Team Up is the Australian Government’s sport for development program in the Asia-Pacific. With more than 70 partners across seven Pacific Island countries, our programs are specifically designed to provide all people, regardless of gender or ability, the opportunity to realise their full potential through sport
Students taking part in the training. Picture: SUPPLIED
