The netball world’s present met its future at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre when the Bay of Plenty Magic kicked off their season preparation with a special training event.
A highlight of the day was the interaction between Magic co-captain Erena Mikaere and 13-year-old Isis Russell, a Year 9 student from Rotorua Girls’ High School, whose biggest dream is to follow in Mikaere’s footsteps.
For Isis, who belongs to Ngāti Whakaue and Ngāti Rangiwewehi, meeting her idol was an inspiring moment. “Erena Mikaere! She’s one of my favourites,” she said.
Isis also shared her admiration for the Magic team’s resilience. “I love the Magic cause they’re always persistent. They never give up. They always come back even after some hard losses,” she said.
“She’s pretty tall like me. I’m the tallest in my class. So, I love that. I love tall people in netball because it really inspires me.”
For Erena Mikaere, the training event served a dual purpose: to prepare the team for the intensity of the upcoming season and to inspire local talent. She described the session as an “induction” for the team: “What that feels like. What that looks like. What the crowd feels like when you’re playing. What it feels like walking in, the noise. So it’s kinda that induction into what that looks like and the level we need to be at after training for four weeks,” Mikaere said.
“I still think I’m just a Rotorua girl, you know? I shouldn’t just say that though. Cause it’s not just, like, to come from Te Arawa, to come from this region. We have Matatini pride. It should be an awesome thing. It should be leading our next generation to think you can do anything you want,” she said.
For now the Magic have their first preseason clash tonight at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre against the Stars.