The Northern Stars has appointed Michelle Parsons as apprentice coach for the 2019 ANZ Premiership season.
Due to Temepara Bailey recently moving into a player/assistant coaching role, following Grace Kara’s pregnancy announcement, the Northern Stars moved swiftly to find an apprentice coach to add support for Head Coach Kiri Wills.
Both Wills and Bailey were impressed with Parsons’s understanding of defensive structures and the subtleties required to adjust to opposition.
“We are both confident in Michelle’s ability to support the Northern Stars coaching team and athletes so that when in action, Temepara can concentrate on her job on court,” says Wills.
Parsons’ netball coaching experience includes; assistant coach for the 2018 Northern Marvels and 2017 Northern Comets Beko league teams. She is also the current defence coach for St Kentigern College premier netball team.
Since graduating with a Master of Sport Coaching from the University of Queensland in 2013, Parsons’ netball coaching career has bloomed. She is involved in the High Performance Sport NZ ‘Performance Coach Advance Programme’ and is currently completing the Netball NZ Performance Coach Qualification.
A South Auckland local, Parsons is excited to accept this learning opportunity and add value to the team’s performance.
“I didn’t even dare to hope that I would be part of the Northern Stars for 2019. The opportunity to work with Kiri and Temepara is a privilege and I am honoured to be trusted to work alongside the amazing players in the Northern Stars. There is such a diversity in experience and pathways within the team, it is to be part of the journey,” says Parsons.
