sports

The inspiring ad from the Australian Netball Diamonds that proves why women's sport is so important.

Some of my fondest childhood memories involve a netball and a slightly lopsided makeshift ring my dad built in the backyard.

I remember spending hours and hours shooting out the back on hot summer nights, with the kind of focus and determination reserved for 10-year-old girls.

I was short. I was weak. And I wasn’t very good.

Mum would take us to watch the Sydney Swifts, and we sat in awe as they played a game that look absolutely nothing like whatever we had been playing on the weekends.

I don’t think anything in life has taught me resilience, grit and the power of determination like netball did.

A campaign recently launched by Samsung Australia perfectly encapsulates the culture of netball, and the significance it has for young girls trying to find themselves.

Entitled ‘Rethink Role Models‘, the campaign challenges our propensity to idolise misbehaving celebrities, social media personalities and irresponsible sports stars.

It would seem netball is having a long-awaited moment, with Channel 9 recently announcing that it will be airing netball – for the first time – live and during primetime.

I challenge anyone who still questions the legitimacy of women’s sport to watch this campaign.

The Australian Diamonds, with their courage, skill, and incomparable determination, are the kind of role models we want for our daughters.