Paul Besanko has been crowned the 2023 Cobb’s Hill Estate Coach of the Year (Community), a fitting recognition for his contributions to coaching.
Besanko was chosen for the significant impact he has had on the development of young players at the St Joseph’s Netball Club and the Oakdale Netball Club.
In 2023 he coached two junior teams at St Joseph’s as well as an U13’s team at Oakdale, where he has been effective in helping players advance their skills and build confidence.
With recent appointments as an Adelaide Thunderbirds Talent Academy (Metro) assistant development coach and Coaching Director at Oakdale, Besanko’s potential and success with junior players has been noticed beyond community level.
Besanko is known for being a great mentor for players, maintaining a focus on building their love of the game.
He is passionate about recruiting new players and providing young netballers with the best opportunity possible to continue their development.
The 2023 Fruchocs Umpire of the Year Award (Community) has been won by Jessie Miller from the Loxton North Netball Club/Riverland Netball Association (RNA).
Miller was selected for her ongoing commitment to umpiring and extensive work to provide opportunities for junior umpires to learn and develop their skills.
This year, she has served as the Loxton North Club President and Netball SA delegate for the region alongside multiple other roles, all the while still making time to regularly umpire five games a week.
Additionally, she established an umpiring academy within Loxton North to mentor juniors and ensure there are enough umpires to fill the ranks at the club.
Miller understands the importance of encouraging up-and-coming umpires at Loxton North, recently hosting a nibbles and drinks event to recognise and give thanks to them.
Her contributions extend beyond just the Riverland, as she also supports umpires at other clubs and leagues and travels to Adelaide to umpire at the Country Championships.
Both Besanko and Miller were celebrated at Netball SA’s Award’s Gala on Friday, September 29.
