Epping Football Netball Club had an extra spring in its step this week as Australian Diamonds great Catherine Cox visited to celebrate the club’s remarkable community impact– and to inspire the next generation of netball stars.
The club was crowned People’s Choice winner in the 2024 Woolworth’s Netball Grants program, securing $20,000 in funding.
And the impact has been real. The club used the grant to buy new equipment, portable lighting for winter training, and fresh food to keep young athletes energised.
“They’ve upgraded equipment, they have been able to buy some portable lights for outside so the kids can train for longer when it gets dark in the winter months and they’ve also been able to buy some fresh fruit and food for the kids to be able to have at training sessions as well,” Cox said.
For the former Diamonds captain, the initiative shows how meaningful investment at the grassroots level can be.
“The Woolworth’s netball grants are one of the best initiatives as far as I’m concerned,” Cox said.
“Because now I’m involved in netball at grassroots level, I can see how important funding is– particularly in getting kids firstly to the courts and also in keeping them there.”
Cox is also thrilled to see how young players are now learning about health and nutrition early in their journeys.
“I didn’t learn too much about nutrition until I was about midway through my netball journey,” Cox said.
“So the fact that it is now something that is instilled in the kids in their very early years I think is just so important to set them up for life– not only on the netball courts but in general.”
And as for the sport itself? Cox is proud of its growth and sees no sign of it slowing.
“It continues to grow which is fantastic,” Cox said.
“It has the highest participation numbers in the country and I don’t see that changing anytime soon– because netball’s such a great product.”
