When 47-test Silver Fern Sam Winders returned to New Zealand after a season with the Giants in Sydney, she found herself at a crossroads.
She’d spent the final weeks of the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball season on the bench – and it changed everything.
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m no longer cut out for this life of sitting on the bench’. I just want to play, whatever that looks like,” says Winders, 29, from Rotorua.
From court to classroom
With few opportunities available in the regions she hoped to play in, Winders started planning life beyond elite netball. She was ready to study for a Diploma of Teaching when a phone call changed her path again.
“Shaz (Silver Ferns physio Sharon Kearney) called and said: ‘There’s a job going at WBOP and I think you should apply’.”
The role? NetballSmart Development Officer for the Waikato Bay of Plenty region.
“It felt like my first day of school – I hadn’t had a proper job interview in years – but it’s all fallen into place and I’m loving it,” she says.
Winders, who was deputy head girl at John Paul College in Rotorua, now delivers injury prevention education across her home region.
“I’m teaching stuff I’m passionate about – moving well, building better players and better people. Ten years ago I was a uni student just starting out with the NetballSmart warm-up. Now I’m helping embed it for the next generation. It’s a full-circle moment.”
Why NetballSmart matters more than ever
In 2024, ACC accepted 23,796 netball-related injury claims at a cost of $48 million – the highest number and cost in five years.
That’s why ACC and Netball New Zealand have invested in revising the NetballSmart warm-up for 2025 – with a sharper focus on landing, deceleration, and game-specific movement.
Winders is part of that delivery team. And according to Kearney, she’s the perfect fit.
“Sam is a hard-working and competitive player across the ANZ Premiership, Super Netball and international play,” says Kearney.
“She ran hard, landed well, and decelerated strongly – she role-models exactly what NetballSmart is all about.”
“Now, as a Development Officer, she’s helping young players understand what it takes to succeed – and how to do it safely.”
A smarter way to build netballers
The stats are clear:
In 2024, the 10–14 age group accounted for 6,306 netball injury claims.
The 15–19 age group followed with 4,513.
373 ACL injuries were reported – 335 of them to females.
Winders says the current approach to player development often skips a key step.
“We don’t have the depth of athlete we need. Often we pick players for their height or physical attributes – but they can’t jump, accelerate, decelerate, or land well. That’s what I’m trying to change.”
Through her NetballSmart sessions, Winders focuses on helping young players move better, build athletic foundations, and stay injury-free.
“We train them to move well. That gives them the freedom to play how they want – and reduces injury risk at the same time.”
She says avoiding a serious injury like a ruptured ACL can make all the difference for young athletes.
“I’ve seen it in my teams – the cost is huge, emotionally and physically. Some players don’t come back the same.”
Still competing, still inspiring
Winders hasn’t retired from the court just yet. She’s playing club netball for Ngongotahā in the Tauranga Premier Competition – and still loves the game.
“I don’t think I’ll ever lose that love of playing and competing. But now I’m also getting huge rewards from working with our young players.”
And she’s seeing real impact in the community already.
“It’s a great feeling when you walk away from a team training and the players are fully engaged in learning the NetballSmart dynamic warm-up. Teams that do it properly can reduce their risk of injury by up to 50 percent.”
“And the teams with the fewest injuries? They’re usually the most successful.”