By KERRY BOTHA -  In a country where most sporting heroes are of the testosterone-driven variety, former Captain of the Protea Netball team, coach and entrepreneur Dr Elsje Jordaan’s vision to make netball a top spectator sport is nothing short of revolutionary. The game’s entertainment potential is great – short skirts, beautiful legs, non-stop action and the possibility of up to 90 goals being scored in a good game.

A pool of almost two and a half million registered netball players countrywide provides a huge source of talent from which to select a world-class team of 12. What’s needed is the discipline and incentive of professional status. Jordaan’s Netball Grand Series (NGS) launched in Ellis Park last week has been designed to introduce this factor and take netball in South Africa onto a whole new playing field.

“If you compare the number of registered players in South Africa, with that of Australia and New Zealand, which have around 300 000 respectively, then you get some sense of what can be achieved here with the right input,” she says.

Jordaan is a respected sports science, administration and coaching specialist and has established NGS (Pty) Ltd under the auspices of her sport science consultancy, SPORTISIMO.

The NGS is an elite professional netball tournament played by South Africa’s top netball players. It entails eight semi-profession teams from eight different regions competing in a 16 week, high intensity round robin. A total of 115 games will be played.  “The game is fast and fabulous, and provides two and a half hours of great spectator value.  It also has the potential of becoming among the top five most watched sports on television,” she said.   “In fact we want the Netball Grand Series to be the IPL equivalent for the sport,” she added.

Jordaan’s vision for the Grand Series is to develop greater national competitiveness and international recognition of South African netball through consistent top class management and performance. This in turn will allow netball to become a marketable product that will create sustainable value for all stakeholders.

“I believe it will take about 10 years or the 10 000 hours required to get South African netball to international leading standard, and about three to four to get the top international leagues to want to play with us again,” she said.  “And there is no reason why they shouldn’t.  Our girls have natural physical flair for movement and when combined with discipline and excellent coaching and training, they have what it takes to be the best,” she added.

Jordaan is deeply involved in South Africa’s netball scene. She captained the national netball team during the world cup held in 2003 and has represented the country in 88 international matches and 48 tests. She has also captained provincial and league teams.

Jordaan was awarded her doctoral thesis in sport science, specializing in developing talent identification protocol for netball, by the University of Pretoria in 2007. Later that year Netball South Africa commissioned her as its team analyst and conditioning coach for its tour to the Netball World Championships in New Zealand.   She has coached the SA Universities Netball team and the Gauteng East under-21 team, as well as acting as head coach of the netball programme at the University of Johannesburg. Jordaan is currently senior coach of the Eastern Gauteng Netball Region and coach of the University of Johannesburg’s first team.

Her decision to introduce a professional series was inspired largely by the words of a talented youngster she was coaching at the time.  “Tannie,” she said turning to Jordaan, ”one day I want to play for South Africa.”   “It turned my gut, somewhat,” she said.  “We are all aware that netball in South Africa can still develop and grow tremendously and we are internationally not as competitive as what we can be and I found myself wondering if the sport would even still exist by the time this youngster had grown up.  What future could netball provide for such passion?”  “It was then that I had the idea of introducing a professional league.  I am a coach at heart and my passion is to see talent flourish in the game.”

Her enquiries into the feasibility of a professional league, led her to the Blue Bulls rugby coach Barend van Graan, who handed her a file almost 10 centimetres thick of reading material.  “He made it clear to me that if I was to start a professional league, I had to have all the necessary things in place.  I read through the whole file over a weekend and began to realize that the world of professional sport is to be handled with a lot of respect and professional preparation.

Being a coach for a university team, she approached these institutions first with the idea of a professional series. However, if her idea really was to take off, she would need the unreserved support from the Netball Federation of South Africa (NSA).  This she found in federation president Mimi Mthethwa, who supported the notion but encouraged her to look beyond universities.  She also promised that it would be the top netball professional league in South Africa and its highest ranked competition.

“Were it not for the vision of Mimi Mthethwa we would not be in a position to do this,” says Jordaan, adding that the endorsement of the president of NSA also assisted her in securing initial funding through the vice-president of NSA, Blanche de la Guerre, from the Department of Sport and the National Lottery.

Extensive research followed and a robust business plan was finalized, with SPORTISMO owning the commercial rights to the series.

Commenting on how she got permission from the necessary authorities to run the series, Jordaan said disarmingly:  “My history in Netball as a player, national captain and now coach means that I am one of their own.  I think it is clear that I am not in this primarily for the commercial development of netball.  This idea was born out of passion for the sport and frustration that it was not where it could be.”

Jordaan makes no apologies for the commercial nature of the series. “To be sustainable, it has to be financially viable.  However, professionalism is about more than the money.  It is about excellence, character, competency and caring enough to preserve the legacy of a beautiful game.   The concept is proven throughout the world, especially in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and I know it can work here in South Africa,” she added.  

Not surprisingly some incumbents have shown resistance to the ideal. “It suits a lot of people that netball in South Africa is not structured and largely undisciplined.  This breeds a lack of accountability and the series has already had a positive impact to change this corrupt mindset. “  

The NGS has a comprehensive youth programme, which draws talent from 48 high schools (six in each region).  These schools participate in curtain raising games before the main games.   “This is our Under 18’s group, which will form the core of the Under 21 world cup group, and provides a locus for Netball South Africa to see the talent that is available.”  

An extensive development programme is also planned, which will provide the opportunity and platform for mass participation.  It is Jordaan’s intention that members of the youth programme will assist with coaching in the development programme. 

Jordaan believes that the introduction of the Netball Grand Series provides a viable and vibrant outlet to marketers of women’s products.  The Series is currently urgently looking for a naming sponsor.

 “Netball is a game for everyone – you need a ringed pole, a ball and a piece of open ground.  It promotes a healthy lifestyle and I can do it with my mates,” she said.   “The Netball Grand Series will activate the netball population to come and watch and for the little ones to have their own idols.  Dads with girls too now have an event to share with his children.  We are excited all round at the possibilities the series will bring,” she concluded.

/ends.