A stand out against Australia in the Silver Ferns' Constellation Cup victory, Sam Winders is passionate about helping young netballers understand how to take care of their bodies.
Sam Winders is back where it all began. It’s nostalgic and surreal to be walking the halls and grounds of John Paul College in Rotorua.
The Silver Fern, who was deputy head girl there, is talking to the next generation of netballers and has a couple of simple messages.
The Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic captain is the perfect woman for the job and around 20 budding young netballers in the school gym are taking in every word.
“The first message is that anything is possible coming from Rotorua,” says the 25-year-old, who has played 41 internationals for New Zealand. “You can do it. Even though it might seem a long way away, it’s right there within your reach, if you want to work hard for it.”
Like all of these girls at John Paul, Winders (nee Sinclair) dreamt of playing for the Silver Ferns when she was a standout in a number of sports including touch rugby, athletics and basketball.
“When you get a little bit older you realise that Rotorua is not the biggest town to come from," she says. "And there haven’t been too many girls who have made it from here so that makes it extra special. That never stopped me, and I’m proud of that.”
She should be too. Winders is only one of six players to come from Rotorua to play for the Silver Ferns. On the weekend, she was at the heart of the Silver Ferns’ effort to beat Australia and claim the Constellation Cup for the first time since 2012.
Her second piece of advice is “don’t take your body for granted”.
It’s an important message, as a recent 10-year nationwide review of netball injuries revealed a 120 percent increase in the number of 15 to 19-year-old girls having anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery.
The impact of ACC’s Injury Prevention Programme NetballSmart has shown a steady decline in the rate of ACL injuries and an overall a decrease in all netball injuries since 2014. In 2020, ACC increased their investment into the NetballSmart programme to $3.6m over the next three years.
“That investment from ACC is huge for our game,” says Winders. “Right now, the body you have as a young person is awesome and resilient and it recovers fast, but don’t take that for granted.
“Learn how to jump and land properly. It’s not only going to look after your body but it’s a key part of performing at the highest level as well.”
Winders says a serious injury is a massive barrier to furthering a netball career.
As a dynamic midcourter, Winders has never suffered a serious injury but has seen her team-mates Monica Falkner (knee), Kelly Jury (shoulder – twice) and Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (achilles – twice) go through lengthy rehabilitation.
“They are all good friends of mine. It’s tragic and heartbreaking to watch,” she says. “The cost of a major injury is huge. It affects all parts of your life. If you can minimise the risk of significant injury by your activations, good movement patterns and understanding how your body works, then I am all for it.”
Sharon Kearney, the NetballSmart programme director who was the Silver Ferns physiotherapist for 21 years, says Winders is an ideal role model for the programme.
“Sam plays netball hard,” says Kearney. “But she can because she has prepared herself to do this. What we do not see is all the hard work that Sam does behind the scenes. That is why people like Sam are really important as NetballSmart ambassadors – they help tell the story of what it takes to play netball like she does.”
Kearney says in her younger years Winders had a great role model in Waikato Silver Fern Laura Langman, who was a big influence on her career.
“Both Laura and Sam have very hard work ethics, they strive to be better than they were before and very receptive to advice on how to achieve this.”
Winders leads the NetballSmart warm-up for the Magic before every training and game. “For me it is about being able to perform in the best way and the safest way for my body to be sustainable," she says. "I don’t want to get to the end of my career and stop because my body can’t function anymore. NetballSmart encourages players to know their bodies and understand its limits.”
Winders is looking forward to a big ANZ Premiership season with the Magic and feels with experience she has a lot more to offer. “My goal is to be the player you want to have on your team, not the player you want to come up against,” she laughs.
“I’m a competitive person so I will always give 100 percent, but I’ve learnt that netball is not the be all and end all of my life. It’s just one part. It’s finding that balance and knowing why I play and going back to my values and what I stand for.”
Winders reminisces after her session at John Paul College as she walks off the grounds. She’s proud of how far she has come since her schooldays, and so honoured to represent her region on the world stage.
“It has definitely been an up and down journey for me with the Ferns, but it’s so good to be back,” she says.
“It’s the black dress. It’s the legacy and the story behind it. To be part of that is special. I never take it for granted.
“Every time I pull on the black dress, I know I’m representing my family and friends and the people from this region. That is a huge honour.”
