Nicola Parolin is going to try not to be a netball mom when her daughter, Dahlia, plays for Team BC during this weekend’s U23 and senior national championships at the Fortius Centre in Burnaby.
But it’s going to be hard, because Nicola herself was a national team player in her younger days, when she competed in the U21 world championships in Canberra, Australia, the open world championships in Sydney and London, as well as the 1988 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.
Nicola dialled down her competitive play to a more recreational level when she started to have a family, then stopped altogether as her kids got older and needed to get to their own sporting practices and games instead watching their mom work up a sweat.
But it was during those formative years in the gym, netball made an impression, Dahlia said.
She started playing for a club team in Burnaby, then, when she went to Centennial secondary school in Coquitlam, she started a team there because playing basketball was too aggressive for her liking.
Mother and daughter’s love for the sport has been fostered by the same coach, Ann Willcocks, the godmother of netball in British Columbia and the president of BC Netball’s board of directors. They both play the same scoring position on the court. And they both believe in the fellowship and opportunity netball can offer young women.
Conceived in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith as a gentler, more socially acceptable female version of the other hoop game he invented, basketball, netball exists somewhere on the outer edges of Canadian sports. High school and club programs exist only in pockets. Funding to develop top athletes is scarce; this weekend’s U23 championship will be contested by only two teams — BC and Alberta — because teams from Ontario and Quebec couldn’t afford to make the trip west.
But still, Nicola Parolin was able to travel the world, including places like Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands and New Zealand because of netball. That her 16-year-old daughter may now realize similar opportunities through the sport “is very cool,” she said.
“It’s such a team-oriented sport and it always attracts such nice people.”
Dahlia said following in her mother’s footsteps is “pretty exciting.”
It’s also helpful because her mom is a ready and knowledgeable source for tips to improve her game, like how to see the court better, anticipating plays, and making better decisions in the heat of the action.
And make no mistake, Nicola said, while netball may look genteel to the casual observer, with its strict rules about player movement and ball handling, when it’s played at the top level games can get fast and furious.
To temper her motherly instincts while watching her daughter play, Nicola often gets involved — she stepped in to coach Centennial’s team at the recent high school provincial championships at Burnaby Mountain secondary school when the team’s regular coach wasn’t available, and at this weekend’s national tournament she’ll be volunteering as a physiotherapist. But, she said, she’ll still be stealing away to catch a glimpse when Dahlia is on the court.
Dahlia said she sometimes feels her mom’s eyes.
“It’s a bit stressful,” she said. “But she doesn’t put too much pressure on me.”
• Netball Canada’s 44th national championships at Fortius Centre in Burnaby begin on Saturday with the opening ceremonies at 8:30 a.m. The U23 final will be played Sunday at 11:15 a.m., followed by the senior final. For a full schedule of games go to netballcanada.ca/44th-canadian-national-netball-championships/.
