The Netball Show
S7 Ep53: Mel Mansfield Joins Mavericks (14th Aug 2024)
(upbeat music) - This is Stacey Francis-Bainman. Fly Hawk have developed a unique 3D kit designer that's fully customizable. So if you're looking for new kit for your team, visit flyhork.com or email info@flyhork.com with your ideas. - The netball show with Fly Hawk. Raising the bar for netball and winning sports. Mickey Austin, assistant coach at Mavericks. And in all of this, it's about having the right people around you, isn't it? Mel Mansfield is joining you. Tansan and Cam as the under 23 head coach. - Yeah, 100% you couldn't be more right in terms of it all being about the people. I feel like, you know, what I've done previously. Sorry, Storm is a great example of that. You know, a couple of years ago, really identified what strengths we could bring in to sort of surround me in that head coach position. Mel was one of the first people I thought of and we've obviously worked together incredibly closely over the last couple of years. She's now become one of my nearest and dearest friends. And I'm so, so happy that we get to continue to work together. You know, it's so exciting for Mel to be able to step into that head coach position. You know, she's a fantastic person, a brilliant coach. She's great at bringing people together. So much experience. And I think for that under 23's age group, which this year is going to be incredibly pivotal across all franchises, I couldn't think of a better person to be at the helm of that 23's group. And I'm really, really excited to be able to dip into that weekly and be able to help support Mel and, you know, be on the other side of the fence for once and help supporting her and see what inroads we can make with that 23's group as well. How exciting. - That's really important, obviously, her qualities as well really speaker themselves. - Yeah, Mel is as truthful as they come. She's one of the most honest and genuine human beings around. There's a reason why she's been involved in top flight netball for so long and has done so many incredible things. And people want to play for Mel. You know, people want to follow Mel, myself included, you know, when the opportunity came at Mavs, you know, as I say, Mel and I are now incredibly close friends. So we wanted to continue to be able to work together in some capacity, obviously, Mel and T have got so much history with their work that they've done at Storm previously. And then wasps after that. So for us all, it's kind of like getting the band back together again, which is so, so exciting. And yeah, Mel's just one of life's really great human beings. So for her to be back in a head coach position, I'm absolutely wrapped for her. The athletes that she's going to be able to be ahead. Don't know how lucky they are to have her at the helm. And I'm really looking forward to see what we can do with that group who is going to be insanely talented. - And finally, Maggie, for clarification. I asked this online, those were Storm fans. I'd be more than welcome to join you all and switch to follow London Mavericks, won't they? - Oh, yeah, 1,000%. I mean, the outpouring of support for me when the London Mavericks announcement went out was a bit overwhelming, to be honest. It was so lovely. And I got a lot of incredibly lovely messages around, you know, people now knowing who they're going to support and sort of following allegiances and stuff. And look, obviously, I understand the devastation around the news to do with very Storm and the other franchises that sadly didn't make it past the tender process this year, but there are still going to be network teams to support. And the players that, you know, these fans loved so dearly and the coaches that they love so dearly are going to pop up in other places. So whilst we may be in different stadiums and whilst we may be wearing slightly different club colours, I really, really do hope the fans of franchises of old confined away to still continue their love for the game by either turning up in stadium, purchasing the ticket, being able to get down to a match day or supporting with viewing figures because, you know, we all want to grow this game. We all have a deep love for this game called Netball. And that's the reason why we do it. So, of course, there's going to be a place for all of those old Storm fans at London Mavericks. We implore them to get along to a game and come and support me and the rest of the group and see what we can achieve. - Well, let's hear from Mel now. And in 2020, I spoke to her on the Sui Storm podcast about how she got started coaching. Random phone call from Mary Beardwood, who tempted me to come and cover a session early on in the 2008/09 season. And I said, "Mary, don't be so silly." And it was a team absolutely riddled with superstars. It was Sony McLomer, Jeeva Mentor, Tamsen Greenway. You know, I was absolutely terrified. To be honest, didn't really want to do it. So I just did a one-off session and slowly Mary kind of drew me in and made me feel guilty that I should be helping her a little bit more because I also had a really long-standing relationship with Mary in terms of netball. And I felt that I should probably help her. I'm not sure how much help I was though in those early days. - The sheer fact of some of those names that were involved, that must make it a little bit easier for you. - I think, yes, it would be now with some experience, but the thought of doing that, you know, I was really pretty naive and not very good coach in 2008. And it just filled me with horror because it's that awful feeling of walking into a group where you just don't feel confident enough to lead something. And I can remember the feeling. I can remember arriving thinking, "Why on earth did I agree to do this?" You know, I must be mad. But you know, the girls are great. I mean, I'm not sure what they thought about me and I'm never asked 'cause you don't necessarily want to know. But they just got on with it and they treated me with respect and just did what I asked them to do. And that was the end of that. That was the first session done. Mary was a bit sneaky and crept onto the balcony. She was at her school parents' evening and came along at the end. So I then discovered at the end she'd actually watched about the last half an hour. And that's where we went from there. And then that was it. I had a, you know, I never left storm for any other reason that I was traveling crazy distance and it wasn't just a travel, it was the traffic on the travel. That was my issue. And every year, every year I'd feel exhausted at the end of the season and then have a summer off and say, "Oh yeah, I'm all right now." So the year I decided to stop. You know, my children quite small. I remember thinking I've got to just finish at the end of the season before I feel good again. I had a fabulous four years there, I loved it. Great team, great people. You know, and always we'll have four memories of being at Surrey still. Tell me a little bit about when obviously was formed. Obviously you'd worked with tons in storm as well. So was that decision to go there when a sister quite a relatively easy one or? Yeah, I guess so. I wasn't involved until it was all set up. Everything was quite low key because at the time where teams are bidding for franchises you often don't hear. And obviously I wasn't coaching with Tamsin at the time I was coaching at Mavrich. Mavrich, yeah. And she was still at storm. So, you know, as much as we were all great friends, it is still competition time and you keep things pretty close to your chest. But I think there were two things really. One was the set up at wasps in terms of its professionalism and the size of the brand. And of course the other thing was the people going back to work with people that I'd worked before and players that I'd worked with before. And a couple of players came with me from Mavrich and was all part of it. 'Cause ultimately for me, net balls about the people, you would not do this crazy stuff that we do. If you didn't enjoy being with the people that you lived. So from that sense, it was a straightforward decision. The net ball show is now also available via Sky HD, SkyQ and Sky Glass. So let's sport and we're on the podcast rail. (upbeat music)
Mel Mansfield is joining London Mavericks as their U23 Head Coach