Pittwater LIfe December 2019 Issue

Five-star family affair
News
It’s safe to say that Margi
Whiteman absolutely
loves netball. And despite
approaching 70, she has no
intention of slowing down.
Margi played to Manly
rep level, before becoming
a coach at 23; coaching for
22 years straight. Even with
brief breaks for when kids
and grandchildren came
along, she has coached for
more than 40 years. She’s
always been either playing,
coaching, managing or
administrating the game.
You could say netball is in
her DNA.
Which might literally
be the case, because
daughter Kylie Elliott, and
granddaughters Alyssa, Tahli
and Krystal Elliot are also
all members of Pittwater
Peninsula Netball Club,
where Margi has coached for
the past six years.
Though granddaughter
Alyssa is only 6 she can’t
wait to get started in the
NetSetGo team. It’s a format
where rules are modified,
there is no grading, and girls
play in all positions to get
used to the game.
Alyssa says she wants to
play netball “because you get
to run!”
Her sister Tahli has played
Netta for three years, and
this year played in the 10A
grade who were Grand Final
winners. Tahli possibly
has a career ahead of her
in advertising, as she says:
“Netball stands for fun,
fitness and fabulous friends!”
Krystal is 12 and has
READY FOR THE SEASON:
Margi Whiteman with daughter
Kylie and granddaughters Tahli,
Krystal and Alyssa.
played both Netta and
Competition Netball for
Peninsula for six years. She
now also enjoys umpiring
and helping as a junior coach
at NetSetGo. She says that
netball is, “a fun sport you
can do with your friends, or
with new friends, get fit and
have friendly competition”.
“It’s so good for kids.” Margi
agrees. She goes on to explain
why making friends is such an
important part of that:
“Kids often leave at 17
or 18,” Margi says. “They
disappear to Uni, have kids
and families, then come back
to play again with friends
they’ve made over the years.
Night comp means they can
put kids to bed, and then
head off for a game indoors
on the wooden floors. There
is an over-35s division
which is growing, a walking
league for grannies like me
and mixed comps now that
mum and dad, or seniors’
boyfriends can play in.”
Margi’s daughter Kylie
is proof of this theory,
after returning to netball
as a mum. Formerly a
representative player, coach
and fitness instructor for
Manly Warringah Netball,
more recently she has
managed teams and assisted
with coaching for Pittwater
Peninsula Netball.
“Netball is a great sport
10 DECEMBER 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991