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Netball's professional pivot: From college byproduct to major arenas
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Culture & Society

Netball's professional pivot: From college byproduct to major arenas

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Netball, a sport developed in the late 19th century by physical education pioneer Martina Bergman Osterberg, is transitioning into its professional era.
  • Elite netball teams are moving to major arenas, with top players in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball reportedly earning close to six figures, while UK players often work second jobs.
  • The sport, historically driven by women, is seeing increased public interest and attendance following England's Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2018 and World Cup runner-up finish in 2023.

Netball, a sport born from the educational vision of Martina Bergman Osterberg in the late 1890s, is now pivoting into its professional era. Osterberg, a formidable figure in women's physical education, aimed to cultivate "physically perfect" women, and netball emerged as a significant byproduct of her college's programs.

It is unique - the only sport that I have been able to find that is completely controlled, operated, designed by, played by women over its history.

— Margaret HenleyNetball historian Margaret Henley, a lecturer from the University of Auckland, commented on the sport's unique status.

The sport is experiencing a notable shift, with elite teams relocating from smaller sports halls to major arenas. This professionalization is reflected in player compensation, though salaries remain largely undisclosed. Top players in Australia's Suncorp Super Netball are rumored to be nearing six-figure incomes. In contrast, players in the UK's Netball Super League often earn five-figure salaries and may need to hold second jobs, although marquee players command higher earnings.

It is a team sport that men do not play or, if they play, there's netball and there's men's netball. It's distinct from

— Margaret HenleyHenley further elaborated on the distinct nature of netball as a women's sport.

The Netball Super League is two years into a 10-year plan for professionalism. Success on the international stage, such as England's 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal and 2023 World Cup runner-up finish, has boosted public interest. Attendances surged by 45% in the first year of this professional journey. The sport continues to be predominantly driven by women, aligning with Osterberg's original ethos of female empowerment in physical activity.

teachers in embryo... destined high priestesses of a new cult

— Magazine accountA 1897 magazine account admiringly described Osterberg's students.

Osterberg herself was a radical leader, challenging the notion that men were best suited to train women and advocating for her graduates to lead physical education programs. Her students were described in 1897 as "teachers in embryo... destined high priestesses of a new cult." At a time when women participating in sports often faced disapproval, Osterberg's audacity and self-belief were instrumental in reshaping the landscape of women's sport in Britain. She embraced the Swedish gymnastics system, emphasizing anatomy and apparatus-free movement, and dismissed prevailing ideas that women's physical activity should be limited to preserve them for domestic roles.

a faulty battery pack

— Osterberg (paraphrased)Osterberg was reportedly irritated by claims that women had 'a faulty battery pack' that needed preserving for motherhood and wifedom, according to netball historian Margaret Henley.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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