The national dialogue for coaches and umpires is set to take place on 28 February at Garden Court OR Tambo, bringing together key stakeholders to reflect on the growth and evolution of the sport.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Van Dyk highlighted the importance of creating space for meaningful engagement with coaches and umpires across all levels, as South African netball looks to close the gap on some of the world’s leading nations.

"We haven't had a coaches' Indaba like this for years so it is of utmost importance for us to have these conversations with coaches and umpires, mainly because of how netball has changed over the last couple of years. For us, its important to always keep things as relevant and up to date as possible," said van Dyk

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The 43-year-old mentor further unpacked one of the key challenges facing Netball South Africa - ensuring that more coaches are groomed nationwide, citing the shortage and uneven distribution of qualified facilitators across the provinces.

Van Dyk also emphasised the importance of integrating and empowering young coaches, not only locally but across the continent, noting that exposure, education and mentorship are critical to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the sport.

"We've seen quite a lot of young afican coaches coming through the system in recent years, and most of them also played at the highest level, like Bongi Msomi, Phumza Maweni and Precious Mthembu.

"They are all crucial because of the expereince and expertise they can provide as coaches. Having them in the system, and ensuring they get good opportunities and are groomed and mentored to become strong coaches, will be crucial for us going forward."

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