Silver Fern Sam Winders will play her 100th netball national league match on Sunday, and she says she’s buzzing just as much as when she made her debut fresh out of high school.
Winders will lead the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic against ANZ Premiership champions the Central Pulse in Wellington on Sunday, in her landmark appearance.
A fierce opponent at both centre and wing defence, Winders has been a stalwart of the Magic midcourt for eight consecutive seasons. Her voice is one that can always be heard calling encouragement to her team-mates.
“One thing that hasn’t changed is my enthusiasm,” said Winders, recognised as the heart and soul of the Magic side.
“I always try to keep my energy up, and I’m always happy to be at netball, so that hasn’t changed.”
Franchise captain over the past two seasons, Winders has been part of the Magic community since she was a ball girl at the Magic’s appearances in her home town Rotorua.
Her first year as a contracted player came a year out of high school, with the 18-year-old University of Waikato student taking the court at centre for part of the first game of the 2014 season.
“I came on court for the last quarter against the Tactix in Christchurch and then after that I pretty much sat on the bench for almost the rest of the season.”
Casey Kopua, who captained that Magic side, is a player who stands out on Winders’ netball journey for a variety of reasons.
“I couldn’t really believe that I was training with her and alongside her and then eventually becoming a friend of hers … that just blows my mind how that has progressed over the years.”
Another netballer loyal to the Waikato-Bay of Plenty region, the influence of the defender has had a big impact on Winders on-and-off court.
“I think Casey is an influential person because of how she conducts herself, and she’s an awesome netballer, she reads the game so well … but more than that, she’s a really caring person and always checking in and seeing how you’re going and really down to earth.
“[I’m] honestly so lucky, so blessed, so grateful to have had her on my journey.”
