Sam Poolman has been part of the Hunter netball community since she was seven. Over her career, she proudly represented her region, state, and country, spending a decade at the elite level with the Adelaide Thunderbirds and GIANTS Netball.
Sam credits her success to three key traits – being coachable, passionate, and committed. After reaching the pinnacle of her sport, she returned home to help the next generation of young athletes follow in her footsteps.
Recognising a gap in the Hunter’s player pathway, she founded ASPIRE – a program helping young athletes grow on and off the court. Through ASPIRE, netballers gain the tools, confidence, and self-awareness to reach their potential both as players and as people.
An intensive 10-week development experience for players between 14-16 years old, run in conjunction with the Hunter Academy of Sport Greater Bank Netball Squad.
Designed to help young athletes take the next step in their sporting journey, the program offers the chance to refine netball skills and gain first-hand insight into what it takes to perform at a professional level.
It offers:
Direct coaching from professional players and coaches
Specialised physio sessions and access to strength, conditioning, rehab and recovery resources
A strong focus on wellbeing and mindset development
One-on-one mentoring, with opportunities for personalised feedback and guidance.
This 3-week program, targeted at players between 11-15 years old, focuses on building core netball skills in attack and defence. It’s a unique opportunity for young athletes to be coached directly by Sam Poolman, helping them enhance their game and grow their confidence on the court.
The program includes three one-hour sessions held over three weeks at local association courts.
Cost: $70 for the full program
Inclusions: ASPIRE Development singlet and a Greater Bank Sports Pack
Developed to support Hunter Region netballers between 14-18 years old, this 6-month program is delivered by Sam Poolman and designed to help athletes reach their full potential. The program focuses on performance preparation, skill development, and guidance toward success at higher levels of the sport.
Running from February to June at Hunter Sports High School, athletes train on high-quality indoor courts once a month as part of a structured and intensive development program.
Supported by Netball NSW, ASPIRE Advanced offers participants the chance to experience elite-level training close to home.
Selection: By application
Cost: Program fees apply
Netballers from Manning Valley Netball Association will get the opportunity to complete the Aspire Development Program this October school holidays as part of Greater Bank's $10,000 donation.
As Mid North Coast communities continue to recover from recent flooding, Greater Bank has stepped in with a $15,000 donation to Manning Valley Netball Association.
Tweed Netball Association President Viki Pengilley said they want to ensure the cost of participation was not a barrier for Tweed’s representative players.
