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Wilma Ford was a founding member of the Dapto Netball Club which began in 1969 and the Club’s first President. During her service she held all executive positions on the Committee, including President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. She was also an Umpiring Coordinator, coached several teams and was for many years a Club Delegate at Illawarra meetings.

In the early days funding was not readily available and Wilma assisted with lamington drives, 100 Clubs and raffles. Wilma spent many hours sewing pleated uniforms for the club and made the identification tags out of cut vinyl letters and attached the press studs to the uniforms and tags, a very time consuming job.

Many players found it difficult arranging transport to their games and Wilma was instrumental in organising a club bus to help solve this problem, enabling every player to participate in the sport. This increased player numbers and the club expanded.

The dedication that Wilma showed to the Dapto Netball Club laid the foundation for the future success of the club and provided a legacy which is still evident today.

Wilma was the first Life Member of Dapto Netball Club. She was awarded this honour in 1976.

Coleen’s involvement with the club commenced in the club’s inaugural year in 1969 as a player in Dapto Blue Shadows. This team was coached by her mother, Mrs Wilma Ford.

Coleen coached her first team in 1970. Her involvement on the Committee began with the position of Treasurer and then she went on to assume all other executive positions in the ensuing years. She also served on the general committee during this time. In 1975/76 she was an Illawarra Representative coach, committee member, player and umpire.

She also umpired for Dapto and was awarded her National ‘C’ Grade badge. Coleen was also club umpire co-ordinator.

Coleen has continuously supported Dapto Netball Club, as a player, an Executive Committee member, a coach and watching her daughters play as well. She has maintained her close connection to the Club in her role as Life Member, offering valuable experience and guidance to the current members.

Coleen was awarded life membership in 2000.

Jeanine Hahn was an avid netball who played for the Dapto Netball Club. Jeanine was an elite athlete and was a member of the famous Dapto Easybeats team who won seven consecutive Senior A1 premierships in a row (now equivalent to the IDNA Premier League competition). Jeanine also represented the Club playing for Illawarra.

Jeanine took on many roles in the Club including as a Dapto Netball Club coach. She coached a number of successful Club teams, winning countless premierships. Jeanine developed a number of players from a young age who went on to represent Illawarra Netball and New South Wales. Her legacy to the Club was her dedication to helping as many Dapto Netball Club players as possible gain representative honours for Illawarra Netball and higher. Jeanine was a true advocate for players looking to further their netball career. Jeanine also represented the Club as an Illawarra coach and manager.

Jeanine also dedicated her time to the Dapto Netball Club Committee. Jeanine held many roles on the Committee including President, where she was essential in the growth of the Dapto Netball Club membership.

Jeanine’s dedication to the Club and the development of it’s players saw Jeanine awarded Life Membership.

Jackie’s first involvement with netball was as a young child playing for St John’s and then St Anne’s. Jackie started playing for Dapto Netball Club in the inaugural year in 1969 with the Dapto Easybeats team, this team won their first premiership in 1970. Jackie continued to play for the Club, including representing Illawarra in 1975. She moved to Berkeley Netball Club for a few years, but came back to Dapto Netball Club as a player in the 1980’s.

Jackie first joined the Dapto Netball Club Committee in 1982, holding numerous positions on the Committee including Coaching Co-Ordinator, Umpires Co-Ordinator and General Committee.

In 1987 Jackie became a member of the Dapto Netball Club Executive Committee. With the exception of a three year period in the late 1990’s, Jackie remained a member of the Committee, eight of these as President. Jackie’s role as President also saw her become a delegate at Illawarra Netball meetings were she was a strong advocate for the Club.

Jackie coached from a young age and loved teaching the basic skills to players from a young age and nurturing these players through to seniors. Jackie would coach multiple teams each year. Jackie was always dedicated to improving and staying up to date with the latest coaching and netball skills and passing these onto the players. Jackie attended numerous coaching courses and seminars each year. In 1985 Jackie became one of only four coaches in the Illawarra to obtain her Level 1 Coaching Accreditation.

Jackie coached her first Illawarra team in 1983 and continued to coach and manage numerous junior and senior representative teams. Jackie coached her last Illawarra Representative team (Open’s) in 2015.

Jackie is proud of the fact that she was involved in the development of 4 NSW representative players – Joanne Robson, Leah Shoard, Elise Edney and Selene Chadrawry.

Along with coaching Jackie had a passion for umpiring. Jackie worked hard and gained her National C Umpires Badge in 1978. Jackie’s development as an umpire continued and she gained her National B Umpires Badge.

Once Jackie retired from elite umpiring her passion turned to the development of umpires for the Dapto Netball Club and Illawarra Netball. Jackie worked tirelessly at developing good badged umpires.

With the development of the “JUMP” netball program, Jackie was determined to make Dapto the most successful junior umpire’s nursery in the Illawarra.  Jackie took to the program with her usual passion and created a program for the development of junior umpires, ensuring that even the new umpires were confident enough to umpire without being intimidated.  Jackie incorporated the mentoring by senior or national badged umpires into the development of the junior umpires.

Since the inception of the JUMP program in the Illawarra, Dapto has provided more junior umpires than any other Club and has produced more nationally badged umpires, these achievements are directly attributable to the hard work put in by Jackie.

Jackie was awarded her Life Membership to the Club in 1997 continuing to serve on the Committee as President and Umpiring Co-ordinator.

In 2011 Jackie organised the formation of the Dapto Reunited Premier League team which saw a number of high level Dapto Netball Club players, which Jackie had coached as junior and/or intermediates players, return to the Club to play with Jackie as their coach. This team went on to win three consecutive Illawarra Netball Premier League premierships.

In 2013 Jackie was elected to the position of Rep Liaison Officer for Illawarra Netball. Jackie’s passion as rep liaison officer was to assist with the development of players and teams, and bring comradery to the Illawarra teams. As such Jackie incorporated the red and white day into the rep calendar.  Jackie also used this position to incorporate the development of young umpires into the representative program. She used the representative carnivals as a means of developing the JUMP umpires and many newly badged young umpires who showed potential, inviting them to attend as Representative or Development Team umpires and then spent the day coaching these umpires.

In 2016 Jackie was the first and only Dapto Netball Club member to be awarded the prestigious Illawarra District Netball Association Life Membership for her dedication not only to the Dapto Netball Club and its members but the broader Illawarra Netball community.

Sharon first started netball at St Anne’s. Sharon registered with the Dapto Netball Club in its inaugural year in 1969, playing in the same team as Life Member Coleen Randall. Sharon continued to play for the Club and coached her first Dapto team at the age of 15 in 1970. Sharon continued to develop her coaching skills and went on to coach and manage a number of Illawarra representative talent squads, development teams and representative teams. Sharon was also the manager for one of Illawarra’s State League Division 1 teams.

Sharon also umpired for the Club from a young age and went on to receive her National C Umpire’s Badge. Sharon was always involved with assisting with the development of junior umpires from Dapto and other clubs.

Throughout her netball career Sharon held many positions on the Dapto Netball Club Committee including General Committee, Registrar, Treasurer and Secretary. Whilst on the Committee, Sharon was instrumental in the decision to modernise the Club uniform at the time and was involved in developing the Club uniform.

Sharon loved to develop players from a young age, ensuring they developed the essential basic skills of netball in Netta and continued on with the same team through to Intermediates. Sharon’s legacy in the Club was to develop players and continually push them to go further, often taking the second team in an age group and developing those players to be selected in the top team. Sharon has coached countless Club players who have gone on to represent Illawarra and higher.

Sharon’s commitment to the Club extended way past her playing days and continued on well after her son could no longer play netball. Sharon has received Club Person of the Year, Umpire of the Year and Coach of the Year. This commitment and dedication to the Club saw Sharon awarded with Life Membership in 2000.

Allan first joined the Dapto Netball Club in 1971, joining to spend more time with his partner Jackie. Allan coached his first Dapto Netball Club team at the age of 17 and went on to obtain his Level 1 Coaching Certificate. He has continued to coach and manage throughout the years including Illawarra 17s and Opens representative teams. Allan was involved in the first under 11s talent development squad program as a coach and assisted in implementing the program which still continues today. Allan’s passion with coaching has been to ensure players have the basic netball skills required to further develop their netball careers.

Allan has taken on many roles on the Club’s Committee including Secretary, Equipment Officer, Minute Secretary and General Committee. Along with serving on the Dapto Netball Club Committee, Allan has also held many roles on the Illawarra District Netball Association Committee including Coaching Coordinator, Minute Secretary and Registrar.

Allan’s legacy within the Club and Netball Illawarra has been ensuring correct and up to date governance. Allan was instrumental in the development and continued renewal of the Dapto Netball Club and Illawarra District Netball Association Constitutions and Regulations tailoring these to the ongoing needs of their respective members. This increased focus on governance within Netball Illawarra and the Club has allowed for a more professionally run Association and Club, providing greater accountability and transparency for its members. He was responsible for implementing a number of policies within the Club and Netball Illawarra including the Lightning and Photography Policies. Allan also created the current Dapto Netball Club logo and much-loved Club newsletter the “Goosebumps.”

Allan has also been involved in many other aspects of the Club including modernising uniform design and equipment for each team.

After many years of dedication to the Dapto Netball Club, Allan received his Life Membership in 2003. He continues to assist the Dapto Netball Club by serving on the Committee and assisting coaches and players when needed.

Debbie was an avid netballer right from her early years. She started playing at the early age of 6 for Berkeley Netball Club and as a junior player she represented NSW, Illawarra and was a South Coast Region Schools representative.

Debbie joined the Dapto Netball Club in 1997 when her daughter started with the Club, taking on the coaching role of her under 7’s team.  From then on Debbie was to be an active and vital part of the Dapto Netball Club.

Debbie had many roles within the Dapto Netball Club including coach, umpire, General Committee member, Uniform Officer, Public Officer, Vice President and President. Debbie was always happy to step up in any capacity that was needed to make the Club go from strength to strength.

To this day, Debbie remains the longest continuous serving committee member of Dapto Netball Club.

Debbie always had a vision of the Dapto Netball Club growing and being a true force within the Illawarra. She, along with Jackie, were a driving force behind strengthening the junior and senior memberships of the Club. Thanks to the efforts of Debbie and Jackie, Dapto Netball Club can now boast as being one of the largest clubs within the Illawarra.

Debbie was so passionate about the Club and through her true dedication was awarded Life Membership in 2014.

Debbie’s legacy of stepping up and giving it your best is only one of many traits that Debbie instilled in Dapto Netball Club members who carry this with them not only on the court but in their own life’s journeys.

Nichole first joined Dapto Netball Club, where she commenced playing, in 1974. After a few seasons of playing Nichole left netball to take up horse riding and compete in the show circuit. Nichole’s association with Dapto Netball Club resumed when her daughter, Breana, started playing for the Club in 2003.

From 2004 Nichole became an active member within the Club joining the Committee as Fundraising Officer and coaching. Nichole continued to coach teams from juniors through to seniors throughout her time with the Dapto Netball Club. In 2007 Nichole took on an Executive Committee role and became Secretary of the Club.

Along with her involvement in the Committee Nichole’s passion and willingness to always go the extra mile for the Club has seen Nichole awarded the Wilma Ford Club Person of the Year twice .

In recognition of Nichole’s hard work and dedication to the improvement of the Club Nichole was awarded Life Membership in 2016.

More recently Nichole has been instrumental in lobbing the Wollongong Council and Local Government to erect a netball court in Dapto with the proposed sporting complex to come in the future. Nichole retired from her Committee duties in 2017 and returned in 2018 for a short time after being asked to help out the Club.