Netball in Wales, part 2: question and answer with Mike Fatkin

An Early Bath talked to Mike Fatkin, the Chief Executive of Welsh Netball, about the challenges he has faced in promoting the sport and the difficulties and opportunities encountered since his move away from a similar post at Glamorgan County Cricket Club.

An Early Bath: How many people play netball in Wales?

Mike Fatkin: We estimate 10,000 adults playing regularly, over half of whom formally affiliate. Netball is a key component of the Dragon Sport primary school initiative, meaning that well over 60 per cent of primary schoolchildren will be exposed to it. We do struggle with the drop-off between primary and secondary schools.

AEB: Why do you think netball is seen almost exclusively as a women’s/girls’ sport?

MF: I’m not sure, but I suspect it’s historical. Boys play at Dragon level, and the teachers like the fact that because most of them are restricted to two thirds of the court they can’t dominate like some boys do in other team sports. At global level it’s the same, with some mixed, but relatively little all-male netball.

The match between Orkney and Shetland netball is one of the more popular games in the UK; photo: Flickr, orkneysports

AEB: Netball is well-established in schools, but why do you think media coverage of top club sides and Wales itself is relatively small?

MF: Personally I think sports editors just go for the main male sport staples. I’m not sure whether that’s laziness or not. They claim that’s all their readers, viewers and listeners want it, but with circulations dropping, I don’t know why they are so reluctant to try. It is a similar story for other female sports and athletes, as shown by the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist being all male.

AEB: The ANZ Championship in Australia and New Zealand is very popular, with team paraphernalia in sports shops and results on all sports news bulletins. Do you think a similar scenario could ever come about over here?

MF: I’d like to think so but we’re a mile off that at the moment. It is a huge sport Down Under and receives extensive media coverage. I do think if the media provided some more coverage it would create more role models, not just helping girls who traditionally drop out of sport earlier than boys, but also in providing a platform for us. The Fiat Netball Superleague is well supported and receives some coverage from Sky, but we really want to build on that.

AEB: Wales’ coach Melissa Hyndman was nominated for elite level coach of the year at the recent Sport Wales awards. What hopes do you have the success she has brought can help develop a more mainstream following for netball?

MF: Her nomination was good for the sport. She’s made a big difference in focusing the players on the need for greater professionalism and commitment and they are beginning to understand how and where they need to improve. We are also expecting her to work her way down through the age groups to provide a solid ‘Welsh way of doing things’ from bottom to top. We have created an Under-15 team recently as the earliest entry into international participation was Under-17, which Melissa and I both believe is too old. She has ruffled some feathers but my view is that had we continued to do the same things in the same way we couldn’t have expected to get different results. I think she’s done a very good job.

AEB: Do you believe netball should be an Olympic sport?

MF: Yes. Not only is it something we believe we deserve but it is frustrating seeing the likes of golf and tennis coming in when they have enough different platforms as it is. We understand that the absence of a widespread European base is a factor, something which we need to address.

AEB: You used to be the chief executive at Glamorgan CCC. What are the difference and similarities in terms of the challenges now you’re at the top of Welsh Netball?

MF: The main difference is profile. It is quite nice working outside the perennial glare of the media but at the same time it makes the generation of publicity and commercial sponsorship very difficult. We have had success in making a number of positive changes in the last two years but we still struggle to bring in sponsorship and other commercial revenue. I enjoy the fact that netball as a sport has struggled for advocates and people to champion it and I hope I can make a difference in using my profile to get the sport a wider audience. The other main difference is from professional sport to amateur. I was used to players and contracts and agents; there is none of that in netball. I miss the pressure of the contractual negotiation but not all of the time!