Netball Singapore has a new boss, and she’s not here to waste time.
Australian Tara Steel has been appointed national head coach and technical director on a two-year contract starting March 2025.
She replaces Annette Bishop, who stepped down in September 2024 after nearly five years in charge.
Her job is to get the national team firing, develop the youth pipeline, and ensure Singapore netball stays competitive, especially with the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games coming up in December.
“The Singapore opportunity presented a really nice role that captured all of that, that I thought would be a nice fit for all my skills, but also a good challenge for me,” she told the Straits Times.
Steel knows netball inside out.
She played for the Australian Capital Territory at the national championships before switching to coaching at 27.
Since then, she’s worked through the Netball Australia system, most recently coaching the Canberra Netball Association Division 1 team and assisting the Canberra Giants in Australia’s Super Netball League.
“Ultimately, getting success and winning the tournaments we’re in this year is goal No. 1 in terms of performance.
“But, for me, it’s more how we’re playing and what that looks like in terms of individual skill execution and then how the team comes together in terms of the build-up and environment we are creating,” said Steel.
Beyond the SEA Games, Singapore has two key tournaments lined up: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Nations Cup in June and the Singlife Nations Cup in November.
But Steel’s role isn’t just about the national team.
As technical director, she’s also tasked with expanding the talent pool.
PHOTO: NETBALL SINGAPORE