Local netball player selected as sport ambassador
LOCAL netball player Rhea Newell Isbister has been selected as an ambassador for the sport in a Scotland-wide programme.
The 20-year-old has played at various local levels and is now representing Shetland at a national level in her new role.
Ambassadors for the sport have been selected from across Scotland, bringing together 15 young people to represent and influence the future of netball in Scotland.
Each person in the Netball Scotland Ambassadorship Programme is appointed for two years on a voluntary basis.
Rhea highlighted the importance of this role for the future of the sport for both locally and nationally: “This is not only an exciting opportunity for me but for Shetland netball too.
“I am a voice for young people, and Shetland netball as a whole. This opportunity gives Shetland netball a stronger connection with Netball Scotland to share experience, good practice, opinions and concerns.”
Shetland Netball is the local body for the sport with hundreds of women and girls playing each week. Here, Rhea is also an experienced volunteer coach for younger teams.
After being appointed as ambassador for the national programme, she travelled to Glasgow to participate in the first weekend forum activities and build relationships with other ambassadors.
Rhea said: “Getting to the first event was great for my confidence and places Shetland in there from the outset, on equal par with the other representatives.”
She is sponsored by M L Watt Builders, a local building contractor based in Weisdale.
“I’m really grateful to Mark and his firm for sponsoring me,” the netball player said.
“It was a great first session of the ambassador programme and attendance from Shetland is a significant expense, especially compared to those attending from elsewhere in Scotland.
“Sponsorship like this is of huge value to local networking in sport, keeping us on a par with the Scottish standards, and adding our experience to their understanding of the sport.”
Rhea is currently seeking local sponsorship from businesses for future participation in the programme’s next forums to represent Shetland in the sport.
For sponsorship offers or any other enquiry, she can be reached at rheaisbister.sya@outlook.com.
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