Mental health is a major factor in netball’s surprise return

Former Silver Fern Anna Harrison always knew her body could cope with a comeback, but she needed to consider whether her mind was ready for another retreat.

After two years out of the game, Harrison had to assess whether returning to high-level netball with the Northern Stars in next year’s ANZ Premiership was worth the mental cost it would take once it was all over.

The 37-year-old is in good physical shape, but admits that responding to a surprise call from Stars coach Kiri Will to get back on the court required serious thought.

“When you choose to quit your sport, it’s a difficult time when you retire and think it’s over for good and I guess my initial thought was that if I go back, I’ll end up in those dark retirement places,” says Harrison.

Harrison says that mental challenges can be dealt with with a conscience, but he also knows that he is not immune to those dark places.

Harrison made his New Zealand debut as a 19-year-old against South Africa in 2002 and went on to play 88 test matches over a 15-year period, collecting two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and winning the World Cup in 2003.

A year after hanging up his international number, he retired from top-tier national netball in 2018, ending a long association with the Northern Mystics that began in 2011.

Getting back on the court to help the Mystics’ rivals develop their talents next season will take some getting used to.

“It will be absolutely strange to play with them [Mystics]I started in Dunedin with the Rebels and then when I moved to Auckland I played for the Diamonds and then when I came back from volleyball I played for the Mystics so I’ve always been in a blue dress.

“I’m still playing for Auckland, but it will be in a different color so it will be strange.”

Some of Harrison’s former teammates and opponents have also taken the news of his return very harshly.

“Some of the girls have said ‘congratulations but I hate you.’

For Harrison, the move to a new franchise will provide new challenges and could even be a coaching apprenticeship.

Wills wants Harrison to mentor the team’s young defenders and to follow in the footsteps of former Ferns Leana de Bruin and Temepara Bailey by providing off-court experience and a competitive advantage on the court.

“When you’re on the court, it’s a perspective you’ll never have again and I think that in order to play with the younger guys, even if you don’t say anything, you can lead by example,” says Harrison.

“I have always been proud to lead by example and the intensity with which I play and the level that I demand of myself, so I hope that it rubs off in a good way in the younger players.”

Harrison’s drive to be the best he can be might need a bit of restraint now that he’s one of the biggest.

“[I need to be] making sure not to set my standard too high for what I can do now, unfortunately your body is not as agile and flexible as maybe it used to be, but we’ll see, I still hope it is.

“But the reality is that the body slowly deteriorates, so I have to make sure I keep that in check and take advantage of my strengths of the moment instead of what they used to be and I need to find out what they are and if they are the same.”

Harrison was always an innovator on the court. She was behind a move that involved one player picking up another to deflect a shot on goal, who became known as the “Harrison Hoist.”

But she says she’s still not dreaming of anything new to throw at the shooting circle.

“If something comes up, I’m definitely in favor of trying things out and thinking outside the box,

“But I think my focus is just to do well and perform at the level that I think I should be and at a level that will help those around me, but I have to say that if something comes up, we will push it, I’m sure.”

The Stars are the first ANZ Premiership team to announce a team for next year’s competition and Harrison says the lead time to next season will be beneficial.

Harrison is back on the court after a stint on the sidelines making television commentary during the 2020 ANZ Premiership, but he hasn’t turned away from netball entirely.

In fact, he even migrated to the opposite end of the court to play netball at the North Shore club.

“I tried out for the Shore Rovers earlier in the year as a shooter and I hadn’t been this nervous about netball for a long, long time,” says Harrison.

“So I’ve been shooting, when we play, for them, which has been just amazing.

“Definitely the love of the game is still there and playing from the other side as a shooter has been invaluable and it will be something that I will continue to do when I can, it is research that I have been saying.”

But disrupting shooters in the ANZ Premiership is what Harrison really hopes to do.

After two years out, he’s seen some slight changes in the way he’s played and wants to make his mark again.

“What I have noticed is that the attackers are much more careful with the ball and that is really attractive for me to go back and see what I can create.

“Defense is not just about reacting, I like to create the rotation, so I hope to see if I can get those attackers to make some mistakes.

“I think [Silver Ferns coach] Noeline Taurua has come in and has taught the attackers some pretty slick skills and strategies to combat certain defenders, so I’m looking forward to knowing what damage we can do. “

To even consider accepting Wills’ call to return, Harrison, who is a mother of three, says she needed to be able to see a breakdown of when they would need her in practice to see if she could balance family life with basketball.

Their youngest son was born last year, and Harrison says that with family support and some juggling with after-school care, he can make it work.

“It’s a good show in terms of it’s not as intense as I thought it would be,” says Harrison.

“It seems that a motto is quality, not quantity, so when we are there, she [Wills] expects you to make an effort for what I am for. “