New manager for Steel - September 27, 2011

After several years spent managing an array of netball teams, Angee Shand is well equipped to step into the elite ranks with the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel.

Shand, of Invercargill, has been appointed manager of the Steel for the 2012 ANZ Championship and has a wealth of experience to call on from previous roles with the Southland NPC and Lois Muir Challenge teams. She is also manager of the New Zealand Mens’ team which will compete against Australia and South Africa in an international series to be staged on the Gold Coast next month.

“This for me is the next logical step in my managing career and I’m really excited to take it,” she said.

“The ANZ Championship is undoubtedly a tough competition where you always have to perform at your best, no matter what your role in the team is. I’m looking forward to the challenges that come from being involved with a franchise competing in an international league.

“Working with two coaches the calibre of Janine (Southby) and Nat (Avellino) will be fantastic. I’ve learned so much from all of the coaches I’ve worked with previously and I’m sure they will be no exception.”

Hailed for her unflappable nature and excellent organisational skills, Shand was passionate about the role of a team manager.

“When I go into a team, I say my job is to ensure the coaches just have to coach and the players just have to play. It’s a simple philosophy for a complex job,” she said.

“If I’m doing my job properly, everything will be seamless.”

Preserving the team’s values and culture was a vital component of the job.

“You’re almost like the glue which holds it all together at times. A happy team is a successful team so that’s what I strive to achieve,” she said.

“This really is a new era for the Steel. We will be laying the foundations for the franchise’s future success and I’m excited to have the opportunity to be part of that.”

Shand is no stranger to the ANZ Championship, working with the statistics team at Sky Sport for the past two seasons.

“I had a great view of the action courtside but I definitely think I’ll like my new seat on the team bench even better,” she quipped.