Kiri Wills

Coach Profile

When Robinhood Stars ANZ Championship Netball Coach, Kiri Wills started coaching she immediately knew coaching was for her.

“I just loved it right from the minute I started and I still do today.”

An upbringing in the far north of New Zealand surrounded by people is part of the reason why Wills believes she was initially drawn to team sports.

“Everything my family did we did we did with heaps of people around. Because of this I’ve always been a social person and I enjoy being round people.”

Wills naturally gravitated to netball growing up in Kaitaia before moving to Ahipara age 8. She then headed down to Otago University to study physical education before landing in Auckland to play for the then Diamonds.

It was in the big smoke through her role as a sports coordinator at a Baradene College that Wills was trying to find more netball coaches for the school, that she ended up coaching one of the teams herself.

“I found the teenage group really rewarding. I was still playing for the Diamonds and then the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and it was refreshing to coach.”

“When I was still in the intermediate phase of coaching in South Africa and still just dabbling around with kayaking, Ron Mauer really showed me what it was about to have empathy. My first fulltime coach when I lived in Belgium, Mark Richards, exposed me to what showing up every day meant as an athlete and creating the relationship with a coach as a young athlete.

“And then arriving in New Zealand, just having world-class coaches around me on a daily basis, like Gordon Walker and Tim Brabants where they opened up to share what they know with you has really helped me develop.’’

Mustard’s ambitions for the future are clear-cut.

“In the short term, the men came fifth in Tokyo (2021 Olympics) and I want to do better than that with the goal being to get on the podium in Paris (Olympics, 2024),’’ he said. “In the long term, it’s to leave the sport in a better place than what I found it.’’

Another big part of what Wills loves about coaching is helping others work towards a collective goal.

“Supporting others to help themselves is a space that I really enjoy.”

Wills progressed quickly through the coaching ranks from Auckland age group teams, New Zealand Secondary School teams before becoming the NZU21 Coach that went on to win the 2017 World Youth Championships in Botswana.

The former attacking player and National U21 representative is now in her 6th year as an ANZ Championship coach, twice taking the Northern Stars to the grand final.

Her guiding philosophy in life and coaching is centered around the Māori whakatauti “He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata! He tāngata! He tāngata!” Which translates to – What is the most important thing in the world? It is people. It is people. It is people.

When Wills talks about people it’s not just about the players in the Stars franchise. “It’s everyone on our team and staff who need to be well supported as people first.”

Overtime Wills has realised that being a people person at times can stretch into being a people pleaser.

“It’s been a massive learning for me. I’m not going to tell people all the time what they want to hear, as opposed what they need to hear.”

For Wills boundaries are important and recognising that she’s not going to get it right every time has deepened her sense of authenticity.

“I’ve realised through coaching we’re got to be really honest with players. Not tip toe around things that need to be sorted.”

Throughout her coaching career Wills has been guided by New Zealand netball royalty. Dame Ruth Aitken and Leigh Gibbs who were Silver Fern coaches when Wills was with the NZ U21s and have influenced Wills as a young coach.

It was Aitken that gave Wills an opportunity to be an assistance coach to the Mystics straight after she had her first child. “She’s been in my corner ever since.”

Wills admits there’s been so many who supported her netball journey from player to coach over the years.

Two other huge influences have been Tracey Fear and Tania Karauria who have been the most consistent in challenging Wills and being really honest with her.

In 2018 Wills became the head coach of the Northern Starts. In their first year they finished 6th place in the ANZ Championship out of six teams.

Last was place Wills hadn’t really found herself in as a coach.

“Prior to that first year with the Stars I’d had success winning with NZ Secondary Schools title with Auckland Girls Grammar School, we’d won with the NZU21s and won with the Fast Five world championship. Not that success had come easy but I was never in a position that I came last as a coach.”

Wills says that while it was tough it provided some huge lessons as a coach and individual which still help the Stars game plan today.

“We reviewed our team goals so that the total focus wasn’t on the score line. Our goal was to be the best in the league at one particular statistic.”

“We focused every week to compare ourselves in that particular stat to every other team and by doing that we felt success. That success-built success in other areas.”

If Wills was to go back and give herself some advice coming into the ANZ Championship It would be to let everyone do their job.

“You have to trust everyone involved in the team from the players to the management and not micro manage them.”

“You have to show people you believe that they can do their job.”

In order to help Wills do her job to the best of her ability she knows she needs her daily bout of exercise – whether it’s a walk with her dog or a gym session Wills knows she needs to look after herself.

“For a while I didn’t prioritise that time and I paid the price for that.”

Balancing life as a coach takes a village and Wills says she’s so grateful for her amazing husband John and mother- in-law Bonnie who help her be able to coach full time.

Wills’s own mother passed away when she was 25 and that was a turning point in her life.

“Our time is short so wake up, do life really large and really well. That’s how we live. We just go for it.”

Whether Wills’ future involved coaching the Silver Ferns or not Wills goal has shifted from being centered around an outcome or someone’s else opinion of her.

“I want to continue to be impactful, continue to enjoy it and grow myself as a coach.”