Volunteer Profile – Kath Stevens
16th December 2022
Volunteers are the beating heart of Netball Scotland. From Coach and Umpire to Team Manager and fan, Kath Stevens does it all.
Kath is a valued volunteer in Edinburgh who is a coach, umpire, club development officer, District team manager, and Walking Netball deliverer.
Originally from Australia Kath grew up surrounded by netball and fell in love with it then. After moving to Scotland with her family she continued to play netball because, in her own words, “it’s a great equaliser sport for women, you don’t have to be thin or tall because there’s a position for everyone within a team or club”. Kath ended up coaching to help out her daughter’s team, then supported the club committee by taking on multiple volunteer roles, and now is undertaking several roles and is a well-known and pivotal member of the netball community in Edinburgh.
Kath’s proactive attitude and desire to help and fix things has meant that she’s made a real impact, coaching juniors at Holyrood and offering her support to the District team as team manager. As a mother to 3 kids, Kath is a big advocate for doing your bit, saying that without parents and volunteers, young girls wouldn’t get the chance to experience netball. Even if someone thinks they’re not the right person, Kath’s motto is to “have a crack at it”.
Through making connections with the Netball Development Officer and the local Community Sports Hub, Kath recently got involved with Walking Netball and loves it. “I find it relaxing, there’s no pressure”, even though [I love] “seeing them improve a wee bit more” it’s such a “hoot”.
For Kath, the social element of volunteering is a real pull – the friends you make, and the feeling of community is wonderful, at the same time “the banter is brilliant”.
Kath’s inspirational words to those considering volunteering are that “you don’t have to do everything because a little bit goes a long way. We want the sport to grow in Scotland so we all have to play our part”.
