Students celebrate culture and inclusion at Netball Carnivale

COFFS Coast students have experienced the joy and inclusivity of netball after taking part in the Netball NSW Carnivale at Sportz Central.

The Carnivale celebrates community, culture and belonging through netball, as more than 130 students from four schools took part in the celebrations.

Students from Coffs Harbour Public School, Narranga Public School, Orara High School, and Woolgoolga Public School took part in a day of fun, friendship and learning that blended cultural experiences with the joy of netball.

The Carnivale featured 15-year-old Eshaani Atwal, a rising star from Woolgoolga of Indian background who shared her personal journey through the Netball NSW Pathway.

The Woolgoolga Netball Association junior plays Goal Attack and Goal Shooter for the North Coast Academy of Sport 15/16 Years Netball team.

She spoke to the Carnivale crowd about her early years, and how she first joined netball at the age five as a way of making friends at school.

“I was really shy and found it hard to make friends,” she told fellow students.

“Netball changed that for me. I made my best friends through sport, and I learned that when you put yourself out there, amazing things can happen.”

Her message, “you have to see it to be it”, resonated with the young audience, many of whom come from Coffs Harbour’s culturally diverse community – including students from Indian, Sudanese, Asian, and Lebanese backgrounds.

Netball NSW Regional Officer and Head Coach of the North Coast Academy of Sport 15/16 Years Netball Team, Cass Notley, said the event perfectly captured the spirit of the region and the role sport plays in bringing people together.

“The atmosphere was just incredible – so much colour, energy and joy,” she said.

“You could see the students connecting not only through netball, but through music, culture, and shared experience.

“For many of these kids, this was their first time playing netball or taking part in an event like this.

“To have someone like Eshaani share her story – a young local girl who started just like them and is now representing at Academy level – that’s powerful, and it shows them what’s possible.

“Coffs Harbour has such a rich mix of cultures and community spirit, and events like Carnivale remind us that netball isn’t just a sport – it’s a connector, a confidence-builder and a community in itself.”

Students got into the spirit of Carnivale taking part in skills and drills sessions led by Netball NSW Development Officers, and enjoyed an energetic African Drumming Workshop.

The Carnivale is part of Netball NSW’s statewide commitment to ensuring netball is accessible, welcoming, and reflective of every community in New South Wales.

By Aiden BURGESS