Kimberlee Green joins Sydney Catholic Schools’ Sports Council

More female Sydney Catholic Schools’ (SCS) students will aspire to become Olympians, if former Australian netballer and SCS alumna Kimberlee Green has her way.

Green, who represented the Australian Diamonds national netball team 74 times, is one of the big names to join SCS’ newly formed Sports Council.

The Council will aim to provide more sporting opportunities for all 150 SCS schools, including more access to participation in elite sport.

“I want to be able to bring a different view, especially coming from women’s sport, I’m really passionate about making sure there’s great opportunities there” – Kimberlee Green

“You have a look at the Olympics coming up and there’s quite a few women’s sports that are going to be there,” Ms Green said.

“How do we get as many students as possible putting their hands up for selection? That’s what I hope for my position.”

A DIAMOND STUDDED CAREER

Ms Green is certainly no stranger to sport at the upper echelons.

Her mother is an Olympian and a Commonwealth Games champion swimmer, her father is a former South Sydney rugby league player. She is married to former Test cricketer Trent Copeland.

And Ms Green is a decorated netballer in her own right.

She started her career at the Sydney Swifts as a 16-year-old while still at school. She was on the NSW Swifts team when they won the first Trans-Tasman ANZ Championship in 2008.

She left the Swifts at the end of the 2016 season to become the inaugural captain of GIANTS Netball, in the Super Netball competition, before retiring in 2019.

Ms Green’s highest honours came on the international stage, joining her mum – Australian former competitive swimmer Denise June Langford – as a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and winning two World Championships with the Australian Diamonds.

GIVING BACK

A graduate of St Patrick’s College Sutherland, Ms Green saw joining the SCS Sports Council as a chance to give back after the support she was given throughout her career.

“I decided to join because I just know the impact that the (SCS) sporting system had in my career,” Ms Green said.

“I’m just so grateful for the opportunities that I was given. So I thought this was a really great way to give back but also to try and implement some great things, especially for the women out there in sport” – Kimberlee Green

HANDLING PRESSURE

It’s not just on the netball court that Green has seen the benefits of playing sport.

“Sport in school is so important because it gives you an outlet, first and foremost, that’s something a little bit different to school,” Ms Green said.

“(Sport) lets you learn different skill sets, (to) know your strengths, know what your leadership style is, but also to know what you do under pressure” – Kimberlee Green

“I think that is one of the biggest things that I’ve learnt … that I could be doing a certain thing in a certain way, but then under pressure I do it completely differently and how can I navigate that? That’s really helped me outside of sport.”