“Ko te whaea te takere o te waka”
“Mothers are like the hull of a canoe, they are the heart of the family”
The AVIS Magic netball team celebrate all mothers this weekend for Mother’s Day – the netball Mums, the step Mums, the foster Mums, those who have lost their Mums, and those yearning to be Mothers. Ngā mihi ki a koe – thank you.
Who are you celebrating this Mother’s Day?
Mere Rangihuna – MAGIC Manager
I’ll be celebrating my Mum who is a special wahine. After being married to my Dad for over 50 years she’s had to navigate life on her own since Dad’s passing and she’s been incredibly strong. I’ll also celebrate my mother-in-law who lives in Tauranga. One night a week she will rock up with kai for us and her mokopuna. On Sunday, I’ll be thinking of all Mums in our space and wāhine in general.
Georgie Edgecombe
I’m looking forward to celebrating my Mum on Mother’s Day. She’s a massive of part of my life and a big part of my netball journey. I’ll also celebrate my Nan. She’s like a second Mum to me. She’s based in Tauranga so it’s so nice to have time with her over the netball season. I’ll also think about all the Mums we have in our team and it will be nice to celebrate them as a team this weekend in Christchurch.
Simmon Wilbore (Mons)
I’ll be celebrating myself! All my best friends are mums now as well so I’ll be thinking of them. For me though the day is important to celebrate my Mum, my mother-in-law and also my Nan.
What’s special about your Mum?
Mere Rangihuna – MAGIC Manager
My Mum is so resilient - she’s had to be. She was married at 15 and had her first child 16. She worked three jobs and instilled a huge work ethic in my three sisters and I. She always said there’s no excuse for not having a kai on the table and being clean. Her cleanliness and her godliness make her special and she raised us knowing they don’t cost a thing.
Georgie Edgecombe
Mum is so special. She always puts every else before herself. One of the things I love about her is that she always knows how to make me and everyone around her feel really valued and loved (even when we can’t see it in ourselves). She’s also a very hard worker.
Simmon Wilbore (Mons)
My Mum will do anything and everything for her children. I’m so grateful for her. After our double header weekend, I came home and Mum could see I was a bit stressed at the state of the house. We were supposed to go get our nails done for mother’s day and instead we cleaned the house together! She has a way of washing my stress away and I’m very grateful for her.
What’s your favourite netball memory with your Mum?
Mere Rangihuna – MAGIC Manager
She was at every game when we were young and so was my Dad. Recently as I’ve been involved with the Magic, we when we played the MG Mystics in West Auckland (close to where my Mum lives) I asked if she wanted tickets. She said no and then I was so surprised when I looked up and she was there. It was awesome and she wouldn’t have missed. It was cool to see her excitement of seeing the girls up in person. She’s come to a training as well which is special.
Georgie Edgecombe
I have heaps of netball memories with Mum. One of my fondest memories would be back in the day playing rep netball tournaments and it would be pouring with rain and freezing. She’d be rugged up in sidelines never missing the games because of the weather. In between games we would go back to the car to try and stay warm. She’d give us soup and dry our socks on the aircon! She’s still there for our games and I love looking up into the stands and seeing her.
Simmon Wilbore (Mons)
I was lucky enough to play club netball alongside my Mum at Opotiki Sports when I was at High School. Growing up she was the reason why I stuck at netball and I had this dream to play with her and my Aunties. Mum can play anywhere and I loved watching her play throughout the court. As a team we used to travel to play in Whakatane, Tauranga and Rotorua – it was awesome to do that with Mum.
What do you think about our MAGIC Mums?
Mere Rangihuna – MAGIC Manager
Women’s sport is on the rise and it’s a really unique time. To be a wāhine Māori, a māmā and a woman in sport is even more unique. It’s exciting for our women to pursue their aspirations with their children cheering for them. I love seeing our Mums doing post-match interviews with their kids on their hips. I’m so proud of our Magic Mums because the struggle is real for Mums, we’re not just in one thing.
Georgie Edgecombe
We have quite a few Mums in our team which is really cool. For me, they’re an inspiration being able to balance their lives as both professional athletes and Mums. It’s awesome when the little ones are at our games and our Mums are just really special humans to juggle it all. I love with the Magic that their whanau is part of our netball whanau.
Simmon Wilbore (Mons)
It’s so special to have other Mums in the team. We can really relate to each other and what we’re dealing with. Especially leaving home all the time is something that I’ve found helpful to have Meels and E here for me. We can share Mum things and I know they understand. They’re both amazing Mums.
Happy Mother’s Day to all our AVIS Magic fans
