Darrika Simons On Giving Back To Netball
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Darrika Simons has fallen in love with netball not once, but twice.
Now, she is channelling that passion into developing the next generation of players as a youth coach for the North Village Lady Rams.
A Lady Rams player in the Bermuda Netball Association Winter League, Simons has been lending her experience to the club’s under-14 programme for several years.
She says her joy from mentoring young players far surpasses the thrill of competing herself.
“I’ve always liked to help out and talk to the girls, give them pointers and tell them how to do stuff,” Simons told Bernews.
“I started helping out coaching after the Covid pandemic and things have progressed from there and my love for the sport has grown.
“It’s been excellent this season [for the under-14 side].
“Some girls I started coaching are now playing under-18 and senior teams.
“I have developed and grown as a team and individual. It’s gratifying.”
Simons, 31, began playing netball at the age of 11, inspired by her late older sister, La-Nae Woodley, a talented player herself.
“I remember watching my older sister play netball when I was at Prospect Primary and got intrigued by that,” she said.
“I wanted to do what she did. She was very active in netball.”
Her journey began with the Storms [then called Netts] junior team, where her love for the sport truly took hold.
She progressed through the ranks, eventually joining the senior side and even representing Bermuda at the under-16 national level.
Simons took a break from the sport while attending college in the United States. But upon her return to Bermuda, she joined the Lady Rams – an experience that reignited her passion.
“I’ve fallen in love with the sport again,” the former Berkeley Institute student said.
“It’s more than just a team; we’re a family. I’ve met some of my closest friends playing for Village.
“My team-mates and coaches, Nicole Smith and Stacy Grant, are a huge reason I’m still playing.”
A goal attack or goal shooter, Simons missed the second half of the season due to pregnancy but said she is optimistic about returning to the court next season.
“This season could have gone better but the team had to overcome some challenges,” she added. “Hopefully, I’ll be back out there next season.”
- This is the thirteenth in a series of articles in which Bernews is highlighting the island’s netball players.
