The Trident Homes Tactix prepare for their final home game of the 2023 ANZ Premiership season and take the opportunity to celebrate coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek’s 100 games in charge of the side from the Mainland. We talk to the Tactix head coach about why she got into coaching, what it means to guide a Premiership team and what her game-day routine is.
What made you decide to go down the coaching pathway?
I actually was in Year 11 at school and my teacher, Mrs Seaward at Marian College, told me I had to coach the Year 9 basketball team. I was only 15 years old, but I really enjoyed it. Both of my parents are coaches as well, so it wasn’t foreign to me. Then I went down the road of PE teaching, so I feel I’ve always been coaching all the way through.
What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve been given as a coach?
One of my biggest mentors has been (former Southern Sting and Pulse coach) Robyn Broughton, I worked with her at the Pulse as her assistant. One of the big things she said was ‘today’s news, tomorrow’s fish n chip paper’. Things happen in sport, but it was like ‘tomorrow’s another day’ sort of thing and I see that as a metaphor for a lot of things.
What does it mean to you to have guided the Tactix for 100 games?
I’ve been very privileged to have been able to do a job that is also my passion – it does mean a lot. When I came in, we hadn’t won a lot of games for a lot of years, so we’ve really grown since then. We’ve made three Finals Series which I’m really proud of. I feel like we’ve really shifted and one of the most-proud things is now the people we have to our games and the fact that they’re all wearing merchandise. I think everyone behind the scenes have a hand in – we’ve got amazing staff and obviously the players. Everyone’s worked together to really achieve that I think. I think we’ve really changed the narrative and people expect us to do well now which is really cool.
It’s such a close ANZ Premiership this year and the Tactix find themselves in must-win territory – what’s the feeling in the camp ahead of the game against the Magic in the penultimate round of the regular season?
We’re just focussing on one game at a time. We know the bigger picture so we’re well aware of what needs to be done. It would have been great to take that game against the Stars the other day – it wasn’t to be but we’re still in it and anything can happen from here on in. We’re going to focus on getting a better performance each week – building and adding to our game out there.
As a coach, how do you overcome nerves/pressure on game day, and do you have a pre-game routine?
I don’t think I really get nervous. I’ve been doing ANZ competitions (ANZ Championship and ANZ Premiership) for 12 years – five years as assistants and then as coach for the Tactix so I’ve seen the highs and lows and just try to stick to my own game day routine which helps with any of those added pressures that may be there. We do our game plan much earlier in the week so on game day there’s not much you’re adding because you don’t want to cloud the athletes. I like to have some time where I can relax, sit down, and watch some Netflix or something. But I do have my own sort of game day type routine and as we’re sitting on the bench, we like to have a bit of a laugh before the game and keep the mood quite light.
What motivates you?
The biggest thing is that we want to get a title here with the Tactix, but along the way with that goal I think it is about the younger people in our region being inspired by the netballers that we have here. That’s also a visionary goal as well – so that while you really want that title the other part is just as important along with seeing the players’ you’re working with going to higher honours as well.
We ask the players if they have a favourite pre-game food – as a coach, do you have a favourite pre-game food?
I always have a Coke Zero and a packet of salt and vinegar chips before the game – it’s just part of my game-day routine. It’s not a very nutritious snack but it’s my indulgence before a game.
What’s the hardest thing about being a coach, and also, what’s the best thing about being a coach?
Probably the hardest thing is in-season you don’t have any days off – the actual time commitment and energy that you put into this job is massive. Even when you’re not in season you’re still busy with recruiting, contracting, or getting staff ready. It’s a job that you don’t switch off from – it’s a job that never stops and is always on your mind. But the best thing about my job are the people and that’s why I got involved in sport in the first place. There’s lots of different reasons why this job is the best, but it always comes back to the people. I’ve been fortunate to coach some amazing people who I’m still connected with, amazing staff members as well – for me it’s always going to be around the people.
