Netball America® is supported by an Advisory Committee, Board of Directors, Executive Management Team, members, volunteers and interns. The team is an international and diverse group of individuals who are highly qualified professionals. They have extensive global sporting and business experience as well being dedicated and passionate about the growth of Netball in America. Our team includes over 250 volunteers.
Natasha is based in Raleigh, North Carolina and is the founder of North Carolina Nets, which has now expanded to Charlotte. As a collegiate golf athlete Natasha has won many tournaments and received awards including the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and NCCU Athletics DAWN Spotlight Award. Recently Natasha was selected on the USA STARS Team to represent at the upcoming Dubai International tournament in December 2023. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Sports Performance with a Minor in Sports Psychology, as well as a Masters in Kinesiology with a concentration in Athletic Administration.
Natasha is responsible for Netball America members and is helping drive their growth and to foster profound connections while creating opportunities among players, coaches, and officials. Our unwavering commitment to athlete development and cultivating elite players drives us to continuously strive for greatness, with the ultimate goal of Olympic representation for Netball.
Natasha is working with a nonprofit ‘SwingPals’ where she uses golf to help teach social-emotional skills to underserved youth in the community and also started a local community club to help get girls being active and back into team sports post pandemic. Her goal is to spread the Be An Inspiration Netball program to minorities throughout Nth Carolina and beyond.
“I know how sport has helped me achieve my personal, study and work goals and I want to help others see this too, especially for minority girls. I love sharing my story with them and being a role model. I want to teach that failure is okay, in fact, failing or losing is the only way to learn. It’s not about the awards or the accolades but about the journey to get there. The determination and leadership skills that sport has given me, is helping me in all aspects of my life. It has also given me the confidence to apply to be a President of a national not for profit.”, says Natasha. You can contact Natasha at Natasha@NetballAmerica.com.
Exciting, exhausting, exhilarating and inspirational is how you would describe Netball America CEO and KPMG Director, Sonya Ottaway. Her motto is “what matters is whether you’ve created something special, and whether you’ve made a real difference to other people’s lives”.
Sonya's passion prospers in helping others & changing lives and she’s been able to do this by taking one of Australia’s and other Commonwealth Countries top female sports and introduce Netball to Americans – a rather tall order given the USA has a focus on their main sports. Her efforts were recognized by the Dept. of Health and Human Services President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition to be only 1 of 20 people across the USA to receive a Community Leadership Award and was recently named one of the Top 25 Australians Trailblazing around the World.
Her recognition is due to her efforts in not only getting a grass roots sport off the ground in the USA but for her volunteer and charity efforts to provide opportunities to over 100,000 minority youth around the world. This has earned recognition from world class organizations - Nike, Microsoft, Nickelodeon Kid’s TV, NFL Atlanta Falcons Fdn, Billie Jean King’s Women’s Sports Fdn, Laureus Sport 4 Good, Beyond Sport and the International Sports Council. Sonya has also spoken on numerous occasions including at the Asia Pacific World Sport Conference at the iconic MCG in Australia, to students at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa, across to Uganda and the ‘Mbuya’ village, along with presentations to IOC members, World University Officials and speaking to thousands of American PE teachers.
Her background is a Senior Director with one of the largest Accounting and Consulting Firms in the world. Being in boardrooms with Fortune 500 leaders, along with her sports and cultural background has given Sonya a balanced perspective and earned her nickname ‘Make It Happen’. Sonya has trained and played Netball against the Australian Diamonds and NZ Silver Ferns in her role as vice-captain of the USA Netball team. She also earned her 2nd degree black belts in Hapkido-Kuksool and Taekwondo, and she competed at World Kido Champs in Seoul. Her passion and background in playing a multitude of sports growing up (tennis, swimming, track and field, softball and netball) has given her many opportunities around the world, in which she is now creating for others.
Sonya is taking Netball in America to the next level with amazing initiatives using AI technology to revolutionize not only youth sports but how the game of Netball is administered across the USA with the aim to prepare it for Olympic inclusion.
As an American golf professional and sports fanatic Steve is passionate about introducing Netball and the benefits it offers, especially to youth across the USA. He loves the fact that it is a true team sport in that you can’t have an individual playing alone or being a ball hog, and that the ball must be passed between players. It’s a great sport to teach special awareness, body control and hand/eye coordination – which can also assist people to hone in skills that can be used in other sports such as basketball, golf, tennis, rugby, soccer etc.
Steve helps steer all tournament initiatives ensuring they align with American competition standards and world class events. His focus in 2026 is helping to elevate our programs using AI, specifically in the areas to help members and young people fix their fundamental physical fitness skills, such as balance, agility, speed etc. You can learn more about this at https://www.vitoriasports.com/.
Steve is the CEO of Vitoria and former manager of GOLFTEC which specializes in scientific analysis of golf swings, body movement and mental focus in game situations. Steve is PGA certified. Steve was a Physics major at UCSB and holds an Associates of Draft and Design Degree. He has over 20 years experience in the sporting industry, including running high profile golf events and leverages this experience to ensure Netball America tournaments are conducted in line with elite American standards. Steve worked with the Federation of International University Federation as Tournament Director of the highly successful 2016 FISU World University Netball Championship. He is also the Tournament Director of the annual US Open Netball Championships™.
Amara graduated from Columbia University in NYC, where she played Division 1 College Basketball on the women’s team for all four years. Amara graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s in pre-medicine and psychology and then went on to graduate in 2017 with her Master’s in Sports Management, specializing in sport-based youth development.
Since graduating Amara has worked in an urgent care center as a medical assistant, home-based cardiology firm, and cryotherapy technician. Amara is currently a dental student at Kansas City University in Joplin, Missouri and her plans are to graduate in May 2027 with a doctorate degree in dental medicine. Her future aspiration is to specialize in oral oncology and own her own dental practice.
Selection to the Women’s USA Netball Team in 2016 was Amara’s Netball career highlight as this saw her represent the USA on the first All American USA Netball Team, competing at the World University Netball Championships in Miami in 2016 and Uganda in 2018. Amara has continued on with the Stripes to Stars Pathway and has represented the USA in numerous other domestic and international events. Her achievements on and off the court has propelled her to being selected as TrueSports’s first Netball Ambassador alongside other Olympic athletes. Her passion is to see kids thrive and provide them with equitable opportunities.
Dilani is an educator with the Union City School District in New Jersey, an instructor at Hudson County Community College and a Pre-K teacher for Montclair School District while also studying for her Masters of Teaching. Her extensive background not only in education but with netball and basketball. Dilani represented Sri Lanika at the Commonwealth Games and has trained with the USA netball team and has turned that passion into teaching others her love for the game of Netball. Her passion is about getting youth playing Netball, while also helping the national Sri Lankan community get connected through various opportunities using Netball.
Dilani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Family Science and Human Development, an Associate of Arts in early Childhood Education and Teaching as well as as Associate of Arts, International Relations. She graduated with a 3.9 GPA from Montclair State University, New Jersey. Dilani is a mom of three scholar athletes. She also is a lyricist and loves reading and travelling.
Dr. Jayne is based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and is the North America Chair of the International Sport and Culture Assn, is a Project Director with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services and now retired District Director for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Her other roles have included being a committee member on the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and on the Institute of Medicine committee. Dr. Jayne has been recognized by NIKE as developing one of the best physical education programs in the USA and her story was included in the NIKE Designed to Move Report. Dr. Jayne also assisted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in developing the “I Can Do IT, You Can Do It Program,” addressing physical activity for youth with disabilities.
"The level of professionalism, enthusiasm and vision displayed by Netball America has inspired not only me but my teachers. As a result, I had Netball America partner with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to include netball as part of their core curriculum.", says Dr Jayne.
“Without a doubt, Netball is one of the fastest and most dynamic team sports. Until the last few years netball has been one of the best kept secrets in America. I have been so impressed with the way Netball America has connected the game of netball to the local community. Netball America’s vision has allowed Netball to be used as a vehicle to address many of the social issues that constantly challenge society.”
Vicki is a former Netball Australia Captain with 104 Test Caps and on an international level has coached the NZ Silver Ferns, the Fijian Pearls and is currently the Technical Director for Netball America’s USA STARS teams. She is also one of Netball Australia’s high performance coaches, who has worked with teams in all three of the top elite domestic leagues and is currently on World Netball’s Coaching Advisory Panel. She is also a Board Member of the Brisbane Broncos, which is an Australian professional rugby league football club.
Rose Group Int’l®️ is a professionally compressive team. Their experiences and background, education, achievements, personal pursuits and interests as well as each of our personal internal compass propels our Netball America team forward and provides the depth and breadth of our professional grasp.
With Rose Group Int’l®️, you get what you see. We don’t pretend everything is okay when it isn’t. We don’t tell you things are a disaster if they aren’t. We address conflict productively. We unite your team, so they have each others’ backs. We move your people toward your goals. We get things done.
“As an American professional athlete I pride myself in knowing about team sports. Hence, I was surprised to learn about Netball America and how globally popular Netball is. I want to support Netball America in their efforts to promote Netball and most of all, was impressed when I saw their USA Women’s national team compete and how much their U.S. Open Netball Championships® has grown over the years.”
Clare has been Umpiring at the highest level since 2003. Having gained her All Australian (A Umpire Badge) in 2000, Clare went on to gain the International Umpire Award (IUA) in 2003. Having umpired three World championships (1 senior and 2 youth), one Commonwealth Games (Glasgow 2014), Commonwealth Bank Trophy and ANZ Championship matches, Clare is assisting Netball America ensure our Umpire pathway aligns with that of international standards. She recently retired her international umpiring and is focused on growing mens’ and mixed netball globally. “I have been impressed by Netball America’s integration of boys and men playing Netball from the beginning and how their development efforts are now paying off given the level of play their development teams have now reached a higher standard of play.”
Sam competed at the 2004 Athens Summer Paralympics and 2008 Beijing Summary Games. Between those two Games, Sam won two gold medals, two silver medals, a bronze medal and broke a world record in Athens for the 100m butterfly event. In 2006, Sam set a world record at the World Swimming Championships in Berlin, Germany. In 2009, Sam received the Medal of Order of Australia. Sam visits thousands of students each year to raise disability awareness and promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Takiya brings a wealth of corporate America experience to the team and was introduced to Netball at a young age in the Caribbean. Takiya is based in Maryland and will be helping grow our award-winning programs not only in Maryland/DC but across the USA by working with Dr. Marlene and Chad. Takiya holds a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies and is a certified PMP (Project Management Professional) with the global Project Management Institute. Her passion for Netball and corporate expertise will help drive our Netball America strategies in 2025 and beyond.
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Chad has extensive experience working with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Special Olympics organizations. He brings over 16 years of experience in the sports and not-for-profit sector, specifically in event management, establishing community partnerships and developing community programs. Chad holds a Bachelor of Sports Management, Business Administration and Psychology. He will bring a fresh perspective to Netball America by identifying and developing new community partnerships and areas where our programs can expand into. Chad’s home base is Seattle and will be helping our North West and West regions expand.
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Lavinia is focused on developing those who are interested in learning to become a Netball umpire. She has an extensive background in umpiring across Canada and the USA, and her passion is about providing opportunities to all, especially those in minority communities.
Chanelle is an experienced strength and conditioning coach and a Doctor of Chiropractic. She also recently led the Mixed American Netball STARS team to take home the gold medal at the Emirates Dubai 7s Netball international netball tournament. Her experience and global connections are helping ensure the American elite performance pathway is in line with world class standards. Chanelle is based in Dallas, Texas, Contact Chanelle@NetballAmerica.com.
Nathalie is a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at both the University of Toronto and California State University, Long Beach. Netball has been a lifelong passion for Nathalie, being a player from a very early age and her career highlights include being part of the Welsh Elite Squad and represented Loughborough University. Nathalie continues to play Netball today for Los Angeles Waves Netball Club. Nathalie holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from Loughborough University, a PGCE in Physical Education and holds a Master’s in High Performance Sport from the Australian Catholic University. Her background and extensive experience implementing our programs with teachers will help drive Netball America’s U.S. Education Curricula programs to the next level needed for our wider implementations into school districts across the USA.
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Dana grew up in the Be An Inspiration program from the very beginning when it originated as GoGirlGo! The transformation in Dana over the past 10 years has been incredible and inspiring and now she wants to share it with other underprivileged youth to enable them to be provided with opportunities they would not normally have. This year she represented Netball America at various national and international sport based youth meetings and events, including at the Global Sports Summit hosted at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Dana joined Olympic athletes, Nike reps, the Mayor of London etc to discuss issues facing coaching girls, gender equity and driving positive social change through sport. Dana also recently completed the Z Zurich Foundation and Beyond Sport Mental Wellness for youth. Dana also represented the USA in Uganda and Miami and the World University Netball Championships. Contact Dana@NetballAmerica.com.
Matila is a former national Netball player from Fiji. Her passion is developing youth. Matila has been certified by the Center for Healing and Justice and the Doc Wayne Foundation for coaching youth on mental wellness and dealing with issues minorities from LGBTQIA+ face through the healing power of sports. Matila is based in Sacramento, California.
Josh has covered the Olympics in Japan and other professional sporting events and has been involved for many years capturing netball magic in photos and film for Netball America and is based in Phoenix. He leads the US Open Netball broadcast. Involved in the communications field and television production, Josh, is the President of Memory Artist Studios and teaches media at a local college. You can view Josh’s work by looking at the many wonderful video productions he has done on behalf of Netball America on your youtube channel. Josh also spearheaded the campaign in which Netball America broke a Facebook record for having the most live viewers at anyone time using the Facebook live app for the US Open Netball Championships®. Contact Info@NetballAmerica.com.
Donna Tilbrook is a certified teacher and passionate advocate for growing netball in the United States. With a natural flair for creativity, she brings energy and innovation to Netball America’s® social media, finding fun and engaging ways to showcase the sport and build community. Donna’s leadership and commitment were recognized when she received the 2025 Netball America® Club Leader of the Year Award for her outstanding work with the Denver Blizzard Netball Club, where she continues to inspire players and promote the joy of Netball.
Chris is an Executive Protection Agent and former Special Reaction Team (SRT) Member. He is now running a successful martial arts studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. Chris ensures the safety of all our participants at events. Contact Info@NetballAmerica.com.
Dr. Marlene Holmes is an experienced leader and was recently featured in the Social Work Today Magazine and authored Acknowledging the Pivot: The Development and Impact of Losing Athletic Identity as a Black Female Athlete. She has over 16 years in program development, support operations, and community engagement, specializing in mental health and holistic care. Dr. Marlene’s extensive education includes a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Work, a Master of Social Work (MSW) and an Associate of Science. In addition, she is a certified Youth and Adult Mental Health Provider, along with other certifications in conflict resolution, training and instruction. She is a Director of Mental Health & Wellness Initiatives with the Canvas of Hope Board of Directors. Dr. Marlene is excited to work with Netball America in a number of strategic stakeholder initiatives, developing new opportunities for Netball in America. Her home base is Texas, however Dr. Marlene will oversee a number of national and international initiatives.
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Contact us if you are interested in any of the following:
Netball America is governed by the following policies and procedures:
Athlete Rights
Insurance Policy
Board and Executive Team Development Policy
Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Policy
Brand and Marketing Guidelines
Financial Policy
Committee Charters
Safe Sport Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Terms of Membership
Constitution and By-Laws
USA Netball Tour Policy
Directors & Officers Policy
Volunteer Policy
Waivers