Wilma Shakespear
Wilma Joyce Shakespear AM (née Ritchie; born 4 March 1943 in Victoria)[1] is a former Australian netball player and coach and leading sport administrator.
Playing career
Shakespear as a defender made her debut for Australia on 5 August 1963. [1] She was the second youngest member of the Australian team that won the 1963 World Netball Championships, the inaugural championship. [1][2] She represented Australia seven times. [1]
Coaching career

Shakespear coached the Australia national netball team at three world championships: gold medal in 1971 Jamaica, gold medal in 1979 Trinidad & Tobago and silver medal in 1987 Glasgow. [1] She was appointed the inaugural Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport's netball program in 1981, a position she held until 1990. Whilst Head Coach, the AIS netball program developed many Australian players including: Catriona Wagg, Liz Ellis, Sue Kenny, Nicole Cusack, Carissa Tombs and Vicki Wilson. [3]
Shakespear authored the netball coaching book: Netball : steps to success in 1979.
Sports administration career
After leaving her position as AIS Netball Head Coach, Shakespear took up a position as manager of the elite sports programs at the AIS.[4] Shakespear was appointed the inaugural Director of the Queensland Academy of Sport in 1991. In October 2001, she was appointed the inaugural Director of the English Institute of Sport, a position she held until her retirement in September 2008. [5]
Recognition
- 1989 - Netball Australia Service Award
- 1992 - Member of the Order of Australia for service to sport, particularly netball.[6]
- 2000 - Australian Sports Medal [6]
- 2006 -recognised as one of Australia’s 100 global Australians by Advance Australia.[7]
- 2010 - inducted into Australian Netball’s Hall of Fame [1]
Personal life
Shakespear is married to 1972 and 1976 Australian Olympic rower and coach Peter Shakespear. [8]
References
- "Wilma Shakespear". Netball Australia website. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- "Australia's long journey to historic title". Netball Australia website. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- "Netball at the Australian Institute of Sport". Pandora Archive - Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 19 January 2000. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- Mackay, Duncan (15 May 2002). Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/may/15/duncanmackay. Retrieved 21 September 2017. Missing or empty
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(help) - "National director appointed for English Institute of Sport". Leisure Opportunities website. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- "Wilma Shakespear". It;s an Honour. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- "Inspiring Leader Interview with Wilma Shakespear". FOCUSSEDFish website. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
- "Peter Shakespear". Sports Reference - Olympics website. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
External links
- Netball Australia Hall of Fame
- Wilma Shakespear interviewed by Robin Poke for the National Library of Australia, Sport oral history project, 2009