Her weekly routine is split between team trainings in Tauranga and her own strength and conditioning work back home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty jam-packed,\u201d she told the Waikato All Sports Breakfast recently.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re training on court three times a week, fitting in gym sessions where you can, and really only getting one proper rest day.\u201d<\/p>\n
And beyond the physical demands lies a deeper challenge: mental balance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always that question: am I being a good mum while also giving enough to be the best athlete I can be?\u201d Mikaere said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf things at home aren\u2019t sorted, it\u2019s hard to switch off and fully focus on netball.\u201d<\/p>\n
That awareness has shaped both her leadership and her personal goals this season.<\/p>\n
Recently stepping into the co-captaincy role, Mikaere is focused on staying true to herself.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to be authentically me and give myself permission to stand out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether that\u2019s through passion, energy or encouraging my teammates, I just want to bring everything I have.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a philosophy grounded in years of experience, from being the ultimate team player early in her career to now leading from the front.<\/p>\n
Alongside her stands Edgecombe, a product of the Waikato system who has spent nearly a decade with the Magic.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a real honour,\u201d she said of her appointment.<\/p>\n
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic co-captains Georgie Edgecombe (left) and Erena Mikaere are focusing on results, the growth of their squad and culture and learning from each other this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve had some amazing captains to learn from over the years, so to be trusted with this role is pretty special.\u201d<\/p>\n
A former standout across multiple sports, Edgecombe ultimately chose netball for its clear pathway and professional opportunities, a decision that has paid off, she said.<\/p>\n
Now an established midcourter, she brings versatility, workrate and a calm presence, whether at wing defence or centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve played a lot of wing defence, which I love, but centre\u2019s a nice challenge, you get the ball in hand more and definitely do a few more laps,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The 2026 Magic squad reflect a changing landscape, with an influx of young talent emerging through New Zealand\u2019s Under-21 ranks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an exciting group,\u201d Edgecombe said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some new faces, but also a lot of raw talent coming through. It feels like we\u2019re building something for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pre-season has already tested that potential, with the intensity ramping up as the opening round approaches.<\/p>\n
The Magic are set to begin their campaign in mid-April against the Central Pulse in Wellington.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a busy few months and it\u2019s only getting busier,\u201d Edgecombe said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s what you want heading into a season.\u201d<\/p>\n
While their journeys differ, Mikaere and Edgecombe are united in how they view leadership: as a service.<\/p>\n
For Edgecombe, that means keeping things simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to do my job really well on court first,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I can play to my potential and help bring the best out of my teammates, then I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Mikaere, it\u2019s about connection, energy and setting the tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to lead alongside Georgie,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s incredibly talented and leads with her heart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Together, the pair are guiding a team with a common goal.<\/p>\n
As the new season looms, the Magic\u2019s hopes won\u2019t rest on results alone, Mikaere and Edgecombe said.<\/p>\n
The team would also focus on the growth of a squad, culture, and two co-captains learning from each other.<\/p>\n
Graeme \u201cMintie\u201d Mead is a sports commentator, the host of the radio show Waikato All Sports Breakfast and a Newstalk ZB overnight host. He is also a councillor on the Hamilton City Council.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Her weekly routine is split between team trainings in Tauranga and her own strength and conditioning work back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[95,1561,183148,1349,183152,183149,183151,1043,1906,183150,16762,117,111,139,69,1118,90,1562,6926,3168,213,199,8229,1961,8238,1524,1316,1533],"class_list":["post-343341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-and","tag-bay","tag-cocaptains","tag-court","tag-edgecombe","tag-erena","tag-georgie","tag-leadership","tag-magic","tag-mikaere","tag-netball","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-on","tag-plenty","tag-season","tag-shared","tag-sports","tag-take","tag-they","tag-this","tag-under","tag-waikato","tag-when","tag-will"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}