After the final siren: Juggling motherhood and local sport

It's Mum-mode Monday to Friday, but Saturday brings out a different side.

By Ben Andonoudis

Imagine you’ve just played a full game of sport on a Saturday, and having to slip back into parenting duties almost instantly.

For Portarlington C grade netballer Candice Bull, she knows that feeling well. Playing netball as a Mum is something she values highly after doing it for almost two decades.

“It means everything to be a mum who plays netball”, Bull says.

Having given birth to her daughter Marlee in 2007, she returned to the court a short time later.

Fast forward to now and she shares the same court as Marlee. In their second season together, the pair have played over 20 games across B grade and C grade.

Bull is “pretty proud to share the court” with her daughter, with the pair operating at different ends of the court.

It takes a village to raise a child and for Candice that was no different. She was lucky to have the support of the Portarlington community which helped her enormously as she returned to playing.

 “There were lots of juniors to push her around in the pram and keen an eye on her," she says.

While Bull’s journey has come full circle, others are at the beginning.

The chance to be a role model to her young daughter was a major motivator for Geelong Amateur Senior Women’s footballer Tash Irvine to return to football after giving birth.

“Showing my little girl that you can be so much more than just a Mum and that Mum's can do cool things” was special for Irvine.

For her, motherhood doesn’t mean that you cannot pursue your goals anymore.

“You don’t lose your sense of identity just because you become a mum, you can still achieve what it is that you want to achieve”, she says.

Having not played the previous two seasons, Irvine has found the return to football challenging in a way that many returning mothers can recognise.

“The body doesn’t quite want to do, particularly what the head still feels like it can do”, she says.

That hasn’t stopped the Ammos footballer as she has felt the support of the club every step of the way. When times get tough and parenthood takes precedence, things like going to training can be put on the back burner.

“The club has been very understanding of me not being there”, Irvine said.

For parents returning to sport, it can be a rocky ride. Irvine has experienced this first-hand.

“Be kind to yourself, you’re not the same person that you were prior to childbirth”, Irvine said.

As for Mother’s Day, she plans to keep it low key.

“It’ll probably be a family day, I don’t think there is footy involved."