Born Anna Garis Kooper in Namibia’s commercial hub, Windhoek, the super energetic madame was always destined for greatness. The young lass mustered the art of rattling the hoops at the tender age of 10 during her elementary tenure at the revered A. I Steenkamp Primary School, located in the heart of Namibia’s largest residential area, Katutura.
From first impression, the well-structured, tallish, young madame of a decent upbringing, whose looks could easily be mistaken for those of a beauty contestant, was a mean competitor. Anna took no prisoners on the netball courts.
Anna demonstrated talent way beyond her tender age, competing fiercely on equal terms against much older opponents. Without a shadow of doubt, Anna was the poster girl of the smooth sailing A. I Steenkamp senior netball team that made her presence felt in the tightly contested schools’ tournaments across the vast populated Khomas region.
Next stop was few metres down the road at the Jan Jonker Secondary School. Anna made an immediate impact, carving out a place for herself in the school’s senior team. The lanky goal attacker’s outstanding performance did not go unnoticed.
Anna was deservedly selected to represent her motherland at the regional level with the NSSU team, in between a call-up to the national senior netball team, certainly no mean feat.
A ruthless competitive goal attacker of note, Anna was not only the trusted feeder to the designated goal poacher, but she also weighed in with crucial match-winning goals whenever the situation demanded.
Well, it came as no surprise when a talent scout from Young Ones came knocking on the door for her precious signature to join ranks with the exciting Khomasdal outfit, and as they say, the rest is history. The cat-footed basket rattler walked straight into the starting lineup of the star-studded starting seven.
After some impressive displays, childhood team Orlando Pirates dangled a juicy carrot in Anna’s baby face, enticing the young lass to jump ship. An outright crowd favourite, the slippery goal attacker (GA) cemented herself as a vital cog in the Buccaneers’ smooth sailing ship.
Apart from her competitive edge, Anna was an excellent communicator on the netball courts, commanding the respect and admiration of her senior teammates. Anna’s hard-to-miss presence in the flawless Pirates outfit propelled the team to higher grounds in the tightly contested Central Netball Division One League.
Through her influence, Pirates became a major force to be reckoned with, challenging and threatening to end the dominance of Wanderers and United, and of the bitter rivals Black Africa, Tigers, and Young Ones, amongst the game’s heavyweights.
Upon completing her secondary education, Anna entered the workforce and found employment with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries. However, the ambitious, deadly basket rattler did not rest on her laurels.
Anna enrolled at the University of Science and Technology and pursued a Diploma in Administration, which she completed successfully. Sadly, a horrific road accident curtailed her progress on the netball courts, signaling a premature end to an otherwise very promising career. Despite the setback, Anna still plays the odd game for both the Ministry of Fisheries’ social team and Orlando Pirates Legends.
Life after netball
Unlike dozens of local athletes who have fallen into hard times immediately upon retiring from competitive sport, Anna leads a normal life as someone who has carefully mapped out her life journey.
The calculated madame has silently relocated to the coastal holiday hub, Swakopmund, where she has set up home in the freezing Atlantic Ocean with her charming hubby, well-known electronics technician Bro Normie, in the good company of their two beautiful children, daughter Norma-Jean and son Prince.
“Understandably, playing netball has, in a big way, shaped my outlook on life in general, exposing me to many challenges and the inevitability of life. It’s a great pity that we don’t have tangible programmes in place aimed at preparing athletes for life when their playing days have come full circle,” said Anna.
Firstly, there are many contributing factors and obstacles that lead many retired athletes astray after retirement. To be brutally honest, lack of opportunities, properly defined blueprints regarding career paths, and improper guidance are the chief architects of these frustrations experienced by retired sportsmen and women.
Those undeniable contributing factors drive many disgruntled athletes to engage in the evils of society, resorting to excessive booze intake and other uncool behaviour. “I have tried by all means to always keep my feet firmly on the ground because I knew full well that at some point in my life, my body would no longer keep pace with the physical demands of the game,” she said. Anna currently holds the plum portfolio of Fisheries Inspector at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries.