A lifetime dedicated to netball has given Doreen Slingers a powerful platform to develop young girls, build confidence and create pathways beyond the court.
Seen Here: For Doreen Slingers, netball is more than a sport — it is a lifelong mission to create opportunities, build confidence and inspire the next generation. Through PEP mini Netball, Slingers is helping young girls discover their potential, develop self-belief and learn that their circumstances do not have to define their future. From player and coach to umpire, administrator, mentor and leader, her remarkable journey is a testament to the power of grassroots sport. Photo Credit: Supplied
For Doreen Slingers, netball has never been simply a game.
It has been a lifelong passion, a career, a leadership platform and, most importantly, a vehicle for creating opportunities for young people.
With decades of experience spanning playing, coaching, umpiring, administration and leadership, Slingers has devoted much of her life to growing the sport at grassroots, school, provincial, national and international level.
Today, that commitment continues through her involvement in PEP mini Netball, where she is helping introduce young girls to the sport while using participation as a foundation for confidence, personal development and opportunity.
A life shaped by netball
Slingers’ relationship with netball began during her childhood, when sporting opportunities for girls in disadvantaged communities were limited.
Alongside athletics, netball provided one of the few avenues through which young girls could participate in organised sport. What began as an opportunity to play would ultimately develop into a lifelong commitment to the game.
Over the years, Slingers has played an influential role in the development of school netball in the Western Cape and across South Africa.
Her leadership journey has included serving as Netball Chairperson for Western Province and Western Cape, before becoming the first Deputy Chairperson of South African Schools Netball (SASN).
She also served as National Netball Chairperson for the South African Primary School Sports Association (SAPSSA) before the advent of democratic South Africa.
Her contribution to school netball continues today through her involvement in Western Cape Schools Netball structures, where she serves as a Management and Leadership Mentor.
She is also an Executive Member on the boards of Cape Town Primary Schools Netball, Cape Town Schools Netball and Western Cape Schools Netball.
Taking South African netball beyond borders
Slingers’ influence has extended well beyond the domestic game.
Her extensive experience in school sport has seen her accompany South African national netball teams on international tours, represent South Africa at the World Women and Sport Conference in Namibia, and serve as Chef de Mission for school sport teams competing in multi-code events in Namibia.
Yet, despite the many leadership positions and accolades accumulated throughout her career, her focus remains firmly rooted in the transformative power of sport.
For Slingers, the value of netball extends far beyond competition and results.
It is about helping young girls develop confidence, self-belief, discipline and a sense of belonging.
More than developing players
That philosophy lies at the heart of her involvement in PEP mini Netball.
The programme provides an opportunity to introduce girls to netball at an early age, but for Slingers, its significance reaches much further than developing future athletes.
“PEP mini Netball is not only about teaching girls to play netball. It is about showing them from a young age that they matter, that they have potential and their circumstances do not have to determine their future.”
She adds:
“I simply love this programme because it gives girls the opportunity to aim high, believe in themselves and discover what they are capable of.”
It is a philosophy shaped by personal experience.
Having grown up when opportunities for girls in disadvantaged communities were limited, Slingers understands how transformative access to sport can be.
She sees grassroots participation as the starting point of a much broader journey — one that can influence a young person’s confidence, ambitions and future choices.
Creating pathways beyond the court
Slingers is also conscious that not every child who picks up a netball will go on to represent a province or national team.
But she believes every child can gain something valuable from being given the opportunity to participate.
Grassroots netball can expose young girls to a range of potential pathways within the sport, from playing and coaching to umpiring, administration and other professional opportunities.
In that sense, participation itself becomes an investment in the future.
The court becomes a classroom where young players can learn about teamwork, responsibility, perseverance and leadership — qualities that can serve them long after their playing days are over.
A legacy of service
Slingers’ contribution to sport has been recognised throughout her career.
Among her accolades are being named Western Province and Western Cape Administrator of the Year, receiving a Sport Legends Award from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, and being honoured with a Cape Town Sport Council Legends Award in 2025.
But her greatest measure of success appears to be the opportunities created for the next generation.
Through PEP mini Netball, Slingers continues a legacy that began decades ago — one built not simply around producing better netball players, but around developing confident young women who understand their own potential.
For her, grassroots sport matters because every young girl deserves the opportunity to participate, to discover what she can achieve and to imagine a future that extends beyond the circumstances into which she was born.
And as she continues to invest her experience and passion into the next generation, Slingers is proving that some of the most important victories in sport are not always recorded on a scoreboard.
Sometimes, they are found in a young girl discovering her voice, finding her confidence and beginning to believe that she can go further.
