netball
Whether she’s checking the baseline or the bassline, Silver Ferns midcourt and DJ, Whitney Souness, has finally struck the perfect balance between life on the netball court and beyond, she tells Merryn Anderson.
Enter the Silver Ferns locker room on match day and DJ Tino will provide the music.
That’s Fern’s mid-court Whitney Souness, who has turned a lifelong love of music into a DJ gig at Wellington clubs and for her netball teammates.
If the 26-year-old plays at the Commonwealth Games this month, it will be her first black dress highlight. And she attributes her roster to striking the perfect balance between netball and her life off the court — including her nascent DJ career.
When the 12 Silver Ferns athletes and two traveling reserves head to Birmingham next Thursday, Souness will be carrying her DJ gear; she’s even thinking about making new mixes for the big event. And yes, her Ferns teammates are totally in the mood with her musical taste.
“No complaints,” she laughs. “Everyone likes the same kind of music, so we can agree that we just like chill music and we just keep going. It’s so easy for me. I just play whatever.”
Her new era in the Silver Ferns started off perfectly and was named MVP in Fern’s opening game of the Cadbury Netball Series, beating NZ A on Wednesday. Souness played three quarters in the middle, a position she admitted she had not played consistently since high school at St Mary’s College in Wellington.
While still finding her feet in the new role, she is already pairing well with seasoned wing attacker Gina Crampton, showing off her sharp defensive skills last night in the Ferns’ 61-46 loss to the New Zealand men.
During a strong domestic season, Souness played solely as a wing forward for the Pulse team, beating the Stars in the ANZ Premiership Grand Final; finishing with the second most received center pass and fourth for feeds in the entire competition.
“This year I’ve managed to play with a bit more mongrel and a bit more purpose,” says the 14-cap Silver Fern. “I really wanted to focus on the things the selectors had been telling me to work on for a while.
“Just having more clarity and purpose in what I was doing and playing on the court week after week has really made me feel like I was playing with more confidence and playing netball better.”
Out of court, Souness also has a close relationship with her family, who all live nearby in Porirua – her older sister has four children and the whole family is bonded over music. Her DJ Tino handle comes from her middle name, Fuatino – which was given to her by her late grandmother.
She also has a young dog named Blue, and admits she will miss him when she is in the UK. “He definitely keeps me busy, but also keeps me happy and sharp,” she says.
Souness made her debut for the Silver Ferns in August 2017 and has been on and off the team ever since – not chosen for the last two major events. She last made brief appearances in the black dress at the Constellation Cup last March.
But this year has seen one of her best premiership seasons yet, thanks in part to her new life off the track.
“In the past I wanted to have a good balance between life outside of korfball and my training, but I only recently discovered that. I think I’ve matured a bit and matured in my game, so that’s helped me to be a little more balanced off the field in what I want to do,” she says.
“I have more support and I’m not afraid to ask for help and tell people if it’s too much.
“In the past I did things just because, but recently I’ve found that saying no is okay and not always doing everything – just being okay to make those decisions for the sake of my well-being and to be happy on and off the pitch. It has been a great learning experience, but I am happy that I am where I am now.”
The Silver Ferns started their prep this week in Birmingham with a 67-48 win over a strong NZ A side.
Souness finished the game with 36 feeds, two wins, two deflections, two pick-ups and a very low error rate (no turnover), Souness was one of the shiners for the Ferns team.
Ferns assistant coach Deb Fuller, who took the reins for the opening game while head coach Dame Noeline Taurua recovered from Covid, was very impressed with Souness’s first performance.
“Just to see her speed, her timing, the finesse with the ball, the understanding of where to put it in front of certain people because she had four different shooters that she was feeding at any given point in the game. It’s beautiful to see seeing the progress of someone like her, and it’s been a tremendous team effort,” said Fuller.
Souness sits alongside Gina Crampton, Shannon Saunders and Kate Heffernan in midfield – three players she hasn’t spent much time with, but she insists the connections of the recent Silver Ferns camp are already converging.
“We’ve learned really well off the field, so putting that on the field is a lot easier,” says Souness.
“We had a little bit of time together, played different combos and were really solid in who we work really well with and what we can bring out in each other. So it feels really good with the connections we’re building.”
Souness also takes her off-court role seriously. As for her personal taste in music before a competition, she will always have 90s and 2000s R&B. But lately she’s been listening more to Afrobeats – the style inspired by West African pop music that’s gaining popularity in New Zealand and the Wellington scene where Souness DJs.
“People think sometimes you get excited from listening to fast-paced music, but I find that listening to more laid-back music makes me a little calmer and easier for the game, which is how I like to feel when I go to competitions” , she says.
DJ TINO, aka Whitney Souness, prepares the Central Pulse for a competition.
Her calm disposition on the pitch has already proven her to be an asset to the Ferns, and the ability to wear the black dress at a top event is something Souness doesn’t take for granted.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity and enjoying the moment. And I’m going to embrace being abroad – playing in the Commonwealth Games is pretty special.”
In addition to seeing Souness in a new bib in the UK, we might also see a new hair color. She’s going to dye her hair again before she leaves, teasing that it might even be purple.
*The Cadbury Netball Series continues tonight with NZ A taking on the NZ Men at 6pm and the Silver Ferns taking on the Mixed Invitational team at 8pm on Sky Sport 1. Final matches are live on Sky Sport 1 on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.