Former Silver Fern Jodi Brown considers herself pretty lucky to still be running around a Dunedin basketball court with daughters Kiana and Aria.
The trio have been playing premier women’s basketball together for Ajax, who sit top of the table, this season.
"One of my fondest memories was playing with my mum in club basketball and just that ability to [form] more connections and [do] something that we love together," Mrs Brown said.
"It’s great to be able to do something special like that.
"It’s a little bit of pride that I still could get on the court with them as well.
Kiana and Aria enjoyed playing top-level basketball alongside their mother, who previously played for the Otago Gold Rush.
"It’s definitely cool to watch and learn stuff from her," Kiana said.
In turn, her daughters reminded Mrs Brown of her own passion and love for the game.
"Sometimes as an adult we lost that because we become more focused on winning or other things," she said.
"When I look at them, I just see the pure joy they have of playing the game."
Father and former Otago Nugget Markham Brown coaches his daughters’ Columba senior A basketball team, while their mother coaches Kiana’s (senior A) and Aria’s (year 9 A) netball teams.
Kiana, a defender, and Aria, a midcourter, have forged ahead in different positions from their goal attack mother but still enjoy tapping into the 61-cap Silver Ferns’ brain.
"It’s been good.
"[She’s] so knowledgeable and she’s sharing that to our netball team, which makes it really fun and enjoyable," Aria said.
Wearing so many different hats with her daughters kept Mrs Brown on her toes and she was learning how to walk the line between the them all, she said.
"I’m a mum, and then I’m your coach, and then I’m your team-mate," Mrs Brown said.
"When they go home it’s learning to switch off and be into mum mode and then learning that when we’re at netball, I’m your coach.
"Sometimes they get a bit of a barracking and they just have to remember that that’s their coach speaking, not their mum.
"I think we’re still learning that."
