Reinga Bloxham is excited.
The work has been done, the preparation almost over.
She has been here before, of course.
Two seasons as Southern Steel head coach have netted two ANZ Premiership titles.
The first of those was the most dominant run in franchise history - an unbeaten 16-match season capped with a 16-goal win over the Central Pulse in the final.
A remarkable comeback followed a year later.
The team inched ahead of the Pulse in the last 25 seconds of the final to retain its title.
Keeping that perfect record intact over the next week would be a dream.
But Bloxham's focus remains on enjoying the moment - celebrate the little things, remember it is a privilege to be there.
That would seem the approach of a coach who had matured from her first campaign.
Ironically she may never have a more successful season than that 2017 one.
But while the results may not be quite so compelling, she has grown immensely as a coach.
''I probably feel a lot more confident in myself than I did three years ago,'' Bloxham (43) said.
''So even though three seasons ago I had a great team who were very successful, I myself as a coach probably didn't feel that successful - I just had to turn up and put the bibs on.
''Whereas in the last two seasons I feel like I've had to coach a lot more and I'm learning a lot about coaching as I'm going.''
Structure and meticulous planning have always been a hallmark of Bloxham's coaching. That was something she brought from her teaching background.
Initially much of that structure included a combination of things previous head coaches Janine Southby and Noeline Taurua - both of whom Bloxham was assistant coach for - had done.
She has since begun adding her own flavour to that. Tactically she is more assured in knowing why she is making decisions.
But much of her growth has come off the court.
''It's around building those relationships, keeping people happy, holding people accountable and knowing what your players might need.
''It's also around getting help when you need it, not having to know all the answers and using people around you who are experts as well.
''That's one thing I'm more comfortable doing than I was at the beginning.
''At the beginning I felt like I had to know all the answers and do everything.''
She loves coaching and that is now her competitive outlet.
Playing features less these days. A wing defence with the Southern Sting between 1998-2004, it is three years since she last played a game at any level. A bad knee has seen to that and while initially she missed her playing days, she has come to terms with it now.
Coaching fills that void, although she admits there are times it feels like an everyday job. Those tend to be the days filled with the admin side - she tries to keep that inside work hours.
This year she has taken as many opportunities to coach as possible, ensuring she was doing more of the part she loved.
Alongside the Steel, she also coaches the Invercargill under-17 side, as well as her daughter's Southland Girls' High School team.
She also coaches a touch team.
Her children, Te Kaanu (19) and Maraea (14), are a big focus outside of netball although those worlds often collide. Both love netball and are highly invested in the team.
Bloxham even remarked Maraea may be a budding coach, often sending a halftime text with a suggestion.
Despite that they did offer an escape and were quick to tell her to put her laptop away at night if they were watching television together.
''They're really good. They keep me in check if I come home and I'm a little bit grumpy because we may not have played well, or we may have lost.
''They remind me you're not at work now, you're at home.
''It's quite nice having that reality check and it's nice removing myself from my netball world and into my home world.''
She hopes to stick around, too.
Her contract finishes at the end of this season, but she feels she has plenty of room to grow.
Steel chief executive Lana Winders confirmed earlier this month she would like to keep Bloxham on.
That would make it seem as good as done - although we will have to wait and see.
Further down the track the Silver Ferns may feature in Bloxham's goals but for now they do not come into the equation.
She is happy at the Steel and feels she has a lot to learn at this level.
