'I learnt a lot'

Netball star Laura Langman tells Julie Ash how her early education shaped her for success.

Waiting patiently, a young blonde-haired, blue-eyed Laura Langman loved nothing more than to hear the sound of the rickety red school bus roaring down her road.
Growing up in Te Pahu, south west of Hamilton, Laura's day, like many other country kids, started bright and early waiting for the school bus.
"I caught it just outside the driveway,'' she says. "I was on the south run, it was only a 15 minute bus ride if that,'' she remembers proudly.

Laura, a member of the Silver Ferns netball team, started her education Te Pahu Kindergarten. She then moved on to Te Pahu School, a six-classroom full primary.
Up until Laura, the school's most famous pupil was former Prime Minister Helen Clark.
"It was a very small rural school,'' Laura says.
"We didn't have the numbers so if you were in the soccer team you were definitely a starter for the rugby team, and if you were in those two teams and you were a girl you were definitely going to be in the netball team.''

Laura, who was selected for the New Zealand under-21 netball side at 16 and made the Silver Ferns squad a year later, said she has fond memories of her time at Te Pahu School.
"We did have pretty small numbers but it was a pretty good school ... we had a good playground by memory,'' she laughs.
The 24-year-old says she had a good relationship with all her teachers and is grateful for the time, effort and energy they put into her.

She says many of the basic skills she learnt at primary school, like reading, writing and maths, have gone on and served her well in her career as a professional athlete. "I wasn't an A plus student, I was just your average student,'' she said. ``But I really enjoyed school.''
She said one teacher in particular stood out for her - Mr Brown. An avid sportsman himself, Laura says Mr Brown really encouraged her love for sport and showed her how hard work can lead to success.
"Sport with him was pretty awesome. We thought he was the bee’s knees really. 
"He got into cross country and took us for practise runs. We had a really active class, which was great.''
Laura says one of the benefits of attending a small country school was that it incorporated country life.
"We had things like calf clubs which the city primary schools didn't have,'' she says.
"I learnt a lot in terms of good work ethic and responsibility.''
Qualities Laura has taken with her into her netball career. Playing her first game for New Zealand against England at the age of nineteen, she went on to captain New Zealand to victory in the World Youth Championships.

Having now notched up 63 tests for New Zealand, Laura has been part of two Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning sides. She also won a silver medal in the 2007 world championships and is an integral member of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic side which plays in the ANZ Championship.
"My parents were really sporty,'' she says when asked about her talent.
"We would do after-school tennis and other activities. We had a go at everything.''
Laura remained at Te Pahu School until the end of Year 7, then transferred to Hamilton's Berkley Normal Middle School for Year 8 before heading off to Hillcrest High School.

The reason she moved to Berkley Normal should came as no surprise.
"I moved there because the number of sports you could play there was amazing,'' she laughs.
"But also mum and dad just thought I could really benefit from it. It was another really fond year, my year at Barclay.
"I really did enjoy all my years at school,'' she said. ``I think students should make the most of it while they can.''