Emma - motivated to succeed at korfball and school

Emma Hoskins is balancing her commitments. In her final year at school, she is aiming for the grades to take her into medicine or a biomedical degree, while maintaining high aspirations for korfball. A member of the Mixx U19 Representative team and in the New Zealand U21 training squad, she is also the 2025 Head of Korfball at her school, St Margarets College. Longer term, her korfball goal is to make it into the New Zealand U21 team, as well as having fun.

 

 

How much time do you typically spend per week on korfball activities?

With training or coaching before school, after school, and in the evenings, alongside a training camp every second weekend, in a busy week, I’ll spend up to 26 hours on korfball related activities.

 

How do you manage your schoolwork around that?

I aim to complete as much work as I can early in the week. With school I have nine study periods per week, which also helps. For example, each maths assignment is given to me on a Monday, so completing this on a Monday and Tuesday after school means when its due on Friday, I have finished it, and I don’t have to try and do it around my double training on a Thursday. However, as much as I try to uphold this, it doesn’t always work. To help I have ‘negotiable’ trainings, meaning I can miss one or more of these in a week if I have too much on. At St Margarets College (SMC) I am the Head of Korfball for 2025, and over the past three years in the senior school I have coached the two or three most junior teams. This means on a Friday afternoon, I am at Ngā Puna Wai from around 4-7:30, depending on when the games are played.

 

What do you get out of coaching the juniors at SMC?

I love coaching the juniors as I am the one that properly introduces them to korfball. Joining a new sport as well as a new school in year nine can be scary and hard, so my aim as a coach is to make sure that they have the most fun they can. I want them to come back next week, as well as next season.

 

What strategies do you use to handle and prioritise your commitments?

To me academics are very important, especially as I wish to get a medical degree or biomedical degree. This means that the results I got last year and get this year are quite important. If something is pressing and I feel I need to miss a training, I look at my ‘negotiables.’ On the flip side, I am dedicated to a team, so if a tournament or important game is coming up then I will focus slightly more on training and playing as a team.

 

What sacrifices have you made to stay on top with both school and korfball?

I have been fortunate with opportunities this year, with not only the Mixx U19 Representative team but also the New Zealand U21 training squad. However, this means with the amount of korfball I get up to in a week, I made the personal decision to miss out on some social events and other activities. Though last year I enjoyed playing netball, this year I made the decision to drop it. Any event with my friends I can attend I try to, even if it means leaving slightly earlier than usual. This is not something I am saying everyone must do, this is just personal preference, and to add on it is not all based on just what I am doing in korfball. One of my goals for the future is getting a medical degree or biomedical degree.

 

What specific strategies do you use to stay organised?

I have two calendars, one that links to my computer and phone, and one that is linked with my family. This helps me stay on track. At the start of this year, Mum and I sat down and wrote out significant dates, such as holidays, prelims, exams, training camps and trainings. This really helped as it gave me a visual on when it is best for me to do things such as homework and hang out with friends.

 

How do friends, family, and teachers, support you?

My Mum has been my biggest support. She has led different fundraisers, such as a raffle and quiz night, to help raise money for the Taiwan trip. On top of that, my whole family has been really supportive. They got behind me, showing up to games and making sure I was set and ready for training and camps. My teachers have been really supportive, offering extra help and letting me know what we will be getting up to later in the week, so if I have a big week I can get ahead of it when I have the extra time.

 

What lessons can you pass on to others trying to balance school and korfball?

Prioritise your time and stay organised.

• Plan ahead for busy periods, like exams or big games.

• Use a planner or a calendar to map out your week.

• Note when homework and assessments are due.

Communicate with coaches and teachers.

• They are there to support you.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

• Let them know your schedule and ask for support when needed.

• If you need extra time on schoolwork, talk to your teacher and sort out a compromise.

Use free time wisely.

• Take breaks in between studying, such as 50/10 study method (50 minutes study/10-minute break).

• Have a clear goal for each session, such as finish a maths problem, then stop.

• Make time to socialise and relax.

Take care of yourself.

• Get enough sleep.

• Eat well to fuel your body for both academics and sports.

• Stay hydrated and prioritise recovery after training.

• Stay motivated and find balance.

• Set goals for both school and korfball.

• Don’t be too hard on yourself—balance is key!