Ellie Bird

I am an ex Netball Athlete of 9 years with Tactix Netball in NZ's ANZ premiership. 

On a journey of curiousity and personal development through my career, I was able to achieve more than I ever thought possible.

I now focus on working with individuals and groups on developing emotional resilience and flow state, not only in sport - but also in life.

Our mindset, our self talk and our self belief can determine the level of our performance and our experience - on court and in life.

What I do is help people to gain awareness on the stories that are limiting themselves, and using neuroscience, rewiring new thoughts, emotions and beliefs which allow us to move closer to our full potential.

2025 ANZ Premiership Champion (Tactix) 

2024 Tactix Fans Player of the year

2023 Leeds Rhinos Netball Super League

2017-2021 Silver Ferns Development Squad

2019 Sunshine Coast Thunder

2019 NZ A' Netball Series

2018 NZ All Stars Cadbury Series

2018 Tactix Players Player of the Year

2017 Tactix Rookie Player of the Year

My career began in 2017 when I was very rapidly elevated from not playing netball in 2016 after surgery, to playing in the development league for 2 months before being promoted into the Tactix team. Ending the year with selection for the Silver Ferns Development Squad.

It was a rapid transition!

It was exciting, I was learning a lot and I was having fun. But was I prepared? In hindsight, no. I did the best with what I knew at the time. I made use of our sports psychologist to begin honing my mental skills on the court. It wasn't until a head injury in 2021 that the pressure that I have been putting myself under made me crack. Following that head injury for the years to come I started doing much deeper mindset work and not only shifted to a complete growth mindset, but have been able to cultivate a control over my mind that allowed me to get into that state of flow on the netball court without any effort, and that flow state is where you play your best. 

Evidence of this was displayed in my final two years of my career. I was unphased by defenders, shooting 90% + every game (including a few 100% stats), I believed so much in what I could do - that nothing and noone was going to stop me.

I finished my careeer on a high, with a gold medal. Choosing to walk away at the right time, I felt I had learnt what I needed to learn from my netballing experience and I was ready for a new challenge. 

Now I am sharing what I learnt with others, I do 1:1 coaching through my own business. I am available for team or group workshops around resilience, performance mindset, emotional regulation, pressure and include functional breathing for optimal performance.

I have been trained as a breathwork practioner and mind-body practitioner. Learning tools that can help us shift intentionally into flow state.