Meet the Melbourne PE teacher who has given girls ‘a voice’ by creating the Panthers netball team

When Paul Baks learned only one girl at his school was playing sport, he came up with a plan. See how his small act has changed his students’ lives – and why he’s immortalised it forever.

After learning only one girl at his Glenroy school played after-school sport, compared to majority of the boys, PE teacher Paul Baks launched the Belle Vue Panthers.

Beginning in 2022 as one netball team featuring about nine Grade 6 students who “played in their school uniforms and lost most of the games”, the Panthers have grown to become “the pride of the school” – and in Mr Baks’ opinion, “the most awesome netball team in Melbourne”.

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The Panthers now field four squads – two under-13s teams plus under-15s and 11s – comprising girls from Belle Vue Primary and schools across Glenroy, Pascoe Vale, Coburg North, plus the local Islamic (Ilim College) and Catholic (St Thomas More) schools.

“I’m not sure how they found out about us,” Mr Baks said. “It seems to be word of mouth.”

The work put in by the dedicated teacher and his players paid off last year, when two of the teams won grand finals. Mr Baks will never forget that “amazing day” for many reasons, one being a permanent reminder on his right calf.

Belle Vue Park Primary School PE teacher Paul Baks with players from the Glenroy school's Panthers netball team. Picture: Tim Carrafa

“I knew there was something special about them,” the veteran teacher said.

“So when we first started, I said, ‘If you ever win a grand final, I’ll get a tattoo of our logo’.

“Then they won and I’d already booked a trip to Thailand, so I thought I’d better do the right thing.

“I spent four hours getting my first and last tattoo. I’m glad I got it, but it really hurt and I’m never getting another one – even though they’re saying, ‘If we win another one, you have to get another one’.”

Mr Baks got a tattoo of the Panthers logo on his leg after two of the squads won grand finals in 2024. Picture: Tim Carrafa

The success of the Panthers is about more than winning grand finals. In addition to giving girls a pathway to sport, Mr Baks wanted to give his school’s female students “a voice”.

“The confidence (the Panthers players have) gained from it – I can just see it, from a teacher’s point of view,” he said. “It’s not surprising that when I ask questions in class, the girls who answer are part of the netball team.

“(Playing sport) is also good for their body image, because they start thinking of their body not in terms of aesthetics, but in terms of the function of it – what it can do, and how powerful, strong and skilled they are.”

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Playing netball has bonded the girls and their families, many of whom are Muslim.

It has also changed some of the students’ lives. Mr Baks highlights a Syrian refugee who joined the team at about age 12: “She had spent the first years of her life in a bunker underground because her village was getting bombed.

“She had obviously suffered trauma. She used to get into fights (and) whenever the door was closed in the classroom, she would get really upset. She came to school with virtually no English and was really misunderstood by a lot of the other kids.

“When she joined the netball team, she discovered she was really good at it and she instantly earned the respect of her teammates, and the affection of them. All of a sudden, she had a group of really good friends who she’s got to this day.

“I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

The Panthers have become the pride of Belle Vue primary – and playing for the team has instilled extra confidence in the school’s female students. Picture: Tim Carrafa

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Another player, Maya, 16, said: “I love playing for the Panthers because I have my friends (on the team). And I wanted to be on the team because Mr Baks is taking it. He has been the best teacher ever, since I was in primary school.”

Teammate Yara, 11, added: “We always have teamwork and we always have fun.” Amira, 14, said: “I love everything about netball. I feel so good after playing a game.”

Belle Vue’s staff and students are super invested in their Panthers. The players have a page in the school’s weekly newsletter, and do a weekly report at assembly – of which, Mr Baks said: “When the girls announce a win, the whole school starts cheering.”

Staff turn out in droves to watch their games. And when the team played at a recent inter-school tournament, the Grade 6 boys made ‘Go Panthers’ banners and turned out “like cheerleaders” to support them.

Mr Baks says the Panthers have taken over his life – “and I love it”. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Mr Baks doesn’t charge his players a cent. Instead, he spends most of his nights “writing emails, trying to find sponsors” to pay for netballs, dresses, registration costs and at least $8000 in annual court fees.

“I do find them, but I’d love a big one,” he said.

His commitment to the team is “seven days a week”. But he insists he gets more out of the Panthers than his players do.

“The amount of times they have played amazingly and I start getting a bit teary, and the girls tease me about it like crazy … it takes over my life and I love it,” he said.

“I love seeing girls in their natural environment (where) they’re wild, naughty, funny and silly. For them to have a space to express that is massive, because girls are awesome.”

Donate to the Belle Vue Panthers via the Australian Sports Foundation. Potential sponsors can contact Mr Baks directly, via [e-mail]

Follow our Australia’s Best Teachers advocacy series – in partnership with Officeworks, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, Education Perfect and BigAss Fans – via this link.

Originally published as Meet the Melbourne PE teacher who has given girls ‘a voice’ by creating the Panthers netball team