For Tall Ferns captain Esra McGoldrick, getting back on the court after having baby Nikau comes with an unexpected perk – a team full of babysitters. Little Nikau has his mother’s coaches and teammates queuing up to hold him while she’s training with her Mainland Pouākai team in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league.
Five months post-partum, Esra (Ngāi Tahu, Tūwharetoa) has reintroduced shooting to her training – “now I’ve been cleared to run and jump again,” she laughs – and the Pouākai coaches and support staff have been lending a hand to cradle Nikau while she works.
“I turn up early at the court and our coaches all love Nikau – which is super- helpful,” says Esra, 26.
“Our sports psychologist is so good with him and our assistant coach Helen Williamson is a real baby person who wants her turn at trainings too. It’s been
so special.”
Nikau’s dramatic arrival
When she does pull on the Pouākai singlet again, her fiancé Codie Aviria will be taking care of their precious first-born. Codie, 29, has taken two months’ paternity leave so Esra can focus on her basketball career.
“I’m really grateful to Codie stepping up and helping out while I give basketball as much attention as I would any job,” Esra says.
“Nikau’s a real boy’s boy. Every time I put him in the arms of my dad or my brothers, he’s so relaxed and chill. With women, he’s much more alert!”
Back in May, Nikau announced himself with a “pop”.
Esra explains, “My waters didn’t break until the moment he came out – and he gushed out with momentum! He arrived screaming, but once he lay on our chests, he was super- peaceful. He’s been pretty much like that ever since.”
While Esra is the only mother in Pouākai this season, past player-mums – such as Tall Fern Tessa Boagni and Australian Mikhaela Cann – have inspired Esra.
“It was amazing to see Mik in action – the way she handled three young daughters and still showed up to every training and every game,” she says.
A surprise proposal in Greece
One of the league’s star players – and all-time top blocker – Esra admits she’s returning to elite sport earlier than she’d expected. She had a challenging pregnancy with Nikau, with morning sickness through the first two trimesters, and played most of last year’s Tauihi season while pregnant.
With support from women’s health physios and Pouākai staff, Esra is learning to listen to her body to rebuild her strength – physically and mentally.
“Having Tauihi to work towards has been great motivation to keep in shape and reconnect with my good friends,” she says.
“And they can watch Nikau grow up.”
Esra and Codie, who live in North Canterbury, got engaged on holiday in Greece last year, before they discovered they were expecting.
“We were in Athens and I didn’t expect him to propose,” Esra says.
“But on the day, it was pretty obvious. All of a sudden, he said, ‘Oh, I want to take you up this hill. Dress nice.’ And it was really lovely.”
Setting her sights on LA 2028
It’s five years since Esra and Codie met through mutual friends in Christchurch. Their relationship was mostly long-distance to begin with – Codie moving to Wellington and Esra playing professionally for Bendigo Spirit in Australia’s WNBL. It was a challenging six months for Esra, who spent much of the season on the bench.
“I was the youngest player on the team, we had a few players who were 30 to 40 years old with kids,” she says.
“But that’s what I hope comes to New Zealand – that we can keep playing into our thirties and come back to the court as mums.”
She has one semester of study left to finish her PE and health degree, with plans to become a teacher – but there’s plenty of basketball still ahead. Making her New Zealand debut in 2019, Esra hopes to return to the Tall Ferns next year – with Nikau in tow.
“I want to bring him on tour with me,” she says.
“The Tall Ferns is still my ultimate goal and the big picture is to play at the 2028 LA Olympics.”
She has also pencilled in 2028 for their wedding, but the couple is prioritising buying a house in North Canterbury where Esra grew up. She’s unsure whether a big family is on the cards.
“My mum had six kids – I’m the youngest – and that still amazes me to this day!”
