From the early days of netball being created as a game from its basketball roots to the fiercely fought international competitions of today, netball has traditionally been a game which women played. It is estimated by the International Netball Federation that in 80 countries, this team of seven game is played by over 20 million people.
Most people start playing netball at school and then dip in and out of the sport in adult life. Inspired by the success of the England Roses and with the Netball World Cup coming to Liverpool in 2019, it is likely that netball is going to become a popular choice for women looking for a team game which fosters friendships as well as being great exercise. Find out more about the history of netball and what’s happening with today’s international teams at https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/.
Learn how to play
Learning how to play netball has become a popular choice for holiday camps and workshops such as those offered by Team Bath Netball. Children of all abilities and ages are welcome on these courses to have fun and to learn some new skills to take back to school.
Make sure that the holiday camp or workshop you attend covers not only fitness sessions but attack and defence skills, ball skills and the all-important games. At Team Bath Netball, holiday camps are for children aged eight to fourteen, so do check out their website for dates and availability. You may even meet one of the Superleague players at a holiday camp!
As a netball coach, you may want to attend a workshop to brush up on your skills or if time is short, then watching netball drill videos are a great alternative to keep your sessions fresh. Check out what’s on offer at https://www.sportplan.net/drills/Netball/index.jsp, for example.
Trainers for training
When attending a workshop or holiday camp to learn new skills, players need to be able to change direction quickly so trainer choice is important. It’s a high impact game with plenty of jumps to intercept balls so look for excellent shock absorption and a great grip. If a holiday camp or a workshop with Team Bath Netball has whetted your appetite to play more netball, don’t be tempted to keep wearing your normal trainers for netball as it’s common to see ankle and knee injuries.