Do you love netball? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent hours daydreaming about what it would be like to play for the Vixens, Lightning, or even the Aussie Diamonds. Running onto the court in that netball dress, being introduced to a crowd of screaming fans, and signing autographs post-game. You have likely watched your favourite player shoot a winning goal or take a game-changing intercept. Perhaps you even follow them on Instagram, idolising their glamorous life. 

But, behind every elite netballer are years of blood, sweat and tears. A journey of dedication, commitment and hard work that has led to their opportunity to shine. If you have a vision to become a high-performance netballer, here are some extra things you can do to elevate your game.

1. Keep The Passion Alive

Your dream exists because you absolutely LOVE netball. 

This must be your main reason for pursuing the sport, not because you desire fame, or to make money from playing, or because your family want you to. Reaching the pinnacle of netball is a long journey with many ups and downs, so you will need to draw on your passion when things get tough. 

Protect your sporting career and reputation by following the 3 A’s.

2. Work The FUNdamentals

Every sport has a few fundamental skills that form the basis of all other skills. For netball, the main two are:

• Ball skills – catching both stationary and on the move, and a variety of passing 
• Movement skills – balance, running, jumping, landing, pivoting and body control

There is no such thing as too much practice in these fundamental areas. 

Every elite level coach I know ‘drills’ these skills, no matter what level of players they are training. But doing throwing, catching, running, and jumping over and over can get pretty monotonous and boring. So, when you are practicing outside of your usual team training session, try to make these fundamentals FUN! 

When I was a young netballer, I used to throw the ball against the brick wall under my garage over, and over, and over again! Since I had to throw the ball powerfully to make it come straight back to me, I learnt to pass the ball hard. You’ll find ample ideas online for enjoyable passing and catching drills … try Solo Sessions on YouTube; visit my good friend Lauren at Nardelli Coaching check out Nettyheads on Instagram, or you can buy a rebound net such as the Crazy Catch.

3. Drill Your Playing Area

Unless you are playing NetSetGO or Under 11’s, you’re probably beginning to specialise in a particular playing area on the court – goals, midcourt or defence. Make sure you spend time (outside your regular team training) practicing the skills for your specialist area. 

Goalers need to put up shots every day

• Ensure you shoot from all angles at close, mid-range and further out
• Practice stepping forward, back and to the side to shoot
• If you have a sibling, friend or parent who can help, ask them to put a hand over your shot, pass the ball to you so you can practice turning and shooting within your 3 seconds, and MAKE SURE you rebound!!!
  

Middies need to have excellent ball skills and footwork since they handle the ball the most

• Passes on the move will be great for you so training with a friend or rebounder will be handy
• Practice quick footwork patterns including sprints and dodges, using equipment like quickfoot ladders, cones or chalk marks on the concrete
  

Defenders must be aggressive to the ball so passing drills with a strong, confident ‘grab’ will help you improve 

• Quick footwork to move around your player without contacting is essential – you don’t want to be ‘out of play’ all the time! 
• Bring a chair to your training session and pretend it is your opponent
• Work your feet around the chair facing inwards, outwards, with and without a ball being passed. Stay on the balls of your feet and use small, quick steps to move.
  

4. Watch The Pros

One of the best ways to learn is to watch those who do it well. 

No matter what level of netball you play, watch the Aussie Diamonds whenever they take the court, and Suncorp Super Netball competition on tv or in person. In 2022, fans will have a heap of netball action to choose from with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July/August and Suncorp Super Netball being covered on both Fox Sports and Kayo for their 60-game season. Each state also has their own league with elite players battling it out on a weekly basis for around 6 months. 

The premier league in Victoria is the VNL, our pivotal competition for player pathway to the Fury, Vixens and Magpies. Typically, games are played each Wednesday night from April to September at the State Netball and Hockey Centre in Parkville. Find the latest news about these competitions here:

• Vixens
• Magpies
• VNL
  

5. Go From Strength To Strength

Becoming elite does not happen overnight. It is a result of training consistently over time. 

As you progress through the netball pathways, your workload will naturally increase, so your load and intensity must be slow and gradual to avoid burnout and injury. Shin splints is common injury we see when netball players overtrain. If you feel pain in your shins, you should reduce workload, ice after workouts, massage your calves and seek physiotherapy treatment. 

If you wish to train harder, you need to be strong, so focus on strengthening the major muscles in your back, chest, shoulders, arms and legs. Improvement in strength and skill takes a long time and consistency, so keep it fun and enjoyable. Remember the story of the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race.

6. Ride The Waves

No, I don’t mean surfing!! 

Your netball journey is going to have both ups and downs. It is important to show resilience in the tough times and use your disappointments as motivation to work harder to achieve a different result the next time. Low times you may experience include injury, illness, non-selection, losses, a ‘dud’ coach, unfair grading, harsh criticism, slandering or put downs from other players/coaches/the crowd. 

If you are going to make it, you are going to need to have tough skin and a strong mind. Work on being resilient as much as physical training.

Reaching your greatest netball aspirations will take time, effort, lots of practice and an abundance of passion. If you or your child want to take your training and skills to the next level, or if you coach a team full of superstars and want to help them reach their netball potential, Find Your Spark is here to help. To book your individual netball or group skill session