How do I coach a mixed experience and age netball team?

Lee-Ann Cheshire-ClarkeCoach, New Zealand

Hi Adrienne. I have come from coaching Yr1 & have now come through to year 7 & also took on Open College last year. There is no easy way for this age differential as the ability even at this level varies & is also subject to the coaching these kids have previously had. You are doing the "Kiwi Netball" rotation still? At the begining of the season I do my 1st training with an obstacle course. You can use the agility ladders, hoops, buckets with pebbles, parents holding hoops for them to throw tennis balls through to aim into a bucket of water - anything! we do this at the beginning of the season & the end - & believe me, they never get to old to enjoy this! My College girls like to do a practice with my Yr7's as both teams have become competative! It helps bonding, they open up, you can see their strengths & then you can start back with the basics of passing & moving. Keep it fun & they will learn without even realising. Some kids at this age need to visually see it on a blackboard, others need to 'do it' & others will watch their mates. Always show this age level you are positive & fun. Repeatative drills are good at this level & you can slightly modify them after a few sessions & they won't realize they learn't something new. Always praise them & they will work hard for you. Easy drills like windows are fun, cats & rats where you start them off at the centre, 2 even teams in a line facing each. Left team cats, right team rats & you call either & they must run to tag the player but you can quickly change the call so they have to reverse. This will teach them good listening, timing & response while having fun. As they get older you can instigate a ball where they have to pick it up from in front of them & tag the other player. Tag ball is another good one that all levels enjoy. You bib 1 team up (No positions) mark out an area like centre court where they have to pass the ball to the players like normal netball working together to tag the other team which are running to get free. Rather long but I hope some of this info helps. Lee-Ann N.Z

Netball CoachCoach

Hi Adrienne, Last year I coached a team of mixed women in a social team, some of my players were very experienced but with old injuries, some were at an average level and then some could barely pass or receive. Boy what a challenge! I found that it worked best if I went back to basics with all as we all know, the basics win and loose games. I worked alot on balance and timing which helped the beginners while also still stimulating the more experienced people. I also pointed out to my players that a team is only ever as good as its weakest player and so there fore the stronger players had the added skill of having to remember the less experienced and therefore adapt their play to suit. We started the season as the "wooden spoon team" and finished the season narrowly loosing the finals.