How to keep training interesting but effective?

Janet Coach, Australia

If your girls are completing routine drills and practices correctly and at speed, it may be useful to introduce some more complexity or decision making into their drills.  I'm not sure if Sportplan has any for decision making but many of the group drills you can add things like defenders, changes of direction, additional balls to up the ante and keep things interesting.  Even a simple drill such as the four corner passing drill can have dodges, rolls, double dodges, reverse direction added to keep them thinking and working as a team. 

Lyn Coach, Australia

Not sure if it will help you, but I recently felt that some of my 14-15 year old girls we're becoming bored with training so I sent the attackers off to the opposite end of the court to come up with a few set plays from centre passes. They had to work together and think it through, then they worked at it for quite some time while I worked with the defence players.  

We've only had one game since that training session, but mid way through the game, one of the girls got brave enough to call for the set play to happen, and it worked a charm and they were burst out of their skin with excitement that THEIR play had worked. 

For what its worth, I say give them a bit of responsiblity and watch them blossom.

Hope that helps.

Nicole Coach, New Zealand

Thank you both so much! I think they may be ready for more complex things , i just wasn't sure whether they could handle it. I really like the idea of letting them work out their play for themselves, Sounds great and effective! Awesome thanks guys :-)

Allie CollyerCoach, Australia

I would also add a few fun games into the mix. Sometimes when they might be getting a bit stale it is good to bring in something for 5 minutes where they can still run around but gives them a break from the more serious stuff. We do this with our senior training every few weeks and even the adults love it.

Another idea is to perhaps give each of them responsibility for running a drill for training. They can choose anything they like and then need to organise it and run it on the night. I have done this and was really impressed with the drills they came up with (I told them to think of their favourites and also google sites like this) and the reasons why they chose it.

Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

putting them under pressure to complete their set skills, certain number of passes in a certain time, finish under a certain time, add more balls, defenders, attackers, certain number of passes before shooting, shooters attempt to shoot with a mask covering their eyes (this is a stationery exercise...its to help them to visualise their shots.  the outcome doesnt matter, its the confidence of believing in themself), most goals in a certain time frame while the defence tries to stop them),  but putting them under time constraints it gives them motivation to try harder, and push themselves, to improve their previous, or the other teams previous score.

hope some of this helps.

Tony MayPlayer, England

Maybe get them all to play out of position so they get an appreciation of other skills, this would help their all round play and keep them thinking of the different approach to a game dependant on where you play.....

Netball CoachCoach

play a quick game that keeps them moving and that also teaches them skill.