About 'I Love Netball' Website

The name “I Love Netball” wasn’t hard to think up. Who doesn’t love the game?

 

When I started playing it was called “women’s basketball” and not too much has changed except in those days we didn’t wear bibs.

 

Netball is unique because the game is positional, restricted by thirds, the non-stepping and 3 second rules and only two players can shoot goals. This alone makes it a thinking game, much like chess.

 

Of course as with any sport, umpires can make or break a game. And poor umpiring was a bugbear right from my early years as a defender. I always figured defenders weren’t getting a fair deal and shooters were getting too many opportunities that they weren’t entitled to in the rules.

 

When I became a shooter this confirmed my suspicions. Nothing has changed, umpires are still giving shooters a second chance at goals. Why? They took their shot - there's no second chance or there shouldn't be.

 

A different view of the game:

 

In the early seventies I was tentatively asked to try out for a divisional team, during a ten day netball carnival in Perth, Western Australia, but my mindset was fixed on becoming an umpire. I think my love for umpiring has set up my role as a coach now. Umpire’s get a completely different view of the game and can see player’s mistakes so much more easily than the players and onlookers themselves.

 

Players watch the ball and umpires watch the players.

 

how quickly can players improve?

One evening, out of the blue, I was asked to coach a team to prepare for the grand finals. They were about to play off in the first semi-finals and I had two hours to try and turn this team around. Impossible! But I was up for challenge encouraged by my bike racing husband.

 

I had two hours to help out a team and I didn't know the first thing about coaching let alone being a certified coach.

 

All I had in my repertoire was the love of the game, an exhaustive understanding of the rule book, a lounge critic watching netball on TV. And my own playing experience playing in teams from the east to west of Australia and back again.

 

It was my first professional coaching job.

 

On that day you can only imagine how nervous I was wondering how on earth anyone could coach a team to success in two hours, and of all things, a week before the semi-finals.

 

I asked my husband, “What will I say and what am I going to show them?”. His response, was, what you always say, the basics.

 

With a small audience of about eight parents and two local dogs, I was NOT confident that I could do anything significant to lift this team, any team. But after a warm up and watching them play I changed my mind as I could see straight away what they were getting wrong.

 

My job was made easier, as it was the team's coach that asked me to help out, which took away some of the pressure.

 

Then I made the mistake of looking around, only to see fifty odd people, other teams, coaches, parents and another dog all looking on.

 

How quickly I turned back to the players on court now wondering what to do next. I really had no idea. But they were a responsive bunch, all willing to learn more. That credit has to go to their coach.

 

The real coaching didn’t come until the game stated...All I did now was see how fit and agile they were and how they played their court positions.

 

The real action...

 

During the game I coached them from the sideline keeping the players in their positions and moving them back and forward as the game unfolded. (You cannot move play forward if not presenting for the ball again and again and again. Never stand still - use every inch of the court)

 

They were playing a team equal in ability and skill and both sides either won or lost by a goal or two each time they met.

 

In this game they were up by 18 goals at half time. This may seem like an extraordinary high score, but if one team is playing right and the other is not - this is the result even at national level. All you have to do is adjust your court positioning and run on to the ball. Without even trying players' passing will improve because their is no hesitation. The flow is there.

 

They slumped a little in the 3rd quarter, which is natural, letting your guard down. These ladies of varying ages ended up winning by 12 goals. They were ecstatic and I was ecstatic I could go home.

 

That was my first professionally paid coaching job. Think out the game and any team will do well.

 

Speed coaching:

 

My newfound coaching career escalated from that single day, being asked by club coaches to take training sessions to lift their team's rankings.

 

When employed by a netball association to coach their rep teams, for ,weekend and one-day carnivals, I only had a four or six weeks to train up a team. From this developed what I term, 'speed coaching' and for the players, 'speed training'.

 

You can develop as a player very quickly with the right game technique on minimal drill work. It is all in the approach to how to use a ball and move it up the court. This is what this website is about to show you how to do that.

 

The core element of my coaching is I train teams through competition format and this improves a player's skill set in weeks not months or years. This is because endorphins are ramped up 200%. It is how road cyclists and well trained runners become efficient and skilled - training through competition.

 

A full coaching series will be posted to this site as time permits.

 

20 years in a sag wagon:

 

Much of my coaching experience has also come from 20 years sitting in sag wagons and race Commissaire vehicles. A great opportunity to speak with Australian and International cycling coaches at Open & National road bike races.

 

My husband, a road bike racer and runner also has a website showing endurance athletes how to become super fit and fast on minimal training.

 

Workrate wins game not enthusiasm:

 

Enthusiasm, unfortunately does not win games, as how many netballers aren't enthusiastic and excited to play this fabulous game?

 

Teamwork alone doesn't win games either but good coaching/training does. Players have to know how to move the ball to the goal shooters along with a high skill level.

 

I have written a dedicated ebook (opens to a new page) on court fitness and how to train your ball handling and court skills on your own. 

 

In addition the training posts on this website are designed to help you get the most out of your game from social netball through to professional levels.

 

Happy netballing...