Up until this year, “Newbury Juniors” used to hold trials. This year they held drop in sessions where players could come and see if they would be interested and would enjoy it. This was stared because participation was beginning to fall at U16 level especially, if you weren’t selected then you had nowhere else to play; a real demotivator for those just wanting to be active.
A National Framework for Young people has been set up to create high quality competition at school and club level and to identify talent to help with development, which will form a “Talent Ladder”. Managers have been appointed to implement the scheme into schools within the School Sport Partnership. The scheme is child-centred so that the children gain the benefits of playing Netball. The competition is being made more high profile in schools so that everyone can participate and to aid the development of talent. Training coaches and umpires helps these schemes; this makes the scheme sustainable. The Young Netball Organisers award, for older students, accompanies this as an introduction to those who are interested in coaching and umpiring netball.
The 2006/7 Season is the first to include the new changes that England Netball have made to improve the competition and talent development of players. Stage 1 teaches the basics to girl’s aged 10-11, who are not yet club members; it aims to develop skills. This is then taken to Club development, which will provide regular coaching with accredited clubs. They will comply with active sports minimum requirements: to give safe play and equal opportunities in Netball. It is assisted to develop coaching competition and social activities. Stage 3 is an assessment level. Players are continuously assessed at local schools, centres and clubs and are keen to develop further. There is a specific criteria for assessment. In Primary schools, children play High 5 netball, and at secondary school the full 7-a-side game both curricular and extra curricular.
This year there is no county Netball, it is too expensive to run and it doesn’t develop talent of those who just missed out on a place. The new set up is a 10-year development programme for committed athletes to improve standard. The levels are shown in the diagram, players work up the ladder and ultimately make a national squad. (For details of the criteria at each stage see appendix)
England netball rules state that High 5 netball should b the only netball for primary schools; teams can be female, male and mixed. In secondary school boys can play netball, but only in curriculum time, and they must be under qualified teacher supervision. Ian Root used to coach the England Netball Men’s National Squad. He was concerned with the development of men’s netball. Although the men’s team played internationally, the sport is very low profile. In Newbury there is a small opportunity in primary school High 5 tournaments. At Park House full course GCSE PE students do a 6-lesson netball session, this is mixed. But, from the age of 11 and up, there is no real opportunity for men to play netball. Girls can play competitively for primary and secondary school and then club from age 11 and upward, starting at Newbury Juniors then progressing to adult teams.
England Netball launched the national Disability development plan in 1996. It allows participants to not only play, but also opportunities for coaching, umpiring and other official positions. It also focuses on providing awareness of coaches to ensure that disabled people can enjoy a high standard of netball.
In Newbury there is very little for disabled participants. There is a school for the deaf where specially qualified teachers can aid the development of deaf players. However there are ideas to bring specialty coaching into Berkshire, through Berkshire Sports Partnership and England Netball Funding.
In this investigation into Netball nationally and how is compares to my local area, Newbury. I have found that England Netball have initiated schemes and they are promoting netball as a sport for all. Netball participation levels have increased as the sport has become more popular. This could be because of the Bronze medal the national team won earlier this year at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. I have discovered that because Newbury is only a small area, not all opportunities are available; to participate you would have to travel quite far, especially at Level 2 after Satellite. In Newbury there is not very much funding, it tends to come from fees and individual team sponsorship deals, whereas nationally a huge amount is being put into promoting netball as an Active sport. There are qualification courses available too, which will promote a higher standard of netball at all ages. Overall Netball in Newbury is good for the size of the town; there are many opportunities for females, yet none for males unless in curriculum time. The disabled provision is for deaf children, this will only improve if there is sufficient demand, of which there is not.
Appendix- not complete
Information about the development ladder
It begins with a Satellite Academy. This is a Learning to train at a Pre-county level. It concentrates on skills development at works for 40 hours coaching per year. There are 5 in Berkshire, and one is in Newbury with 1 and half hours every 2 weeks. Players are trialled and put forward by schools and club.
Then players are put forward to a Regional Talent Development Plan, where again they are learning and training to train. This stage has replaced to England potential camps. From here they are nominated to attend a screening day for the next level.
The next stage of development is the 2 Talent squads. The main difference is the training to compete element. There are 20 players selected at each age group, U17 and U19. There are national training weekends from September to January, and then in January squads are selected to compete in Netball Europe championships. As well as the weekends, technical support is provided, plus 2 hours of coaching within one hours travel per week.
The England Netball Athlete Scholarship scheme (TASS) is the next extension of the talent squads; all U21 and U19 squad players and super league players are nominated. Future national squads will b through observations made at Super League competitions. The focus is to put as many into Super League squads as possible.
The final stage of development is the National squad; players train to win. Players can be selected for this when aged 16 or over. Players are provided with fully integrated and individual training program with a high responsibility of athleticism. Competition squads for international events are selected from here.
