Details of contact number and emails are all found on the St. Albans Junior Netball Club website. To join the junior netball club, it cost only £30 a term and to join Kardale costs just £27.50 a term if you are still in full time education or £55 otherwise.
The fact that there are many leagues and tournaments, which cater for everyone, shows that netball is a well-organised sport. There are leagues, which are purely for recreational needs, which show that netball can be a good way of making friends, having a good time, and also a good way of keeping fit. Competitive tournaments and leagues are also catered and funded for, which gives people more of a choice of what they would rather do. Whether it being competitive or recreational.
The provision of teams, clubs, leagues etc, are done by seeking for sponsorships and funding, whether it be for clothing, area for training and playing, or for gyms for the athletes as an individual to help them keep fitness up outside of their club training. There could be a bit more funding to smaller clubs to help them get better training facilities, equipments and playing kits.
Sport England funds the All England Netball Association (AENA) with Exchequer and Lottery cash. Netball has been named as one of the top 10 England priority sports. In the immediate future, Sport England will be working closely with the Association to produce a business plan for the sport, which includes funding.
The wide range of age groups consisting of the U11s, U12s, U13s, U14s, U15s, U16s, U17s, U18s, U19s, U21s and seniors, show that the sport of netball is well provisioned and funded, whether it being from sponsors or from the government.
Country squads range from under 14 level up to the open selection. A player is only fully recognised when they are selected to represent the County at under 16 levels. There are a large number of leagues in play around the country; for those who don’t make County teams there are the Millennium Youth games. This is part of Sport England’s initiative to promote active sport. Regional tournaments are also held each year.
A big advantage of playing netball as a sport is that it caters for all ages, groups and now genders.
Netball is classed as a female sport and is dominated by female participants. However, provision has been made for males. England Netball and IFNA state that single sex competition is permitted but guidelines have been issued which say males under 11 years of age may play and compete in clubs, schools and leagues. Schools and Clubs must make participation available to boys and girls up to and including GCSE students. To encourage male participation, separate girls and boy’s competitions are provided as well as mixed competitions.
High five netball has been introduced in which male participation is acceptable. High five is aimed at younger children as it is less intense that 7 a side netball yet it still focuses on skill and technique.
The disadvantage of provision for netball is that there is not much television coverage. This could mean that there should be more money going into advertising and promoting netball to the rest of the community.
England Netball is committed to providing and promoting equal opportunities in Netball and its first fully co-ordinated National Disability Development Plan was launched in 1996. The plan now addresses the issues of accessibility for disabled people, not only to the Netball court, but also to opportunities and courses for coaches, umpires, other officials and administrators. In addition, it focuses on awareness training for coaches, umpires and volunteers, to ensure that people with disabilities may enjoy the highest quality experiences through the game of Netball.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 introduced new laws aimed at ending discrimination against disabled people.
In October 2004 the third part of the Act came into force and clubs should be aware of their responsibility to meet the requirements.
· Since 2 December 1996 it has been unlawful for sports clubs to treat disabled people less favourably for a reason related to their disability;
· Since 1 October 1999 sports clubs have had to make 'reasonable adjustments' for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way they provide services; and
· From 1 October 2004 sports clubs may have to make other 'reasonable adjustments' in relation to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access.
There is much debate over what is meant by 'reasonable adjustments', and at present there is no definitive guidance; this will develop over time as case law begins to influence and define 'reasonable'.
There are a number of measures that clubs can take to ensure that they are working in the spirit of the Act, these include:
Provide a welcoming environment:
Having a positive and welcoming attitude is probably the most effective way to encourage disabled people into your club, think about what your club CAN do, rather than the barriers. For example:
· Think about your signage, is it clear and well directed ?
· Does your club welcome all members of the community ?
· Is this reflected in information that is sent out to potential members ?
Training:
Offer disability awareness training to your coach, officials or a committee member to ensure you are as welcoming to disabled people as possible.
Be aware of the DDA and its implications: see details below about where to get further information.
Talk to disabled people:
Consult with groups and individuals about their needs and requirements - don't make assumptions.
Find out about local disability sports clubs or schools in your area and share your Netball experience, knowledge and enthusiasm.
Contact your Local Authority Sports Development Officer or County Sports Partnership for details of disability sport contacts and organisations.
Adapt the rules:
Many disabled people could enjoy a Netball experience with a few slight adaptations to the standard rules.
Policy:
Ensure your club's constitution reflects an inclusive approach, an equity statement will demonstrate your club's commitment to achieving this. Clubs involved in the CAPS programme will have access to a standard equity statement that can be adapted to meet your club's needs.
Does your club have an open policy on membership ?
Access to facilities:
Talk to your facility provider i.e. school or local authority about the provisions that they have in place to meet the requirements of the Act. This may include car parking facilities, toilet and changing facilities.
Main principles of the Act:
· Don't treat people less favourably than anyone else.
· Take reasonable steps to make all aspects of your club accessible.
Overall, I think this area has a lot to offer for people who are interested in netball, whether a girl, boy, young or old. Netball is an easy sport to get into, and it doesn’t have to be for competition, you can just play for fun and exercise. The many positions on a netball court gives you a choice or whether you prefer to attack, defend, do a lot of running or not as much. So, netball is a good sport to play whoever you are, but there should be more advertising to interest people more.
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