Check out the Blogs for the month of June:

• Rain No Train - The squash court alternative
  
• Southern Steel show disciplined patience
  
• Motivating players to do their homework (Netball Homework)
  
• How to improve elevation

Feedback from Energy Netball Subscribers

Many coaches have subscribed to the Energy Netball Website. I have asked some coaches if they wouldn’t mind sharing with us how they utilise the coaching material and to give some feedback on how this coaching resource assists in the development of their team and themselves.

Our willing participants are:

Wendy - Coach/Teacher, Victorian State High School

Julie - Coach - Club, Northern NSW

Rebecca - Coach - Club, UK

Leanne - Coach/Teacher - Primary School

South Island, New Zealand

Wendy (Coach/Teacher), Victorian State High School

I first found out about the Energy Netball Website from a parent of one of the players I coach. I subscribed to the newsletter to see if the site was something I would be interested in. Visiting the website I enjoyed the blogs which are available to read even if you don’t have a subscription to the site. The coaching resources looked extensive so I approached my school for the funds to purchase a subscription.

After reading the information in the blogs, the one about ‘Information for School’s interested me. I contacted Melissa to see if we could have multiple users for the one subscription. We were given permission so that allowed me as the Netball Coaching Co-ordinator to organise a structured coach education program for teachers and netball coaches in our school community.

What I do is set a training session and a team strategy for the week and we all coach our players the same session for that week. I also copy the blogs and distribute them to the coaches as I find there is always something that is practical and easy to implement.

This week we are doing the Training Session ‘Intercepting’ and also teaching our players a ‘Centre Court Press’. Both sessions are available on the site.

I also print off the stat sheets for each coach so we can all keep a record of our Shooting Stats, Game Stats and also Team Lists.

I recommend the site as it has given me the opportunity to help other coaches and strengthen our school netball program. Our teams’ results are proof that the information being distributed to the coaches is being used to educate the players.

Julie (Coach - club), Northern NSW

I am from a very small club in Northern NSW. I found this website googling ‘Netball Coaching Resources’ so had a little visit.

As soon as I entered the site and read the player feedback, blogs and checked out the information available I subscribed.

Wow! I couldn’t believe the sessions. I printed them off and began a Netball Coaching folder and put every session into a category as the Website does.

I printed off all the training sessions and all the team strategies. I printed off the shooting programs and distributed them to my shooters. I printed off the blogs and I file them so I can refer to them for particular situations.

When I started going to Netball, other coaches were asking me what I was doing. I had my players doing new centre passes, back line throw-ins and side line throw-ins. They were also putting on a small zone and I had never coached this before so we were slowly improving and picking up some intercepts from the opposition as we were learning this new defensive strategy. We are quite good at this now.

I contacted Melissa to see if our small club could share the one subscription and it was approved so all the coaches are into the Energy Netball Website printing off madly and coaching new techniques.

I love this site and it has given me a personal lift in how I feel about my coaching. I was getting tired and bored of what I was teaching and I’m sure that would rub off on my players. Our season has been great and the players look forward to every training session so they can learn something new. This week will be ‘Inside and Outside Leg’. Was a little bit hard to get my head around but I understand it and now I will pass this onto my players.

Rebecca (Coach - club), United Kingdom

I found this site googling Netball Coaching Drills. I instantly subscribed as I love the Australian style of Netball and in the UK we have been influenced by our National Coach, Sue Hawkins an ex Australian Player.

Our season hasn’t started yet although we are organising squads so selections have begun. I have printed off all the training sessions and team strategies and put them in a display folder ready for the season ahead.

I have never had access to so many drills, training sessions and strategies and what I enjoy about this site is logging on when I have a little time and checking out the blogs and I must say I’m excited about planning the season ahead. A lot of the information is new to me so I’m looking forward to adopting some new coaching techniques and I want my players to be interested in what I can teach them.

Leanne (Coach/Teacher - Primary School)
South Island, NZ

I can remember Melissa coaching National League in New Zealand many years ago. I also remember her getting a media award for promoting the game. I think Shore Rovers wore the first body suit in the National League. When this dynamo came over from Australia she certainly had an impact on who she coached. Shore Rovers came third in the National League that first year she coached and it was surprising because they had so many young players.

As soon as I heard Melissa had consolidated all her coaching techniques and had them available I subscribed.

I love the way the sessions are theme based and in lesson plan format. The standard of quality sessions has improved my coaching ability and has helped my team improve this season. I use the Stat Sheets every week and the girls enjoy going through them at our next training session so we can see how much we have improved from last week’s stats.

There is a ‘Buddy System’ for girls working in pairs away from my structured trainings. I have printed them off and distributed them to the players. I have done up a roster so every two weeks the girls work with someone else so they get to know each other.

The shooters have a Shooting Program each and I monitor their technique and stats every week. Melissa made a DVD ‘Shooting for Excellence’ a while back which I still have so I use that along with the shooting programs to assist my shooters. I have noticed the shooters seem to feel more relaxed because they have more direction.

I also enjoy the blogs and for me they are hands on information that I use every week.
I hope this site continues to pump out quality information as I’m certainly enjoying the great resources available at the moment.