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JOIN NOWGirl who lets the rest of the team down?
My team of year 4s have been playing together for 2 years, some players are in their third season. They have mixed natural talents but they are progressing well, listen at training and they all try their best to putting into practice what they have learned at training on game day. After a terrible first season when they did not win a single game, they have progressed into winning a few games this season, and bar one game have been competitive against their opposition every week (which is all you can ask for, eh?)All bar one girl. She rarely turns up to training, her parents tell me she is unwell each week. On game days she arrives only a few minutes before the game and when it is raining or she is playing a position she doesn't like, she either doesn't try at all or even sometimes wanders off the court half way though a quarter! My honest thought is that her (and her parents) are letting the rest of the team down, by not coming to training she is not learning the new skills and then on game day she doesn't seem to be enthused anyway. The frustrating thing is that when she does try, when she does turn up to training for a few weeks in a row, she is actually a decent player!So my question is: do I keep her in the general team rotation (when she has to play a key position there is a definite hole) or do I 'punish' her for not coming to training by playing her in less key positions and having her take more off-court time than all the other girls who are trying? The other girls are starting to notice and ask "Why"...any words of wisdom? They all go to school together, apparently she is the same in class.....
Michelle HawkinsCoach, Australia
ANSWERS
Janet Coach, Australia
Netball is a team sport so all players need to learn to be part of the team and its activities right from the start. We can allow a bit of consideration for genuine sickness, tiredness etc but continued lack of commitment is unfair to you, the other players in your team and their parents that bring them out every week. It would be quite reasonable to give shorter game time or possibly no game time but if you are playing club netball you would still need to rotate her through the positions as per the Netta Rules. Don`t refer to any bench time as punishment but explain it off as others have earned more court time. It may either put her off altogether or make her more keen to turn up - a win/win I reckon.
jo harrisonCoach, New Zealand
I agree, I had the same problem with my daughter`s primary school team and it didn`t take long before the other girls in the team thought that they could try those tactics too. I sat the whole team down so that 1 wasn`t singled out, and explained that everyone in the team needs to attend every training (barring sickness & injury) and that if someone wasn`t turning up, or was mucking around at training or during games then they would get less game time. I only had to follow through on my threat once, and then there were no more issues :)
Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia
i agree too with all that has been said here. try talking to the parents and explain the situation, and find out if there is a reason for this lack of commitment. i would also explain how she has potential but for her to realise this she will need to turn up to training and train hard and play hard or it will be difficult to put her on the court as she hasnt earnt that right. as Janet saod, netball is a team sport and unless the whole team is committed then the team will struggle. good luck and hope it gets sorted out for you soon.
