Hi

I have a team of 8 10-11 year old girls.  5 of  them have great skill level and are very enthusiastic the other 3 are quite lazy and are not up the skill level of the others. I am finding it really quite hard at training to engage these 3 while not holding the others back. It is also hard to place them on game day without the others getting frustrated. Any ideas. HELP

Netball CoachCoach
ANSWERS
Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

i dont think there are many coaches out there who dont have this exact same problem.  there are already a number of very similar questions that have some awesome answers to them ranging from punishing the whole team when one doesnt perform, to talking to the team about performing as a team and getting them all to sign contracts, or rewarding the girls when they do perform well.  there are so many variables and you just have to keep trying different ones and different combinations that work for your coaching style and those kids.

me, i run my team like bootcamp (so i have been told) and get great results, but i will say in the beginning there is a lot of friction between parents and the kids, and myself.  but in the end they tow the line and they start to improve and join in.  

find your mojo and good luck.  let us know how you go.

Janet Coach, Australia

With this age group the girls will all have different ideas of what playing netball means.  Some will have natural ability and fitness and motivation to learn new skills and they will keep progressing.  Others may " just want to play netball" with little idea that it requires effort and motivation on their part to contribute to a team sport. Although I think running a boot camp is not a bad idea to deal with deliberate laziness and lack of effort, it has the potential to put those players off that are still working out what playing netball means to them.  With this age group, I think encouraging any bit of effort put in by those less skilled or active players is a better way to deal with it as coaches of this age group should be encouraging enjoyment & participation in the sport.  Yes, it is very frustrating when you have an uneven mix of skills but if they are all turning up to training and games that is a positive thing in itself. This type of issue can't be solved in one season and may only be effectively managed as the players move up the age/grades over several seasons.

Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

yes you are right janet about it can put off some by being very strict, but that doesnt mean you dont encourage the correct behaviour instantly.  i spend more of my hour of coaching encouraging what is right than what is incorrect.  the difference is that i point both out instantly that i see it.  i have seen many a coach that sit back and say nothing as they watch kids do exercise after exercise incorrectly for they arent really watching it.  and what i have noticed, kids dont mind being pulled up on what they are doing wrong and right, but they love that someone is actually noticing what they are doing period.  what most kids find hard at first is the tight boundarys that are instilled for these are things they have not been taught at home, so it is very foreign to not be able to do whatever they like when they like and be rewarded for just turning up.  but i understand that some are there for just a bit of fun and catch up with friends, but what they need to understand and learn is that a team sport environment can be about that, but effort is still required, and sometimes not all that we do is fun to everyone.

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