How do we get taller girls to jump?

Netball CoachCoach

you have to maqke us of loops and mark space much thus to include positioning your self i n such a way that you will be at an advantage than them.

Anton SwartCoach, New Zealand

I found with my girls that it is a confidence thing.  Many of the tall girls don't have the confidence that their timing will be right.  Start them with a sideways jump (defending from space) so they can see themselves getting into position in time for the pass intercept.  I then worked on footwork to get quick feet so they are in place and balanced on time.  A leg strengthening technique would be to give them a spot on a wall to touch say 15 times as part of fitness drills.  Do three or four sets of this to give them visual perception of what they are trying to achieve.  Then bring in a passing drill to throw to the same spot on the wall and get them to firstly tip it away and later to go for the catch.  You will get mixed results - my one defender responded within a couple of weeks and I am now seeing the other one starting to lift her feet after 18 months ...  Hope this helps.

Netball CoachCoach

Tall players don't move their feet because majority of the time when they are young they don't have to. Do a lot of quick feet drills because that gets them into moving their feet. Use ladders; using both feet get them to do a small jump and land with both feet wide of ladder and then inside ladder - feet always landing at the same time. Then get them to bunny hop all the way down inside the ladder rungs. Using a ball, place it low and get them to catch it low and gradually move it upwards, by side passes making the tall player stand on one spot and have to leap to reach the side pass - alternate sides and then up over the head to jump up. Using the wall, get them to pass overhead and have to jump to receive the rebound - put it in a competitiion, 2 or more groups line up one behind the other facing wall first person with a ball.  Throw the ball above your head and jump and catch rebound in the air if a player don't jump to receive they have to run to the other side of the court and touch the line and come back and do it again. Quickest line wins. Good Luck!

Shona KohlhardtCoach, England

Hi, with our team we do a drill where they are in partners facing each other, then they purposely throw the ball higher than an arms stretch above their head, therefore they need to jump to get the ball. Also, if you introduce the rebound and how important it is to jump for the ball, since normally the highest jump is the successful one, so their team has procession of the ball and this will encourage the girls to jump more as they will notice it's important to jump throughout the game.

Hopefully this might help you.