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Hunger for the ball!! Killer Instinct

HI,I would like some ideas on how I can get my under 12's representative team hungry for the ball? They need to become more aggressive without being bitchy if you know what I mean.Thanks Leah

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ANSWERS

Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

try these drills. they have worked for my U11 and U12 teams.

feeder with a ball stands on the transverse line facing the rest of the team on the back line closest to the feeder. 2 players stands side by side and on the coaches whistle both sprints towards to the feeder. when a player gets their shoulders in front of the other the feeder passes to that person. Aim, to teach players not be intimidated by another person running besides them, and to want the ball more than the person next to them. Note Make sure you match 2 players with equal sprint speeds. makes sure that the sprinting is fair, and no one is running in a manner that might cause tripping.

on grass have to players stand side by side towards an open grassed area. third person with a ball throws the ball into that area. once the ball is released the two players sprint towards the ball. first person to get to the ball wins. ensure both players a running in a manner that doesn`t cause injury or tripping. this exercise can be done on the beach or sand areas as I found my girls tended to end up on the ground fighting for the ball in fun. they found this exercise a lot of fun and a way to be assertive but in a fun way.

the last exercise i used to get my girls to be a lot more assertive on court was for me and one of my players hold a ball between us. on my say so we both had to try and get the other persons hands off the ball by pulling it away from them. once they can do this with you, match up 2 players and continue the drill. my girls loved this drill and it was a turning point in the way they grabbed for the ball. you need to remember at this age, they are not necessarily aggressive by nature, and they have been told for so long that snatching and grabbing is not something that you are allowed to do. you are giving them permission to do this on the court in the spirit of fair contest. just make sure they are not using rough or incorrect techniques that may result in injuries.

have fun and hope this helps.