Great question, and every coaches balancing act. I'm only a 2nd season coach of U11's girls however have also been involved in junior footy. I strongly believe that it's participation and development first and performance 2nd. I see teams every week leaving the girls in the same positions and therefore stopping the development of everyone. I initially tried rotating everyone almost every quarter however I also believe this does not work as the kids can't get comfortable in that short period. It becomes confusing for some not knowing where they can move on the court. After many rotations last season I'm now at the point that I'm starting in similar positions however changing as the game goes on. There is no doubt some players are more suited to set positions than others however we still need to move them around to broaden their skills. My view now is to try and give them 2 quarters in their best suited position and then give them another position. I also try and ensure I have a strongly suited player in each area of the court to keep good ball movement. Talk about and celebrate how many goals we can achieve, not how many the opposition scores. A win is keeping the kids enjoying their netball, engaging and communicating with the parents, not the score at the end of the game. The very rare kid that makes it all the way to professional netball probably already has the desire and does the extra work to achieve. They also receive specialised coaching at some point in their journey in Rep based teams or squads. Do we cater for the 1% that make it or the 99% that play it for enjoyment and competitive reasons? In my opinion the numbers tell you the real story.

Remember something very important. When the team needed a coach you put your hand up, and that's what makes you a leader and teacher to our young players.

Good luck!