What is the best way to teach young kids not to step?

Sportplan TeamAdministrator, United Kingdom

Hi Derek,

we had someone ask a similar question to yours earlier this year, with some very good suggestions for how to stop serial-steppers.

"How do I stop my 10 year olds from stepping?"

Hope this helps!

All the best,

The Sportplan Team.

Netball CoachCoach

Thanks very much for your help

Janet Coach, Australia

Hi Derek

A lot of serial steppers haven't learnt to bring their weight/balance back over the grounded foot/feet first before passing the ball and therefore generally don't have good passing technique either.  Any simple drills (many listed on Sportplan) which involve learning to catch the ball in the air, land, rebalance and then pass are worth doing and should be done slowly and methodically at first with increase in intensity only when the technique is firmly entrenched in their minds.  Landing on both feeth (hip width apart, hips and knees bent) is good to practice at a slow pace and helps to keep new players balanced over their feet. Some will need to take a step forward to stop their momentum and need to learn to bring that foot back again before passing.   Good Luck!

Netball CoachCoach

Hi Derek,

Get your players to line up along the base line and ask them to run and when you blow the whistle they have to give a low leaping jump (just as if you're leaping over a puddle) and land on one foot with knees slightly bent. Do this a few times, then get them to run faster as they master the exercise. Also, get them to play tag but every now and then you blow the whistle and they have to stop, the ones stepping after the whistle is blown - you take them out of the game, you continue until you have them all out or up to a certain time. Keep the group small when you do this as you don't want the ones sitting out hanging around, you want a quick turnaround so that they go back in and get a chance not to step when you blow the whistle again. This works with all age groups and they don't want to be taken out. I hope this helps. All the best.

Netball CoachCoach

Hi Derek,

I used the ICE-CREAM technique with my 8 year olds (which I think I read on Sportplan earlier this year). The grounded foot is ICE and the next foot is CREAM. I had the girls start without the ball and practice their feet - repeating over and over "ICE" "CREAM". Pivoting on ICE as well to reinforce that foot as being the one to stay on the ground.

Then each girl got a ball and threw it gently into the air and recaught it - concentrating on what their feet were doing and saying ICE CREAM to match their feet.

It was fun for them and it seemed to help them remember it. It also reduced their stepping quite dramatically.

Hope this helps you.