Netball: thinker drill

Hi,We're halfway through the competition and our team was undefeated. Secretly we were already thinking of playing in the finals. We've just learned that our District has upgraded us to the next higher grade. We'll be at such a disadvantage not knowing any of the teams. Also all the teams in our previous grade had byes and so we've played 5 games and had 1 bye. The teams in our new grade have had no byes and have played 6 games. So the next team up (also undefeated) has 18 points but we have 15 points. Seems an unfair advantage to me. Is there a way to adjust for the bye we've had?Lastly, our next game is against the team that is at the top of the ladder. What can we do to be as best prepared as we can be? Many thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm co-coaching an U13 team. The players are a mix of experienced, but mostly inexperienced players, with a couple of players who are really talented (these are two of our inexperienced players). All players are new to each other. The girls won every game at the district grading days and we were upgraded two levels. We are now in round 6 of the competition and the girls have lost every game and we just lost from the team that was below them on the ladder. We've had a couple of injuries and one was quite bad in round 4 requiring surgery which has shaken the girls as well. They are starting to lose heart and their game is deteriorating. How do we keep them motivated?

The lead & drive drill looks good but does not add the 2nd centre which would obviously be standing in front of the GA, with the defence either side effectively blocking the GA off from advancing forward or sideways - any suggestions?

We are playing in n a grand final this week and the opposition has a very tall GS and holds very well. I am thinking of getting my defences to double team her but wanting to know best way to teach this & also what's the best way of stopping the GA (just getting WD & c to try & block her getting in the ring) any thoughts on best way to beat a tall shooter. The girls are 13 but played a lot of netball. Thanks

My teams is playing opposition this week who has a very good GD who is a master floater. Last time we played them we played into her hands and lost by 2 and I want to have a few tactics for this week.We also had a young player fill-in WA last time which didn't help as she was unfamiliar with our team. I was trying to get the players to look for our GA who was often free but I think she was playing too close to the goal circle which made things a bit crowded. I think also that once my players realised what the GD was doing, they started to hesitate on the pass.Our GS is reasonably tall and has a good hold so if we can get a good high pass into her before the GD can drop back that may help.Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.

what is you favourite warm up before a game for netball? and ideas?thanks

My GD was do face marking in a game and doing a fantastic job at blocking the GA entering the circle and not being able to shake her off, the umpire for the other team repeatedly called her for intimidation.To me it did not appear to be intimidation and the player herself umpires and sees this in many of the high level games. She is not pushing, no arms are used in fact it is the other players pushing into her. Is this intimidation I thought that was a pretty tough call. What constitutes as intimidation?

Defending the Throw In. On the weekend, the opposition had a set play (on some occasions but not all the time). GK was throwing in. The GD, WD & C all gathered between the centre and the 1/3rd line, closer to the 1/3rd line. Each of them broke at different times. 1st GD leading left, then WD leding right and C down the middle. This week if they do that again, I think I will not have my GA/WA/C next to the girls, but 4-6 ft in front of them waiting for the leads on the angle to watch the leads and the throw in. Any other suggestions? we play that team again this week!!   

I am looking for pre game drill ideas. in half a hour we warm up with dynamic stretching. Ball handling/passing then 2 or 3 team drills. What drills do you recommend for adult top level drills?

I am wanting to assess the fitness of the players in my new team, to find a candidate for Centre. I want it to be a game so they don't know What I'm doing. Any suggestions?

I have a new player and we don't have a WD so I was thinking to put her into a WD.

My girls are winning almost all of their games and have even moved up a grade. I am now struggling to think of ideas and ways to keep them going. Any Ideas Please????

How long do you think 11 to 15 year olds can train for in one session before not gaining any benefit. I was thinking 1hour to 1.5 at the max.I have a wide range of ages in my team this year and want to make sure that the older girls are being challenged enough and the younger ones aren't over doing it.

What are ways you can fire up your team before taking the court? during our warm up we seem pumped and ready to go, but soon as the whistle goes we seem to be extremely flat and make way too many mistakes. we are a strong team but we have to play catch up because of our first quarter. are there certain things we can add into our warm up to make sure we are all ready to go? or does anyone have a good speech that always say before a game starts?

What is the distance in metres of the longest LEGAL pass in netball? To the nearest metre Thanks, Suzanne

We are playing summer comp (13 yr old girls). We have one shooter with a broken finger, and usually one other is injured or sick each week leaving us weekly with 5 players only. Which 2 positions do I not fill? Another coach told me WA and WD but I feel it just gives us both a weak attacking and a week defending team. I'm now thinking of putting the girls in attack only (GS GA WA C) with one girl in defence- GD ( and our centre covering the WD position from the other teams centre pass) This way we increase our chances of scoring from our own centre pass and still have someone defending their GA and WA from their centre pass in the hope of a intercept. Am I crazy??? Asked using Sportplan on Mobile

I have conflicting advice - don't teach too many court strategies ie C to WA to GS to GA from a centre pass as I have been told that it stiffles their thinking. But without this I find they all crowd the space and at 10yrs old it seems very difficult to get them to understand about reading who is already in that space.  Or perhaps I just aren't explaining that concept well??  And also when bringing the ball through the court from a goal line throw in at our GK end - same with strategies for that. Is it okay to say GK I won't you to throw it to GD, then GD to C and so on and this is where your area of the court is and I want you to stay in that area and try and get the ball there?  Keeping the WD on the otherside and making sure she doesn't cross over. Confusing over how much at this age we teach court strategies or perhaps they are know as plays.  Alice P

How do you get the Goal Defence staying with the Goal Attack, especially when the Goal Attack drops down behind the Goal Defence and gets the ball all the time in the Goal Circle?How do you get the Defence in the Goal Circle to rebound and how do you get the Goal Shooters following their shot and rebound?

How do I set a defensive zone (ie GA WA C WD GD) and teach the girls to defend the zone they are in and not go for the ball?

My defenders are having a lot of trouble getting the ball in from out of court. 1 issue is the goal keep really struggles with quick decision making autistic) thinking of trying gd throw in instead as we seem to llose the ball every time. Any advice would b appreciated (8-10 yr olds age of team)