Alcohol is so detrimental to your game it’s almost designed to make you bad at sports. It drastically reduces reaction time, dulls your body’s ability to process food into energy, increases body heat loss, leaves you dehydrated and puts you in greater risk of developing debilitating muscle cramps. In other words, even the most basic netball drills will leave you confused and exhausted.

Of course, you shouldn’t be expected to become a teetotaller for the rest of your life if you enjoy sport. It only takes a little consideration and responsible drinking to enjoy a few drinks every now and then and still have your body on top form for your game.

Alcohol is a relaxant, meaning it relaxes your muscles and dulls your reaction times. It does this by attacking the central nervous system, which is the control hub in your brain that looks after your coordination, balance and accuracy. If you’ve been drinking the night before a game then the chances of your netball shooting skills making that match-saving goal are slimmer than they should be.

Not only does alcohol slow you down, it also makes your body give less than it could to the game. Alcohol affects the liver, an organ whose function it is to release essential glucose into the blood stream. Essentially, alcohol deprives you of your energy reserves, and when it’s just gone half-time and you’re waiting for your second wind you might find that it’s just not there.

But it’s not just a disappointing game that alcohol consumption leads to – it can be downright dangerous. Body heat loss can cause huge problems for your health. Alcohol can bring on a fever and hot and cold flashes which in extreme cases can lead to hypothermia. It may sound odd, but a hungover athlete is at huge risk of becoming very sick. Alcohol also affects the body’s immune system and ability to heal injuries. It can inhibit the healing process and lead to a far longer recovery period.

All this is focusing on the physical, but what about the psychological effects of alcohol? Alcohol is a depressant drug, and regular consumption can and will lead to a different outlook on the sport. Motivation starts to wane, and when the physical effects of alcohol become apparent, it’s a slippery slope to giving up the sport altogether.

Asking athletes not to drink at all is asking too much. But it’s plain to see that once it affects one part of your game, you’re thrown off track. Players with alcohol in their systems are more at risk of injury, will take longer to heal and will be bad at the sport. But perhaps worst of all, you’ll be letting don your team.

Keeping hydrated before, during and after sports wards of dreaded dehydration. We’re at risk if we lose as little as 3% of our body weight through sweating. but it’s not just surrounding games that athletes need to take in fluids. Using thirst as an indicator is a sign that you’re not drinking nearly enough fluids.
Water is the number one best choice for hydration. Not sweetened, flavoured, coloured or otherwise sullied water. Pure, simple water is what your body needs. Any other liquid is only ever effective for hydration because of the water it has in it.

Sports drinks, however, have an interesting edge over water for two reasons. The first: they taste good. They’re sweet and fruit flavoured. The advantage here is that athletes are far more likely to drink more if they’re enjoying the taste over the nothing taste of water. The second reason is the additives that sports drinks contain. These additives have nothing to do with hydration. They are to do with bursts of energy. It is in fact because of the large content of water that these drinks contain which makes them so effective. Juice and carbonated drinks, for example, are terrible at hydration because they have too many additives. Sports drinks also have a greater market appeal than water. These reasons mean that athletes remember that they have a drink and they keep on top of their fluid intake.

Although water is your best option for hydration, you can also maintain a healthy level by eating water-rich foods around game and practice times. Fruit, soup and yoghurt all have high water-levels and are a great option for snacking during and after playing.

But what about other drinks? Well we already know that juice and carbonated drinks are out of the question, and I’m afraid the news isn’t any better for most other drinks. Coffee, tea and alcohol are all dehydrating fluids. They each pull water out of the bloodstream to help the body process the various toxins and chemicals they contain. if you want to be fighting fit for your game and keep hydrated, staying away from stimulants and depressants is the golden rule.

For quenching thirst you can’t go past water. But for both thirst quenching and an extra boost of electrolytes and carbohydrates, a sports drink is a great option that will boost your energy and make you want to keep drinking.

• If someone is trying to block you, do your best to ignore them. If the goalpost is in your line of site then chances are they are not going to be able to intercept it.
• How you stand is very important. Balance is essential as you need a stable stance to shoot from. Height is also obviously a factor as it provides that much-needed advantage over other players. Standing roughly shoulder-width apart is usually the best option, but experiment with the stance that works best for you.
• How you hold the ball gives it spring, spin and power when you take your shot. Have your strong hand, or shooting hand, behind and under the ball. Cradle the ball with your fingertips, your fingers bent. This provides an extra boost and spin to your shot. Your other hand should be cradling the side of the ball, offering support. This hand is also used for aiming, so point it towards the net! Keeping the ball balanced in this position is essential.
• The squat. This is the first part of your shoot, building up potential energy for release and – hopefully – a goal. The power to shoot comes from your legs, the direction you shoot in is controlled by your arms and fingers. With the ball in position, bend your knees and squat down, keeping your back straight and your head high all the while. Keep your hands in the same position and your eyes on the goal. How low you need to squat is something to find out on your own. Experiment, but remember that it’s all costing essential fractions of seconds.
• The shoot. This is when you release all that essential energy. Focus on the ring, in particular the back of the ring. Your shot comes when your body is extended. Your knees and arms will straighten and you will release the ball, but that’s not all there is to it! As you release, spin the ball backwards on your fingertips by flicking your wrist, this will make the ball bounce back towards you should your shot hit the back of the ring.
• Follow through. Once you’re released the ball, follow it towards the ring just in case it doesn’t go in. You may just get a second chance.

Like everything, being an ace goal shooter takes a lot of practice. Shooting drills or netball are really the only way to achieve this. Practice until your focus and backspin become second nature.

Ideally, you’re going to want to focus on core strength, muscular and aerobic stamina and overall flexibility in your off-season. Injury rehabilitation should also be a focus here. If you’ve been injured on the court you should ask your physiotherapist about an off-season training programme that’s suited to you.

Post Season
In the few weeks immediately following the end of the season, you should be focusing on getting your body used to low intensity workouts over longer periods of time rather than the intense focused workouts of the netball court. This will give your body a chance to recover from the strains on muscles and joints and is the most important time for focusing on those injuries. Finding a social sports team to join will keep you exercising regularly. Include swimming in your weekly schedule to improve upper body and core strength and consider yoga to aid flexibility.

Off-Season
This is a period of keeping your body active and building towards the next season. Focus on muscular and aerobic endurance here. Taking classes at a gym is a good option, something high-intensity like boxing or a dance-fitness class. Cycling is perfect for this period as you can control the intensity and it provides less strain on your muscles.

Running is also an excellent way to keep fit and you can control the duration and intensity, but be wary as it can put strain on your muscles and joints. An off-season injury is something you’ll want to avoid! Throughout this off-season regime, gradually increase the intensity of your workouts and activities and you’ll be ready for the next stage: getting your netball fitness up.

Pre-Season
The pre-season netball training period covers the couple of months before the season begins again. You’re going to want to build on the endurance and strength that you’ve been working on by adding muscular power, speed and agility. In this period, you’re making a concentrated effort to engage in activities more netball-like. This means that you’re wanting to increase the intensity and lower the duration of your workouts. For instance, if you’re running, try to complete your course in less minutes each time you run. Aerobic exercises are the best option here as the swift movements and high-intensity are similar to those on the court.

These three off-season periods will give your body a chance to recover, then steadily build towards your next season, where you’ll be ready for the challenges and ahead of your competition.

1. Movement. Think about your motion during netball practices and games: a lot of running and quick stops, lateral movements and sudden changes in direction. The support your shoe offers needs to reflect these ranges of motion. Regular running shoes are designed for straightforward motion, providing support that focuses on your heels and toes. Netball shoes need to offer an all-round support as well as maximum comfort and cushioning for the sides of your feet.
2. Stability. When you’re jumping and stop-starting often, you’re going to want a shoe that can handle the conditions. When you catch the netball and pivot, you want to know that your shoe is going to support you and keep your balance.
3. Outsole. Running shoes need to be flexible, especially in the area under your forefoot. not so with netball shoes. The outsole needs to be able to be punished by the court or asphalt of the netball court. For this reason it needs to be stiffer and thicker than a regular running shoe. Often the souls of netball shoes will be made of a different material altogether than regular running shoes – a harder compound of rubber.
4. Profile. A netball shoe is going to have a shorter profile. This means that it will be lower to the ground which allows for a great range of movement and flexibility. Also, with your foot on a lower platform, the risk of rolling one’s ankle is greatly reduced.

Netball shoes are, quite simply, designed for netball exercises. They are made to be durable and tough against the fearsome demands of the netball court and your swift legwork. Many indoor netball players still insist on playing in general sports or running shoes for their games. This is admissible as running shoes are generally lighter and provide more comfort than the average netball shoe, plus indoor courts are usually constructed with wood, not asphalt.

Of course, when it comes down to it, the shoes that fit you well and are the most comfortable are the ones you need to go for. You may indeed have found some running shoes that you’re comfortable with wearing on the court and that’s fine – as long as you’re okay with them wearing down faster than usual. The bottom line is that netball shoes are simply that – netball shoes. They’re designed with the game and you, the player, in mind.

As soon as your injury occurs, apply R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) to cut down the long-lasting effects. From there you need to think about recovering from your injury as best you can before you can even think about taking the court again.

Seeing a professional about your injury is very important. Don’t simply take the advice of your coach or parents. Physiotherapists will be able to isolate the problem and offer you the best way to regain your full movement again.

Whilst your injury is healing, keep the rest of your body in as best condition as you can. Train with other methods such as cycling, swimming or water-running. Keeping your non-injured parts active and in good condition will keep your health and netball fitness levels high, which will in turn aid your recovery time.
Trying to regain your full range of motion and strength can be an arduous process. Your physiotherapist will be able to tailor a regime for you to follow. Using pain as a guide, you’ll soon feel your strength and motion coming back, but it’s important not to leap straight back onto the court.

You should have no pain or swelling in the injured area before you even consider returning to your game. Recurring injuries occur when insufficient recovery time is allowed and the semi-healed part of your body is antagonised into injury again.

When returning to your sport, don’t run in all guns blazing. Stick to easy netball drills at first. Take it easy and play at about half to three-quarters of your normal intensity. Sit out for half a game if you can or take a less impacting position on the court. Your strength and speed will have dropped slightly in any case and your body as a whole needs to get used to exerting so much energy again.

When you feel completely better, still take care to guard the part of you that was injured for several months. Be sure to be strict with pre-game warm ups, post-game warm downs and stretching. This type of prevention is still the best method of avoiding injury.

Being taken out of commission from a game that you love can be a depressing time, but the only way out of it is to keep on top of your recovery. If you’re injured, your sport is now recovery, and you need to approach it with the same passion and energy.

Warm up and stretch
The netball warmup and stretch are the single most important steps to take before your perform any sport. Warming up may involve a few laps around the court or riding a bike to training or the game itself. Regardless of what you choose, a low-intensity, full body workout is essential to get blood flowing through your body and raise your adrenaline levels.

After warming up it is imperative t.hat you stretch your muscles. Focus particularly on the muscles you will use the most. Just as runners need to stretch their legs muscles after a warm up, a netball player needs to think about what muscle groups they’re going to be using. Working down from your neck muscles, through your abdomen and into your arms and legs, ensuring your body is limber will allow you to perform at the top of your game without risk of pulling a muscle or putting your back out. You will feel more energised, too.

Proper equipment and clothing
Sports are fast-paced and accidents are always going to be a potential problem. Knowing that the equipment that you’re using is up to standard is important. Courts and fields need to be maintained to a high, consistent level. Any equipment or sports uniforms should be kept in excellent working order. A single stray shoelace could spell disaster for an unsuspecting athlete, as could improper shoes and restricting clothing. Make sure you’re comfortable and safe in what you’re wearing and where you’re playing.

First Aid
Having a dedicated first aid kit for your team is a must. If someone pulls a muscle or cuts themselves, immediate medical help, even of the most basic kind, can mean the difference between a quick recovery and a lengthy one. Ice packs should be kept on hand especially for all injuries as the quick application of cold pressure relieves swelling that can lead to further complications.

Warm down
After a high intensity game or workout, your body can’t suddenly stop. It needs to change gears slowly and the best way to do this is by some quick light exercise. Even something as simple as a walk or a slow jog around the court will be beneficial to your recovery.

Remember that, whether netball practice or netball game, when playing sports your body is working on full power, you have adrenalin, endorphins and your team members amping you up and without proper forethought an injury may not show itself until the next day. Prepare your body for the exertion and you’ll be all the better for it.

Look at the week ahead to plan your meals. Often it’s a good idea to cook a large batch of food and subsist of this for a few days. When you come home from a gruelling game or netball training session it’s good to know that you can simply microwave or heat up a meal that’s healthy. This is also a great way to avoid junk food, which we often crave after heavy physical exertion. Another way to avoid the junk food is to try re-organising your days to have your main meal either during the day or prepared during the day so you can have it soon after returning home from training or your game.

Knowing how to cook is essential. If you or nobody in your household knows their way around a kitchen (other than cooking toast) then consider talking to a sports nutritionist about your needs. There are also many easy, healthy recipe books published to help you out.

Remember that snacking throughout the day isn’t a bad thing! Snacking keeps your metabolism chugging along. What’s important is what you’re snacking on. Eating low energy-releasing foods such as fruits and muesli bars will have you lasting the day without resorting to chocolate or takeaways. Drinks like fruit smoothies, protein shakes and meal supplements can also give you a boost if needed.

Pre-game nutrition is an essential part of having enough energy and stamina. Eating a carbohydrate-rich, low fat meal 2 or 3 hours before a game will give you plenty of slow-burning energy to last all of the quarters.
Ensuring you have enough fluid before, during and after the game is essential. Drinking with your pre-game meal and netball warm up drills is easy enough, but many players forget to keep hydrated during the game itself. There are several opportunities to quench your thirst throughout the game, so be sure to keep a water bottle handy and go for it during timeouts and in between quarters.

Be sure to take care of yourself after the game, too. What you eat to recover your body has a direct impact on your body. Go for fruit if you can or other carbohydrate-rich foods like sandwiches or muesli bars.
Nutrition is the fuel your body needs to perform, and it can only perform at its optimum levels if your give it the right sorts of fuels. Taking control of your diet is just as important as sticking to your training regime.

Health
It’s no secret that physical activity is the only way to keep fit and there’s no better way to keep up with a regular exercise regime than to be in a team sport. With the support of other team members and their reliance on you to be there and perform at the top of your game provides incentive to keep fit and healthy.

Team Bonding
Being able to play as part of a team has far-reaching positive benefits. In later life when young women become part of a community or are making their ways into the world of business, the essential team-building skills that they’ve developed whilst on the court will shine through. Being able to approach tasks (not only in sport) as a group and knowing how to recognise strengths and weaknesses in that group show forethought and selflessness that is attractive to employers and community members alike.

Friends
Friendships forged in sports teams will go a long way in later life. Due to the bonding and teamwork, young women often make fast friends with their team mates. A sports court is a great leveller, and girls from all different types of socio-economic backgrounds and classes mix and mingle. It provides a great social spectrum in which young women can befriend people they may normally not have the opportunity to meet.

Confidence
With a constant barrage of beauty magazines, products and advertising telling them that they’re not pretty enough, many young women today are in dire need of a confidence injection. Team sports offer a chance for young women to excel at something in a supportive environment. Fitness training for netball, team spirit and being skilled at something all promote a healthy self-confidence that will shine on all other aspects of their lives.

Brain Food
The link between a healthy lifestyle and cognitive function is a strong and well-recognised one. With team sports, the benefits are many. Not only does exercise pump blood into the brain, it also teaches essential strategy skills and fast thinking. How many times on a netball court will a decision need to be made quickly, often a decision that could alter the course of the game? Being able to think literally on their feet, the quick minds of young women athletes will easily feed into other areas of their lives.

Young women often find guidance and support within a team. Even if their end goal has nothing to do with sports, the lessons and habits learned on a netball court (or any sports field) will help them go a long way in later life.

Warm up and stretch

As with any physical activity, a warm up and stretch is imperative to get blood circulating and keep the body limber. Start with a few laps of the court. Nothing too strenuous, what you’re looking for here is just enough to get a sheen of sweat. Dynamic stretching is a great way of combining stretching with a warm up. These are stretches that are combined with movement, such as lunges, hamstring walks, arm swings, squats and torso twists. Have your kids complete a few sets of these. The great thing about using these exercise with kids is that, frankly, they look silly and your kids will enjoy them all the more.
Games

Playing games are easy netball drills that focus on particular skills are a great way to both hone those skills and improve team spirit. A good example is netball tag. Divide your team into two. One team has the ball and their objective is to ‘tag’ the opposing team members by touching them with the netball. The ball cannot be thrown. This game will improve focus and maneuverability on the court.

Footwork

Being able to sprint short distances, land safely and pivot on the spot are all essential footwork exercises for netball and your drills need to reflect this need. Here are a couple of drills to try out:

• Zig zag drills. Players run from marker to marker (usually cones) laid out in a zig zag pattern. This drill focuses on drastic changes in direction.
• Pivoting. Have your kids line up a reasonable width apart. Have a couple of balls passed along the line so kids can practice catching and throwing to and from one another whilst pivoting on one foot.

Ballwork

Upper body strength is essential in netball. Your children will need both accuracy and speed from their arms. Positioning their hands properly on the ball is the first step. Make their thumbs touch and their hands will form a W behind the ball this is an easy way to illustrate the right way to hold a ball.

• Pass and catch. Pair up your children and have them passing and catching the ball to one another. Once an arbitrary number has been reached without dropping the ball, get them to step back. This will promote power and accuracy.

Of course, combining footwork and ballwork is the next step, and an ideal way to illustrate the rule of not being able to carry the ball once you’ve caught it.

Netball drills for children should be fun and covering the basic skills. Once they’ve mastered these drills, moving on to more complicated training regimes will be a piece of cake.