Find Your Way Back to Netball!

England Netball has created a fantastic initiative to get women of the country back into our glorious game! Since its inception, Back to Netball has exploded in popularity and has given women of all ages the chance to return to netball for all sorts of reasons, whether it is to regain fitness, find the competitive spirit that has slipped away or to simply socialise with like-minded ladies.

Back to Netball is a ten to twelve week, gentle re-introduction to the sport for adult females of all ages. Sessions are coach led and will cover the basics of game from chest passes to foot work; these sessions cater for all abilities.

In November 2014, England Netball employed Emma Toft, Netball development community coach for South London to get ladies back up and playing netball in the area! In six months, she has set up 5 new sessions across Merton. The reaction to these sessions has been phenomenal with amazing feedback from the women who have enjoyed getting back into the game. Some of the reactions from these sessions include one delighted netballer stating “Back to Netball has made a big impact on my life, from not playing for 20 years, I now play twice a week and have a wonderful new set of friends.“ Another player who regularly attends the sessions pinpointed the friendly atmosphere as a key positive, saying “It is an excellent and affordable way of keeping fit and meeting new people. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to lots of my friends.”

This feedback has delighted Sue Dauber, England Netball’s National Development Manager, who has spearheaded this campaign. She said “So many times, friends and colleagues have seen me jump into my netball kit after work and said ‘I would love to play again.’ “Back to Netball gives these women a real opportunity to get back into the sport and have a great initial experience rather than heading straight into a trial situation, which is daunting even for the most seasoned netballer. The programme has been so successful because it is needs led. Four years ago, a group of women who didn’t have the confidence to go straight into a club but were desperate to start playing again set up an open ‘Back to Netball’ session at a local leisure centre. Four years on, the formula is very much the same and continues to be the most successful NGB growth product in the market.

“What has helped even more is that traditional netballers have welcomed Back to Netballers with open arms, through providing exit routes for players that wanted to get more competitive, officiating at festivals, assisting teams to join local leagues and talking them through the affiliation process.”

Hundreds of women from all over the country are getting ‘Back to Netball’ each week. For your nearest session, see http://www.englandnetball.co.uk/Back-to-Netball or contact your local community coach Emma Toft at emmat@englandnetball.co.uk or on 07872407212. Sessions currently running in Wimbledon as follows: Wednesday 9.30-10.30am, Wimbledon Park, sw19 7hx, £4 Per session Wednesday 6.15-7.15, Ursuline High school, SW20 8HA, £4 per session Wednesday 7.30-8.30pm, Raynes Park high school, SW20 0JL, £4 per session Based on information supplied by Emma Toft (Netball Development community coach, England Netball).