• Recovery is vital, particularly if it’s been a tough session. I like to walk a couple of laps to cool down, stretch for at least 15 minutes, have an ice bath for 5 minutes straight and then put on a pair of compression leggings (such as Skins). I will also eat or drink something like a Sustagen on the way home to ensure I am replenishing protein and carbohydrate stores – Kim Green (Swifts and Australian Team Representative)
• Completing a recovery session the day after a game is just as important. I like to go for a walk or a swim and have a stretch – Rebecca Bulley (Swifts and Australian Representative)
• Train harder than what the actual game is like. It will make the game seem easy - Irene van Dyk (Magic and New Zealand Representative)
• Playing half court or even organising a practise game against another team is a great way to train. It ensures a tough session and is often the best way to learn what works and what doesn’t – Catherine Cox (Swifts and Australian Representative)
• Using smaller groups where possible (instead of one large one) means less standing around and players being more involved – Julie Fitzgerald (Swifts Coach)
• The most effective trainings are those that are sharp, specific and challenging - Laura Langman (Magic and New Zealand Representative)
• Find out what style of coaching works best for your players. Some players are ‘visual’ and are better at understanding drills and skills by seeing them in action as opposed to being told about them – Liz Ellis (Swifts and Australian Representative)
• Make sure all feedback is constructive. If you need to start with a negative make sure it is followed by a positive. E.g., that’s not working, but you are so good at .............so why not try that – Susan Pratley (Swifts and Australian Representative)

Favourite Quotes

• “Pain is only temporary, glory is forever” – Rebecca Bulley
• “A champion team will always beat a team of champions” – Renae Hallinan
• "There's no substitute for heart" - Laura Langman
• “You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Catherine Cox
• “Knowing is better than wondering” – Erin Bell
• "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got" - Irene van Dyk
• "Make the most of every door that opens an opportunity" - Madison Browne
• “You only get back what you put in” – Catherine Cox
• “Even the biggest failure beats never trying” – Erin Bell
• “Life’s like a long row of hurdles. You never know what’s on the other side unless you’re prepared to take the jump” – Jane Altschwager
• “We are what we repeatedly do, excellence then is not an act but a habit” – Alison Broadbent
• "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination" - Laura Langman
• “Happiness is a journey, not a destination” – Alison Broadbent
• “If it is to be, it’s up to me” – Liz Ellis
• “Pain only lasts a few minutes, hours or days. But the pain of knowing you gave up will last forever” - Megan Dehn
• “If you can tip it, you can catch it” – Wendy Telfer
• “No pain, no gain” – Erika Burgess

Tips

Optimal training times:

• 1.5 – 2 hours as it’s not too long but definitely long enough to get plenty done – Amy Wild
• 2 hours as you can fit enough in without getting too tired or bored – Emma Koster
• An hour and a half to 2 hours, for me, is the optimal training time - Laura Langman
• A maximum of 2 hours as anything over that doesn’t allow you to train at the best of your ability – Vanessa Ware
• Depends on the age and the ability of the athletes. For elite netballers 2 – 2.5 hours is plenty. Any longer and the quality drops as players start to get fatigued and lose concentration. Any shorter and you would struggle to get anything done – Rebecca Bulley
• 2 hours. You can still get a quality session, blow the lungs out and ensure concentration is kept – Susan Pratley
• 1.5 – 2 hours for adults. This time should be adequate to cover a range of individual based training drills and team based drills. It is short enough that a high level of intensity can be maintained for the whole session. By keeping it under 2 hours athletes can maintain concentration – Kimberley Smith (nee Purcell)
• 2 hours as a maximum. Any longer than this and players start to deteriorate in decision making and you aren’t then getting the full potential of the players – Kim Green
• 1.5 hours. Training should replicate the intensity of a match for a similar period – Julie Fitzgerald




Tips for coaches:

• Coaches should be approachable (nice) and use a loud voice – Emma Koster
• I learnt a lot about coaching from observing others coaches. I would recommend that they attend coaching courses and coach development opportunities wherever possible – Rebecca Bulley
• Prepare for each training sessions and be flexible – Kim Smith (nee Purcell)
• One of the best approaches is to know and understand each individual player and how to get the best out of that player. Work out how far you can push that player and what their individual attributes are. Not everyone is the same so try not to make everything generic – Kim Green
• Training and learning a new skill is all about repetition. With this in mind be careful not to get repetitive to the point of boredom. A coach’s challenge is to find ways of doing similar skills differently – Catherine Cox
• Important to spend time developing and practicing skills which you require as a player, e.g. speed, agility, endurance and strategy – Tracey Robinson
• Be enthusiastic and keep updating the drills you use in training sessions - Vannessa Ware
• Make sure there is variety within training sessions. This will ensure everyone is challenged by different and new things - Johannah Curran
• Implement skills and tactics required in preparation for competitions, different teams and individuals (e.g. tall players, fast players) – Tracey Robinson
• Make sure the players are still enjoying themselves. Challenge them and change things up regularly to keep them interested - Susan Pratley
• Training should approximate match intensity so that it increases the individual and teams ability to perform skills and tactics and make the correct decisions at match speed and under pressure, just like in a competition game – Tracey Robinson
• Training is used to correct skill and/or decision making errors of individuals and units in a safe team environment. (stepping, replay,etc) – Tracey Robinson
• Training can be used to provide tactical and technical solutions to on court problems and can be player driven with players decision making improving as they become comfortable with different scenarios. (zone, sag, etc) – Tracey Robinson
• A successful netballer is a player who constantly works on the basic skills of the game. Therefore a coach much structure their sessions to include all the basic components in their training. Only this way will these vital skills become automatic to a player and easy to replicate correctly under the pressure of a match. There is no alternative to this constant practice and a coach has a responsibility to ensure not only that the basics are practiced, but to ensure they are correctly carried out at all training sessions – Julie Fitzgerald
• Mix it up. As the best way to learn is repetition, try to find ways of working the same drill differently - Catherine Cox