Welcome to the Welsh Netball Association Website

Fitness for Netball

Available Articles

Netball Fitness Tests and Targets
- Coaches Conference 2002 Netball Protocols (pdf document)
- Coaches Conference 2002 Fitness Test Targets (pdf document)
- Warm-Up Session
- 'The Heat is On'
- SUMMER FUN

Warm-Up Session
by National Coach, Raewyn Henry

I thought I would give you the outline of the warm-up we have developed for our WIS Academy squad. The approach these days is a move away from the old style warm up which included static stretches. The modern thinking is that the warm up needs to
prepare players for the type of game they play and that it should reflect the movements required within that game. Therefore, it has now become more dynamic, shorter, more intense and involves dynamic stretches as opposed to static stretches.
In light of this, Matthew Robinson (our conditioning coach), in conjunction with the
players and I, has developed a new warm-up - one that the players all enjoy and which prepares them well for games.

Following the warm-up we have designed, I would just like to say at this point that it
needs to be done with precision, speed and accurately if it is to be of any benefit. It is certainly not something I would rush into - it has taken some time for us as a squad to achieve the standard we have - and we still have a long way to go. The entire warm up
takes us 25 minutes.

1. Line Drill Two groups opposite each other - approximately 10 years apart. As they do the drills, they pass each other. Variety of drills, eg heel flicks, jogging, high knees, Side to side, skipping etc. Each of these drills is done Forwards and backwards, at least twice. Keep in lines.	2. Stretch Calves (both gastrocnemius - upper and soleous - lower) Quads, hamstrings and trunk rotations. Quickly back to 1 to raise body temperature again - choose only 2/3 drills and do only 1 up and back.
3. 4 Corner drill Two groups on corners as shown - about 5 metres square. Jog, skip, heel flicks, fast feet, side slips - all with turns. Finish with sprint through.
4. Dynamic Stretching - 10 - 15 each leg Hips (kick back) Adductors (cross kicks) Hamstrings (kick through) Up and Overs
5. Square Drill Finish off this part of the warm up with all players in a smallish square - so not too much space. 20 seconds of multi-directional activity to include spins, down to floor with hands, jumps, lateral movement, backward movements etc. No contact with others. Fast feet and quick reactions.
6. Ball Work in Pairs Four simple exercises done with fast feet and precision. Group does it together, calls from one of the players. a. Player with ball drops it anywhere - partner picks it up, passes and recovers. b. Player without ball runs in touches ball, drives out receives short, sharp pass - repeats. c. Player with ball stands 3 feet away from partner, lobs for partner who jumps straight up, passes back, gets ready to receive next ball immediately. d. Usual side to side passes.
7. Drill Without Shooters Following drill is done while shooters have practice. Player A drives to receive ball from player B - passes back to B then runs around, picks up ball player B has dropped, passes ball to B who is driving towards C - receives ball and passes to C, runs around her, picks up ball she has dropped, passed to player C who has driven towards original - she receives ball and passes to next player in line - exercise starts over. Meanwhile a second ball has also been introduced. It is a good idea to practice this drill with one ball until a team has mastered it.	8. Full Team Drill For the final 2 minutes, the team does a drill which requires all players. Player A passes to B who is driving - she passes to C who is driving, C passes to D on the edge of the circle. D passes to E who is in the circle - she rolls to receive a second pass from D. D then returns the pass and enters the circle. E passes the ball to beginning line and joins the back and drill starts again. This also has two balls travelling at once. We have found this warm-up to be the best we have devised to date - the players enjoy it. It is short and intensive and requires concentration from the players. Hope it is of some interest and use - just remember to adapt warm ups to suit the age and ability of the team - Good Luck!

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'The Heat is On'

When training or competing in a hot and/or humid environment the body's ability to undertake physical activity is challenged. Players are at risk of underperforming from heat stress and dehydration and that without a structured acclimatization strategy netballers would be poorly adapted to eliminate excess body heat. This could lead to poor heat tolerance, under performance and possibly even heat illness during physical exertions in the early part of their stay. In order to prevent this, players need acclimatization programmes to prepare them for the environmental conditions they would experience in hot conditions e.g. (22-30°C (daytime) and 70-90% humidity). Recent research has shown that the body can be prepared for exercise in such conditions by repeated exposures to heat and humidity in environmental chambers - a process called acclimatization. In order to become acclimatized the Welsh players for recent visits to hot climes used either the environmental chamber at the Welsh Institute of Sport, or a local sauna. The acclimatization sessions were scheduled to take place after training so as not to interfere with the training programme.

The guidelines for the acclimatization sessions are outlined in the Tables 1 and 2 below.

Table 2 Acclimatisation using the Sauna

Week	Number of Sessions	Time (min)
1	1	15-20
2	2	30-40
3	3	60

It was important that players refrained from exercising whilst in the sauna so that they did not overheat. Players therefore alternated between sitting in and out of the sauna during each acclimatization session.
These repeated heat acclimatization sessions (either in the environmental chamber or in the sauna) allowed for the following physiological adaptations to occur which aided the players' performance when in heat.

• An increased ability to lose excess heat by increased sweating. However this also meant that the players needed to drink more fluid to remain hydrated
• A decrease in resting core body temperature, and a lowered set point for sweating so that sweat loss (and heat loss) began earlier during exercise
• An increase blood volume which helped to maintain hydration status and blood pressure, increased stroke volume and decreased heart rate during exercise

Therefore the acclimatization process benefited performance by a) decreasing the player's heart rate for a given exercise intensity and b) by allowing longer duration of exercise to become more comfortable and sustainable.

References
Thompson, K. (1996). Acclimatising to the Heat of Atlanta. Swimming Times. pp. 28-29

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SUMMER FUN

The objective of any netball players competitive preparation is to peak at the required time(s) (Balyi, 1999). In order to achieve peak performance, a player must engage in the correct training practices before, during and after each season. This article outlines the types of training that should be completed in the period between the main season ending and the next season beginning, which for netball is typically May to August.

It is difficult to write a programme for all players, given individual circumstances, so this article is written to provide some generic guidelines as to the type of training players should be completing over the next few months. If you have sustained an injury it is suggested that you seek advice from a qualified Physiotherapist before engaging in any form of training.

Generally, training should follow the basic principles outlined below (Mullan & Worrall, 1999):

• Overload - Each training session should increase in intensity, so you work harder each time
• Progressive - The training should be progressive in order to maintain adaptations
• Specificity - Training sessions should be specific to netball
• Reversibility - What you don't do you don't gain. You lose all adaptations in fitness once you stop training

Training during all parts of the season must be planned. The off season constitutes two distinct phases, transition (end of season and beginning of training for next season) and foundation phases (increase aerobic endurance and strength for next season) (Mullan & Worrall, 1999). During both phases it is important that you follow the below principles.

Focus:
Principally off season training should attend to all aspects of fitness, strength, power, muscular endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and body composition (Wilmore & Costill, 1988). However, it should also be a time to focus on areas of weakness in your physical fitness and concentrate on gaining a sound base on which you can build in pre-season training and maintain during the season.

Commitment:
It is important that training is not sporadic. Following a programme provided by your exercise physiologist (or coach depending on level), is important in terms of periodizing your training. Training programmes are issued with a specific yearly plan in mind, keeping to the structure of your training during the various phases in the season is fundamental to achieving peak performance.

Enjoyment:
Off season training, should differ from in season training, in so much that exercises are specific and physiological effective, but will give you a break from regular netball training. Circuit training is a good idea as it incorporates most forms of fitness training and is different to normal in season training. Other sports can also be a good way of training without the tedium of regular training e.g. football, squash, beach games etc. This isn't to say that this is the only form of training, all aspects of physical fitness and a focus on areas of weakness are also essential components.

When and How Much do I Train?
Off season training should incorporate all aspects of physical fitness. Aerobic training should be completed 2-3 times a week, at 60-70% of a players aerobic capacity i.e. you are sweating but can still hold a conversation. Similarly strength training should be completed 2-3 times a week, before an aerobic session if completed on the same day. Intervals and speed training can be completed as a squad or on an individual basis, 1-2 times a week. Flexibility should be completed as normal pre and post training, with additional long hold (20 seconds) stretches throughout the week. One rest day a week should also be included.

Any specific areas of weakness should form the basis of training in the initial stages of off season training, with other aspects of fitness fitting in around these specific sessions. As the player improves upon areas of weakness, other areas of fitness can be increased in volume and intensity. Gradually throughout the off season, a player can change the emphasis of their training programme in preparation for more technical training being incorporated into pre season training. Below is an outline of a typical off season training week for the average club player.

Points to Remember:

• Ensure one rest day a week
• If injured consult a qualified physiotherapist before training
• Don't train if ill
• Don't do strength training on consecutive days
• Ensure your diet meets your energy requirements (Mullan & Worrall, 1999)
  

In summary, it should be realised that the off season is an important aspect of a players total training programme (Wilmore & Costill, 1988). Areas of weakness can be improved upon, whilst all aspects of fitness can be maintained and a solid base built in preparation for pre season training. Although rest is an important aspect of training, it should not be overloaded once the season ends. Too much inactivity will lead to reversibility of the adaptations made during the season which will take considerable time to rebuild. Players who remain active during the summer will be more productive and effective throughout the following season.

References
Balyi, I. (1999). Long Term Planning of Athletic Development. The Training to Train Phase. Faster, Higher, Stronger. National Coaching Foundation, Leeds, UK.
Mullan, N & Worrall, P. (1999). Don't Let it Go This Summer. Netball. All England Netball Association Ltd, Hitchin, Herts, UK.
Wilmore, J. H. & Costill, D.L. Training for Sport and Activity. The Physiological Basis of the Conditioning Process. Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaigne, Il. 1988.

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