Netball

Back to Netball - Mid Sussex

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Following the overwhelming success of four Back to Netball sessions run in partnership with Mid Sussex District Council and Freedom Leisure, a need for competitive adult opportunities in the area was identified. Nine months following the initial Back to Netball session, a league began.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 September 2008 - ongoing
Organisation: 
England Netball
Project name: 
Back to Netball
AudienceAll women
Age group: 
16 - 24
Age group: 
25 - 40
Age group: 
41+
Innovation
Prior to the Back to Netball programme, the majority of the participants failed to participate in any sport. In the space of a year, the participants were now training and competing on a weekly basis.
Recruitment and promotion
Back to Netball sessions were promoted in local publications, through the local junior club and posters were put up in places that women may congregate. Participants from those sessions were encouraged to form teams and recruited to the league through their nominated captains.
Location
Rural
How was your project delivered?Netball
Funding
The project was kick started with an £8,000 grant from Sport England Small Grants, however, through subs and league fees, is now self funding.
Partnership
Initial Back to Netball sessions were implemented by the Sussex Netball Development Officer (NDO), in partnership with the programming team from Freedom Leisure and Mid Sussex District Council. The Sussex County Committee supported the project through committee member time.
Results
Lessons: 
The league has sustained Back to Netball participants and has grown to accommodate a further two teams. Two participants have recently gone on to complete the UKCC Level 1 Coaching certificate and one participant has recently passed her C umpiring award and has implemented an umpire mentoring scheme. There is now a netball infrastructure in an area where until a year ago there was no opportunity for adult netball.
Evaluation: 
The committee were relatively new to the sport, and needed more support than was expected. The NDO and local Sport Development Unit were able to support, particularly in terms of submitting a funding bid. Back to Netball is very successful in engaging women that otherwise would not participate in competitive sport. By ensuring that the gentle reintroduction message is communicated, other sports could run similar projects. Working in close partnership with local authorities and keeping communication lines open with all partners is imperative.
Themes

Opening up access to facilities

Previously, facility use was dominated by male 5-a-side football and 'pay and play' badminton.  In an equality usage review, this was identified and now time, both indoor and outdoor, is dedicated to female groups.

Growing and sustaining participation

Initially Back to Netball sessions were run to increase participation and across the four sites, over 100 women were introduced to the sport. By starting a competitive league this has not only sustained activity but many of the women continue to train, so has increased overall levels of activity.

Workforce development

A number of the participants have gone on to complete coaching and officiating qualifications which were funded through the Sport England Small Grant.  The County Committee have also provided mentoring to increase the standards of umpiring.  Six participants have formed a committee and oversee all aspects of the general running of the league, including management of finances and umpiring and training. 

Promotion,  Marketing and raising the profile

The league has been featured in the local newspaper on a number of occasions and the group have also set up a Facebook group to communicate with participants. 

Rebranding and revisioning sport

The initial Back to Netball sessions were branded as a gentle introduction to the sport, in a fun and social environment.  With the introduction of the league, it has quickly become more competitive.

Targeting confidence and self-esteem issues

Many of the participants were very nervous prior to the initial Back to Netball sessions and going into competitive fixtures.  The back to basics nature of Back to Netball very much addresses the perceived psychological barriers some participants may use as a barrier to participation.  A number of the ladies commented how they couldn’t believe that they were playing netball again, after not participating for twenty years.    

Health and wellbeing

Weight loss has been noted as an outcome of the league.  Many of the participants previously did no physical activity, prior to their participation in the Back to Netball sessions

Key links: 
Netball England

Netball

Netball participation overview

Netball is the second most popular team sport amongst female participants.

The sport is very popular among young women due to it being played at most schools, however, after the age of 17, netball loses over half of its female participants.

Around 140,100 women play netball at least once a week, rising to almost 200,000 on a monthly basis.

There has been a significant increase in the number of women who play netball at least once a week from 2007-08 to 2009-10.

Key links: 
England Netball
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Celebrating Silver, Going for Gold

Celebrating Silver, Going for Gold marks WSFF's 25th birthday with a look back at a quarter century of records from women's sport.

From Tessa Sanderson winning Olympic gold in 1984, to the IOC's decision in 2009 to add women's boxing to the London 2012 programme, the report charts both administrative and athletic milestones. Its pages are brought to life through a striking spread of photography and montage of memories from leading figures in sport.

In the report you will find both stories of WSFF and the past 25 years of women’s sport – presented in a way which we hope fulfils two objectives; firstly, to explain who we are, where we came from and where we are heading and secondly, to give you goose bumps.

We want you to feel the same shiver which travelled down our spines when we relived moments like Tessa Sanderson standing proudly atop the medal podium at the 1984 Olympic Games, Dame Kelly Holmes’ wide eyed shock at winning the second of her two gold medals in Athens, and the moment when England midfielder Jill Scott rose above a crowd of defenders to send England into the final of a major championship for the first time in 25 years.

While looking back fills us with joy, it is looking forward which really excites us. We are now operating in a time when more doors are being opened for women in sport and the amount of people working towards that same goal is growing. So while we’re proud to be celebrating our 25th birthday this year, we are already planning for the years ahead which we hope will bring even more reasons to be proud and of course, more goose bumps.

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London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels

Active Angels is an innovative multi-activity project that aims to contribute to the health of 14-16 year old girls by encouraging and sustaining their participation in sporting activity.  It focuses on girls who are currently active but who are at risk of adopting sedentary lifestyles once they have left school. The project has been providing opportunities for girls to participate in sports and physical activity in a non-competitive, friendly and supportive environment since 2004.

Project detailsProject duration: 01 January 2004 - ongoing
Organisation: 
London Playing Fields Foundation
Project name: 
Active Angels
AudienceSchools
Age group: 
0 - 15
Age group: 
16 - 24
Innovation
What makes the project so innovative is that is it customer focussed, responding to the needs of the girls rather than to a prescribed syllabus or fixture list. Active Angels targets a new type of participant – now known as the semi-sporty. The coaches were all recruited from local clubs so that if the girls developed a particular interest in an activity and wished to pursue it then they already had links established with a local club. Year 11 pupils were mentored and action plans were developed to help them identify opportunities to maintain their activity levels once they left school.
Recruitment and promotion
LPFF worked closely with the Partnership Development Manager and the Community Sports Coach to ensure that the project was promoted within the local schools. The Project Coordinator visited each school and made presentations to the appropriate Year Groups during assemblies and PE lessons and put up posters. An emphasis was placed on recruiting girls who were not participating in sport or physical activity outside school and PE teachers were asked to refer pupils they thought would benefit from the project. Participants were empowered to be Ambassadors to promote the project within their school. They were also encouraged to “Activate an Angel” and bring a friend with them to sessions. Before the start of each term reminder postcards were sent to previous participants with details of sessions.
Location
Local
How was your project delivered?Hockey, netball, badminton, football, swimming, aerobics, spinning, street dance, gym, ice blading, salsa, pilates, boxercise
Funding
Phase 1 of the project (2004 – 2007) was funded through an Active England grant. Phase 2 of the project is being funded through Waltham Forest Youth Support Service.
Partnership
Partnerships were established with the Waltham Forest Northern School Sports Partnership, Waltham Forest PCT, Waltham Forest Healthy Schools Coordinator, WF Community Sports Coach, Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme, Greenwich Leisure Limited, Women’s Sports & Fitness Foundation and Pro Active North London.
Results
Lessons: 
The key lesson learnt was the need to tailor the activity programme to the needs of the girls. For example, the intention was to deliver activity sessions throughout the three school terms; however the attendance figures dropped from January until March when the evenings were cold and dark and so a decision was made to cancel sessions during this period. The coaching style of the instructors was also a key factor in keeping the girls engaged. They were asked to focus on making their sessions fun and sociable and encouraging participation and rather than performance coaching. When the girls provided negative feedback about particular instructors the Project Coordinator approached them and asked them to adapt their sessions. If they were unable to accommodate this request then they were replaced by more suitable candidates.
Evaluation: 
The project was evaluated at the end of Phase 1 which showed that 380 girls had participated over the three year period. 39% of these girls were in Year 11 and 23% in Year 10. 16% of attendees were in Year 12 which demonstrates that participants were keen to keep attending Active Angels after they had left school. Twenty girls joined the gym using the concessionary scheme offered by Greenwich Leisure Limited in order to increase their participation rates. At the start and end of each term a monitoring questionnaire was completed by participants to measure the difference in their attitudes to the benefits of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. The results showed that the girls all thought their health had improved through participating in the programme and they had a greater understanding of the positive effects that physical activity had on their physical and mental health.
Themes

Tackling drop-off

In order to try and prevent the drop-off in participation for those in the 16+ age group, the project specifically targeted girls aged 14 – 16 years and provided them with a programme of activity tailored to their needs. 

The coaches delivered activities with a focus on sustaining participation rather than performance which tends to put off the target group.  The aim is to create an environment which is not only customer focused but also seeks to enhance the self esteem of the participants. 

Health and well-being

Many of the girls took part in Active Angels to control their weight and to feel good about themselves. This improved self image has helped the girls function better in other parts of their lives.

The project used several methods of communicating with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – participants promoting the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project

Reversioning sport

The emphasis of Active Angels was on delivering activity in a fun and relaxed environment.  The coaches understood this ethos and tailored their sessions accordingly.  After each session there was an opportunity for the girls to socialise in the sports centre.  The Project Coordinator also organised off-site trips (e.g. ice skating at an outdoor rink at Christmas) and delivered healthy eating workshops where the girls had the opportunity to socialise with girls from different schools.

Promotion and marketing

The Active Angels project used several methods to communicate with participants:

  • Presentations in schools by the Activity Coordinator
  • Posters in schools
  • Reminder postcards to participants
  • Ambassadors – we used participants to promote the project within their school
  • Activate an Angel – bring a friend scheme
  • PE staff were encouraged to refer girls who they thought would benefit from the project
Key links: 
London Playing Fields Foundation - Active Angels
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