NetballSmart in Action Across the Mainland Zone

Over the past month, NetballSmart has been actively delivering workshops across the Mainland Zone, supporting teams as they prepare for a range of upcoming tournaments. These workshops have aligned with key events including the South Island Secondary Schools (SISS), Koru Games, and Opens, providing valuable preparation and education for players and coaches alike.

Alongside these workshops, the Strength Project continues to progress in the background. This long-term initiative is designed to support Netball athletes from junior through to senior levels, helping build a strong foundation for future performance and injury prevention.

Our team has had the privilege of travelling throughout the Zone, visiting Centres and engaging with communities wherever possible. These visits have not only allowed us to catch some fantastic netball in action but also to connect with development opportunities on the ground.

School zone teams have been working hard in the lead-up to SISS, and their efforts have resulted in some outstanding performances. As a next step, selected athletes will come together for the Mainland Advanced Camp Day on September 14th—a fun and rewarding opportunity to share experiences, build skills, and pass on new knowledge to others.

Warm-Up Insights from the Under 18 National Champs

We recently took a closer look at warm-up routines during the Under 18 National Championships, and the findings were both encouraging and enlightening.

✅ What’s working well: Movement quality across teams was impressive, athletes were moving well, and as we know, moving well often translates to playing well. We also saw strong adherence to dynamic and netball-specific preparation, which is great to see.

👊🏼 Areas to build on: There’s room to improve in preparing for the specific demands of the game. Movements like jumping, turning, and landing need to be practised deliberately during warm-ups. Additionally, single leg strength is crucial, adding single leg squats to every warm-up can make a real difference in performance and injury prevention.

Let’s keep building on these insights to support our athletes in being game-ready from the first whistle!

As we come to the conclusion of our netball season, there are still opportunities for schools with end of season tournaments. If you need any support from NetballSmart, not only in the warm-up space but with anything relating to netball, please get in contact with Nick from the NetballSmart team to lock in dates for 2026.

Email:  netballsmart@mainlandnetball.co.nz Phone: 027-314-0615 

Article added: Monday 01 September 2025