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Children usually start to learn netball from the age of about 10yrs. Almost all netball is organised through schools, so if you would like your children to get involved in the sport - talk to their teachers.

Netball New Zealand has a structured tiered development programme that is devised to carry a budding five-year-old all the way to the Silver Ferns.

The pathway starts off with the 5-7 year age group (Years 1-3) and this stage is known as the Fun Ferns which caters for the ``beginner’’. Here the emphasis is on basic skill learning and includes movement, passing, co-ordination, modified games, play activities, minor games and fair play.

The next step is the Future Ferns, for the "learner", and takes in the 8-10 year-olds (Years 4-6). Here basic skill development is enhanced with small group games and activities, an understanding of the rules is introduced, modified competition, opportunities for decision-making and a continued emphasis on fair play.

For the 11-12 age-group it is on to the ``player’’ stage where sport specific development comes into focus. At this stage of the pathway, there is the transition to fully-fledged netball where development opportunities and programmes, such as, camps are introduced. Understanding of the rules and decision-making are further developed while competition and talent identification play a more significant role. There are opportunities for players at this level to compete in representative primary school tournaments.

Ages 13-19 represent the ``specialist player’’ phase of the programme pathway where position-specific skills are developed and decision-making extended. The more extensive range of competition at this level includes age-group, regional netball centre, club and school. There is also increased scope here for talent identification and development and leadership opportunities.

For those playing for their schools, there is the opportunity here to compete in the annual regional secondary school championships where three tournaments are held, in the upper North Island, lower North Island and South Island. The top four teams from each of these tournaments go on to compete in the New Zealand Secondary School championships. Promising school players are chosen for the New Zealand Secondary School Development camp each year and a national team is chosen from this.

Along with their school counterparts, club competition players in this age-group have opportunities to take part in regional development programmes and also selection to compete in under-15 and under-17 representative age-group competitions.

A step up from this is selection in regional under-19 and under-21 teams to compete at the national age-group championships.

From these age-groups a New Zealand under-21 squad is chosen each year, from which a team is named to play. Every four years the New Zealand under-21 team competes at the World Youth championships.

The New Zealand championships feature the best players in New Zealand and from here the pathway extends to players being chosen for the New Zealand under-21 squad and team, the New Zealand A squad and team, National Bank Cup franchises and ultimately at the end of the journey, the Silver Ferns squad and team.

Junior Netball:
For young beginners in netball, there is usually a choice of two starting points:

• a school team
• a club team

This will depend on where you live and your age, but in most cases playing for a school team is the first choice.

The Netball New Zealand Junior Netball Policy (first published in 2000; latest update 2008; PDF document below) recommends special rules and equipment to help young players. The programmes, divided into three age groups, have been designed for players between 5 and 12 years old, to help players gain confidence and build up netball skills.

FUN FERNS – 5-7 years:

• For children keen to get into netball as young as possible - have fun learning the basics of the game.
• Uses smaller ball designed especially for little hands.
• Uses hoops rather than goalposts.
• Numbers instead of positions on bibs.
• Learn how to turn and pass down the court towards the team’s goal.
• Straight line play.
• Understand about space on the netball court.
• Movement skills – running, jumping, landing.

FUTURE FERNS – 8-10 years:

• More focus on movement and passing skills such as dodging, defending and passing into space.
• Develop a wider range of skills and knowledge about the game.
• Special equipment and rules used.
• Size 4 balls – not full size yet.
• Positional bibs worn i.e. WA, C, GS.
• Goalposts used - 2.6 metres.
• Players get to play all seven positions i.e. up to four positions in each game.

YEARS 7 & 8 – 11-12 years:

• Aimed at more experienced, older players.
• Concentrates more on skill-development work aimed at specific positions.
• Full height goal post used - 3.05 metres.
• Players start to specialise in one or two positions or in a certain area of the court i.e. shooting, defending, circle.
• Competitions follow the rules of the game.

SECONDARY SCHOOL NETBALL:

Netball in New Zealand has more secondary school players than any other sport.
The competitions at this level are exciting and challenging.
Many schools play in inter-school competitions; others comepte in local club competitions.
Players can compete in regional and national tournaments.
A New Zealand Secondary Schools team is selected each year and competes against international teams. The current team won the 2008 International Schoolgirls title in Adelaide.
Coaching becomes more intense at this level with committed training sessions and fitness requirements.

AGE GROUP NETBALL:
Promising netballers in secondary school competitions are selected to try out for age group teams competing in inter-centre and regional competitions. Netball New Zealand holdfs an annual Age Group Championship for under-19 and under-21 players.

Under-21
Under-19
Under-17
Under-15 (Years 7 and 8)

CLUB NETBALL:

Club netball can be played at any age, but most players move onto a club once they leave high school. There may be one or more clubs to choose from in an area. The choice is up to the individual but there is often a club linked to a player’s former school or where their friends play. The local Netball Centre is the best place to start for more details

Contact:
Netball
PO Box 99710
Newmarket
Auckland
Phone: +64 9 623 3200
Fax: +64 9 623 5777
Email: i...@netballnz.co.nz
Website: http://www.netballnz.co.nz/