Netball Warm-Ups

In netball, a good warm-up is important for preparing your players both mentally and physically for their training or match! Warm-ups are key for switching on your players' netball brains, developing ball skills and movement off the ball, and also preventing the risk of injury. 

In my first blog post, I have put together a selection of warm up drills that will be sure to get your players ready and excited for the session ahead! Whether your players are total beginners, or more experienced players - there is a warm-up for everyone!

With younger players, I like to start the warm-up with a fun game to get the players warmed up in a fun and exciting way!

A game I really enjoy playing is tails - it always proves a popular choice!

In this game, all players have a bib tucked into the back of their waistband. On the whistle, players attempt to catch as many bibs as possible - whilst still keeping their own bib safe! I like to play this game for a maximum of 2-3 minutes, then pausing - players who don't have a bib do a fun forfeit! The game then restarts with every player having one bib. 

Younger players love this game and it is a great way to keep them engaged and motivated in the warmup - the mindset we all need to achieve before training starts!

If you wanted to progress this game for older or more experienced players, split your players into pairs - each player tries to catch their partner's tail. This increases the intensity and pressure of the game, which is particularly effective for helping players to move quickly on their feet and build their reaction speeds, all while achieving a fun but competitive environment!

Warm-ups are also a great way to introduce the session by using a skill-specific warm-up drill. 

With younger players, if the focus of your session is footwork, a helpful way to introduce this skill early in the session, is to start by getting your players to jog around the court, being careful not to bump into anyone else. On your whistle, the players have to jump and land - following the footwork rule.

A popular way for teaching footwork to younger players is with the analogy 'ice-cream', with 'ice' being their landing foot, as it can't move, and 'cream' being their other foot! You could even get them to shout 'ice-cream' as they land - they love this!

Finally, warm-ups are a great way to get your players into their netball mindset before your session or match starts. 

A popular drill for players of all abilities is Anywhere's - this is great for making sure your players are mentally alert, fast on their toes, and have quick reactions.

Firstly, split your players into pairs, with one ball between two. One player starts with the ball and drops, places, or throws the ball in different directions. The second player stands around 1m opposite, keeping a close eye on the ball. The aim is to react as quickly as possible to gather the ball either before it bounces, or after only 1 bounce. After 10 passes, players switch over. 

This drill is one of my favourites as it can be used at all levels of netball and is a great way to get your players warmed up correctly!

Make sure to try out these warm-ups in your next session!

Want to get involved in the conversation? Comment your favourite warm-up drills below!