One of the best things about Walking Netball is that there are three different programs to suit participants; exercise classes, social competitions & traditional competitions. With programs running throughout NSW year round, participants are relishing the opportunity to get back out on the court.
One of the Exercise Class programs is run at Parramatta Auburn Netball Association and first-time participant Therese Sloane attended the program.
“Today was my first day and I enjoyed it lots. I’ve been around netball all my life. I haven’t played for a number of years so this is my opportunity to get back into playing something I do enjoy and have watched my daughters and granddaughters play,” she said.
It’s not all drills and exercise, as Ms. Sloane found out, with laughter and smiles bountiful among the group of 14 enjoying the program.
“I met a lovely lot of ladies today and enjoyed the exercises and also found that I need to practice my shooting if I intend to keep coming as a competition shooter, but I throughout enjoyed today and I will endeavor to come every week,” she shared. “But (with regards to) netball skills, everyone’s pretty much the same, no judgement”.
A focus of the programs is to build the ball skills and abilities of participants, ensuring that a full range of movement is experienced. “I did enjoy the drills. It loosened up my stiff old body a bit. There was no pressure on the drills, and you just do them as best you can. No one gets told to go back and start again. You just keep continuing along what you’re doing”, Ms Sloane explained.
The alternative competition programs give participants the opportunity to play netball with a regular fixture, score and ladders, just with the modified Walking Netball rules. Participants can register a team, sign up to an existing team, or register as an individual to be allocated to a team.
Ms Slone summerises the programs perfectly, “some [participants] are good. Some bad… but you know it’s just all fun and to get you out to enjoy something that you like to do”. With programs starting again in 2020, participants can express their interest or book a spot online at playwalkingnetball.com.au
