I too coach future Aust Players what joy they are.

Pleased to read you have lots of fun.

I use balloons to inject fun and use them to watch the auto skill acquisition of the payers not just for modified players but right up through the age groups.

 

It develops so many skills as the balloon floats. Concentration and patience, players learn to track/watch the balloon/ball right into their hands, creates soft catching hands

 

Balloons blown up just 4-8 puffs depending on size of players.

 

1.                  Between the ankles, knees, above knees using fast feet / assorted footwork movements across width of court.

2.                  In a line, pairs or in a circle holding hands = bonding and cooperation moving forwards, backwards and sideways – when they are clever the circle can rotate.

3.                  Players do an assortment of handling drills as they would do with a ball. Figure 8 between legs, around waist, throw up from behind back catch in front, tap up and twirl 360 and catch, Tap up catch and land correctly – 1…2.   Build skill by adding pivot and changing landing foot, calling out how many fingers or various colour cards displayed for peripheral vision etc..

4.                  Tapping balloon keeping above ground in air. This is a good time to watch their levels of automatic movements while doing normal footwork drills. Stepping and landing techniques, Zig Zag to cones planting outside foot, body movement and balance as they are concentrating on keeping the balloon aloft.

Have fun the variations are endless.

--- In netballcoaching@yahoogroups.com, "Sharyn Hall" <sharynkhall@...> wrote:
>
> I have been coaching under 9's for the past 2 years but I am looking for
> some new ideas for training nights.
>
> My team has been different each season and I take the real beginners - ages
> around seven and ones that have not played before.
>
> I was wondering if you have any good training drills for me to keep them
> active and also learning at the same time.
>
> We have a lot of fun and my teams over the past seasons have won the
> sportsmanship award, which is uniform, attitude towards the other team and
> willing to go on the other team if they are short,etc,
>
> Thank you
>
> Sharyn hall
>