From the 9th to the 10th of March, Illawarra Academy of Sport Netball athletes, training partners, umpires and coaches attended the 2024 Annual Regional Academy Netball Camp. The event brought together 350 netball players and umpires from across all Regional Academies for a weekend of high-level education, training and gameplay.
The Saturday saw all IAS athletes undertake skills sessions delivered by leading Netball New South Wales (NNSW) high performance coaches, including a series of position-specific drills. Following this exercise, the athletes participated in speed and agility training, courtesy of the Academy of Sport Speed Australia, as well as an education session. Our Netball Umpires then also engaged in a rules discussion session with other Regional Academy athletes. Meanwhile, IAS coaching staff took part in a day of education, including a planning and a culture session. Our coaches were able to collaborate with staff from other Academies, and had the opportunity to learn some tips and tricks from Anita Keelan, the Netball Australia Head Coach of Pathways.
On Sunday, athletes had the chance to put the skills practiced during Saturday’s training to the test on the court in some round-robin style match play. Both IAS teams who attended improved throughout each game, and were committed to testing out what they had learned the previous day. During these games, IAS staff were mentored by NNSW coaches, presenting an excellent opportunity to receive some feedback and develop their skillsets. While officiating the round robin matches, the Netball Umpires were also able to enjoy some mentoring. A special congratulations to IAS athletes Makayla Henderson, Charlotte Gray and Lily Martin, who were successful in earning their C badges!
The camp was a highly valuable experience for all who attended, and was a great chance to get our IAS athletes and coaches on court for some match play ahead of April’s Your Local Club Academy Games.
