ARMY NETBALL 2013/2014 SEASON
ARMY NETBALL TEAM CAPTAIN END OF SEASON REPORT
Introduction. 2014/15 was another very successful year for the Army Netball Association, both number participating in the sport and the level at which Army Netball current is. The season culminated in both the development and open squads winning at the Inter-Services (IS) competition in Mar 15. With a record number of people being selected for the CS squad.Kit. We should get a few (10) more bags with numbers 31-40 on them. The training vest that were purchased were well received, however the long sleeve tops were not fit for purpose. Communication with the supplier has stalled and I have informed them that I will be notifying the ASCB of their lack of co-operation. Clarification on how much money there is to spend on kit and equipment at the start of the season would be beneficial for the kit secretary.
Equipment. The post protectors which were purchased two seasons ago are not fit for purpose as they are too small and don’t have ARMY NETBALL on them, more need to be bought this season.
Media Successes. There were a number of media successes during the season:
- The Inter Unit & Inter Corps being televised on BFBS, including interviews.
- An article in the Soldier magazine post Inter-Services.
- Interview pre and post the IS and IS match clips on BFBS.
Clarification is still required on who should be doing this task. The website could be utilised more effectively, all of the photos and videos from last years IS aren’t on there for instance. We should also update after every training event, with some photos and the results of the training fixtures.
Training. Attendance at training was on the whole good and can be found at Annex A. To improve the training dates for next year should be publicises on FB and the website ASAP. Splitting of the squad early* was very helpful for team cohesion, this should continue next season. Attendance at the trials of past members improved, but still was not high. I believe that this should be encouraged so that the new members understand the level that they are aspiring to achieve. The strength & conditioning session which the coach conducted was more specific to netball and was very well received by the girls. As were the flexibility / stretching sessions pre and post matches or training. The amount of match play was appropriate**, ie actual 15 mins matches rather than 6 x 10 mins session, this should continue for next season.
Opposition. The fixtures secretary will provide a detailed report on the fixtures throughout the season. To assist her in her task for next season, we should provisionally agree the training weekend dates early, but then BPT change them if they clash with regional fixtures or local league dates. Everyone who attended the away fixture in Catterick enjoyed it and the team bonding at the start of the season was crucial. I believe that it should be an away fixture but Catterick is too far away from the centre of mass of the squad, therefore the Midlands should be scoped as an alternative. 
Coaching. In the past we have had two coaches, one for the development and one for the open squads. Is this something that we would like to do in the future? If so we should be advertising the job now to recruit someone in time for October. Some of the girls asked if video analysis could be done between sessions so that they can have some areas for improvement for the next session. Clarifying who should be responsible for videoing the games, who then owns that video footage and what is done with it (archived or destroyed) are all points to consider when requesting this from the coach.
Accommodation. For the away fixture in Catterick, the accommodation was booked by myself and in Aldershot was centrally booked by the Team Manager, this seemed to be the best method of ensuring that everyone was accommodated appropriately. However, for IS 17 I am not confident that there will be sufficient to accommodate all three services. Therefore, we should nominate someone to confirm a location which has a suitable gym and sufficient accommodation.
Committee engagement. The girls appreciated the engagement from the committee. However, I still feel that we haven’t got the delineation of who is responsible for doing what task within the committee as clear as it is could be. Each committee member should really have TORs which clearly state what they are responsible for. I appreciate that at times, I haven’t been that conducive with this as I am slightly possessive over things. I have however, this season, tried to give tasks back to those people who I believe are responsible.
Replacement. I believe that Capt Steph Novak should be approached regarding taking on the captaincy of the squad next season. She is well-liked amongst the squad, is one of the more experienced players and committed to Army Netball.
Summary. It is with great sadness that I have a break from Army netball whilst assigned overseas, but I am extremely positive about the condition of the squad as I leave. I am in the country till Jun, but only on the end of a phone / email.
Maj LK White REME
Army Netball Team Captain
