Future Ferns for Horowhenua
NETBALL
Netball Horowhenua are to roll out a new version of the code for junior grades this season with the support of a New Zealand netball legend.
“Future Ferns” is a six-aside format of netball endorsed by Netball New Zealand and has been played at junior level nationwide for many years. Its ambassador was former Silver Fern great Irene Van Dyk.
Netball Horowhenua will be the last netball centre in New Zealand to adopt the new concept across all junior codes for Saturday competition, although it has been running Future Ferns junior workshops for many years.
Netball Horowhenua’s Future Ferns co-ordinator Candace Vazey said it was time to get with the times and make the transition. They were working closely with schools to ensure the new format was widely understood.
The only change was that Future Ferns basically had two teams of six players, with each team made up of two attackers, two centre court players and two defenders. As the court was divided into thirds, each group stayed in their patch.
Future Ferns was a simpler version of netball that was easily understood and meant more players were involved in the action. There was a quirk in the very young grades with each team providing hula hoop goals at either end.
Vazey said the feedback from the junior players themselves showed it worked.
“They love it,” she said.
“It’s less complicated and it gives all the players equal opportunity to be involved in the game and be part of the action.
Vazey said she understood there was always going to be a bit of resistance from the netball traditionalists, but it was the players themselves that quickly understood and prefer the new format.
“It is a big change, but really it’s less complicated for the players and it become easier to learn all the basic skills like catch, pass, jump,” she said.
Vazey said Van Dyk would visit the association next month to hold a Future Ferns workshop at Donnelly Park in Levin, in what was a coup for Netball Horowhenua.
“She really is amazing and a great believer and ambassador for Future Ferns,” she said.
Vazey said Year 1-4 players would be involved in a skills-based introduction the sport, while the Future Ferns format would be rolled out to all Year 5, 6, 7, and 8 grades.
Meanwhile, Netball Horowhenua promotions manager Angelica Machuca said the association was on a coaching recruitment drive to attract and upskill new and existing coaches.
They were appealing for more coaches at all levels and had a coaching workshop planned by coaching co-ordinator Heeni Cooper.
The association held an opening evening last night at Donnelly Park and was looking forward to the annual Umpires Tournament on April 10. There would be an Opening Day tournament on May 1, with grading games held a week later on May 8.