Netball fever is revolutionising women’s sport
The Netball World Cup will be a game-changer for women’s sport, says Holly Peacock-goodwin
This summer of sport has been a game-changer – not least for the sports themselves. First, the Lionesses, with valiant performances that took them all the way to the World Cup semi-finals, turned women of all ages on to playing football. Last week, England’s triumph in the cricket shone a much-needed spotlight onto a team game that some thought was on its last legs as a school sport. Now, the Netball World Cup – and, in particular, the performance of the England Vitality Roses – looks set to transform an activity considered by many to be something you do grudgingly during PE lessons and leave behind as soon as you finish school.
I’ve loved netball my whole life, and I’m not alone. It’s already the largest team game for women. Sport England’s Active Lives adult survey shows participation at an all-time high, with 1.4million women taking to courts each week. Inspired by the World Cup coverage on Sky and the BBC, I can only imagine the number of women who will be inspired to try it – former players keen to return to the sport, or those encouraged to take it up for the first time.
Netball has many notable health benefits, especially for women well beyond their youth; the number playing it aged between 55 and 74 has almost doubled over the past two years. A trend that has likely been fuelled by England Netball’s programmes such as Back To Netball and Walking Netball, a slower version of the game played at a walking pace so that anyone can join in, regardless of age or fitness level.
A game of netball is the single best thing I do for myself. More than just a workout, it is good for the mind, body and soul. Certainly, it’s the only exercise I do where I don’t think of
anything else. Forget mindfulness and yoga: netball truly requires you to be in the moment – it is too fast, too competitive and too thrilling to let your mind wander.
As a new-ish mother, netball offers me a cardio session and an opportunity to burn calories, but the breadth of movement and continuous change in speed makes it a wellrounded workout.
Kelly Marshall, fitness expert and director of The Body Project, explains: “The dynamic change of direction and reaction qualities of netball are great ways to maintain and improve co-ordination skills. This promotes healthy muscle-nerve connections and, in turn, better overall body control and balance.”
There are several other key benefits to spending that sacred hour on court. “You couldn’t get a better workout” says Anna Stembridge, former England head coach who now oversees Team Bath Netball. “Netball is great for working the trunk of the body. The nature of the game, with frequent jumping and landing, means your core muscles are activated at all times to support you accordingly.
“It demands a lot from our cardiovascular system, too, which is great for overall health and wellbeing.
“Combining this with the types of resistance training netball requires is not only ideal for building muscle strength in your arms and legs but also helps to build bone strength and health.”
Ideal for midlifers and those looking to target bingo wings and muffin tops, the sport has you covered. It’s also good to have up your sleeve when it comes to managing menopausal symptoms. Kate Dale, who spearheaded Sport England’s transformative This Girl Can campaign, says: “Playing netball can help in the lead-up to and during menopause.”
Women are at a greater risk of heart disease around menopausal age, so the cardiovascular aspect of netball can help. “It can also contribute to tackling low mood, providing you with a boost in endorphins and a friendship circle which you absolutely need to see you through,” adds Dale
Jane Lomax, a sports psychologist and head of coaching at the University of Chichester, says that netball also brings with it numerous mental health benefits. “As a team sport, a player’s sense of belonging is particularly high,” she says. “Communication is key, and we see a player’s emotional intelligence, determination and
‘You cannot get a better workout. Your core muscles are activated at all times’
resilience grow rapidly. Given its three-second rule, netball also develops a player’s decision-making skills, adaptability and reaction time, so it’s great as a cognitive-sharpener, too.”
For my part, netball has enabled me to come back to “normal” life after several miscarriages, break-ups and bad days. It has become part of my identity, helping me forge new friendships with women whom I may never have encountered otherwise.
As a breed, netballers don’t care about cellulite, how your dress fits or even if you’re not so fresh after a day of work. On the court, you’re safe from the “gym selfie” culture, and no one will care if you fall over. I do every single match.
You only have to watch a couple of World Cup games – which are still available to view on the BBC iplayer – to see the range of heights and shapes, all perfectly suited to one of the sport’s seven different positions.
“Nobody plays a team sport to get a bikini body,” says Dale. “It really is about what your body can do, not what it looks like. For women brought up to automatically connect exercise with weight loss and appearance, that’s liberating.”