Midweek Matches More Information
The session will consist of:
- 15 minutes dedicated for arrival and registration with the coaches prior to the 60 minute session beginning (except Rickmansworth year 5&6* see below)
- a warm up game led by the coaches
- a match consisting of 4 x 10 minute quarters
- coaches will put players into teams, there will be a maximum of 1 sub per team who will not be off longer than 1 quarter, the sub will have the role of scoring and observing netball rules with the coach/umpire
- coaches will umpire, keep score, and provide coaching at the quarter breaks
- players will be rotated into different positions by the coaches to ensure they get a chance to shoot, defend and play midcourt.
- *due to lack of time available at the Rickmansworth venue, year 5&6 will not have the 15 minute registration time with coaches, the children are encouraged to arrive in the 15 minutes before their session – but the coaches will still be coaching the 3&4 session. Therefore parents/guardians must stay with their child until the coaches start the 5&6 session at 6pm.
To ensure the Midweek Matches remain a place where a positive sporting experience is possible for all children, the following will be adhered to:
- participants and all spectators will adhere to our code of conduct, click here to view the code of conduct
- coaches will strive to create two balanced teams that can enjoy a match with teams equal in ability, this will get more accurate each week as the coaches get to know the children – teams will not be dictated by pre-existing friendships or school groups or current position if regularly playing at school/club
- the teams will not necessarily be the same week to week
- the score will be kept for the match for the teams to know if there has been a win, loss or draw but the score is not then recorded anywhere and no league table is kept (as this is a pilot, we are open to seeing how this evolves, there may be opportunities in future for more of a league structure with regular teams)
- coaches will nominate a captain each week to take part in the coin toss for first centre pass, and to lead their team in the 3 cheers at the end
- should one team gain a lead of 5 or more goals, the centre pass will be allocated to the losing team, instead of the usual rule of the centre pass alternating regardless of who has scored. If the lead returns to less than 5, the rule will revert to alternating centre pass.
- team captains will lead their team in a 3 cheers ( a netball tradition) and the shaking of hands with their opposition and the umpires (high 5s as an alternative also fine!)
- 4 awards will be given at each session, if they wish to, these players can have a photo taken with their award placard:
- – great display of sportsmanship
- – inclusivity award eg welcoming and including new players
- – most effort by a player
- – great display of teamwork (eg two players, GD/GK who did something great together, could be more than two, could be whole team!)
Cost and Bookings Process
The cost is £9.50 per hour. Block bookings per half term will be on sale first, then pay as you go places will be available each week. As always at Mighty Netball, if all places get booked, we look to create more places so that all children who want to, have an opportunity to come and play. For Midweek Matches, your place will not be guaranteed for the next half term if you have a current place, we will notify you when re-bookings will open and it will be first come first serve.
If you have a block booking place and can’t attend one week, either through planned absence or last minute illness/injury, please let us know. We are only making 16 places available to ensure those that come have a maximum of 1 sub per team. If we have less than 14 children in attendance, it affects the ability to run two full teams. You can send a friend in your place if you can’t attend, you must let us know before they come so we can gather their details and emergency contact. There are no refunds for missed sessions for those on a block booking (unless Mighty cancels a session).
Who can attend?
MM is open to any child who has some netball experience, you do not have to attend our weekend sessions to be able to join us at MM. You are very welcome to attend both our weekend sessions and Midweek Matches.
MM is not suitable for total beginners to netball, if you haven’t played before – we ask you to start with our weekend sessions which provide the opportunity to learn netball skills and rules and take part in some match play.
How does Midweek Matches differ from Mighty weekend sessions?
At Midweek Matches, coaches will not stop the match to coach, this will happen at the quarter time breaks and so a sense of a full match will be achieved. At the matches, the quarters will be timed, all rules will be applied and the score will be kept.
At our weekend sessions, the 45 minutes is split into 2 or 3 age appropriate, skill development games that are all centered around a netball theme such as attacking, defending, footwork, shooting; followed by some match play in which the theme of the week is focused on. Coaches may stop the match play at any time to give coaching feedback. The score is not kept during the match-play part of weekend sessions.
Should I choose a weekend session or Midweek Matches?
If your child already plays a bit of netball and knows a little about the rules and skills, then come along for Midweek Matches. It’s a great way to experience new positions and extended match play. We recommend they also come to our weekend sessions to enhance their skills and rules knowledge. Many children will do both but it is not essential.
Absolutely anyone is welcome to a weekend session, your child needs zero netball experience. We help your child learn the netball basics and in time they will be ready to join some Midweek Matches.
What happens after the pilot?
The Midweek Matches pilot runs from March to June 2024. Throughout this time and after, we will review what has worked well, what changes need to be made and refine the sessions to ensure we are achieving our mission: “to provide a fun, stimulating sporting experience where children learn vital life skills and develop long-lasting self-belief through team play.”
Your feedback (parents, guardians, netballers) is vital to the development of these sessions. Please get in touch with us at any time to help us create a special place for children. You can call or email us via our contact page.