{"id":7200,"date":"2018-01-29T23:28:11","date_gmt":"2018-01-29T23:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/temp.sistersnsport.com\/?p=7200"},"modified":"2018-01-29T23:28:11","modified_gmt":"2018-01-29T23:28:11","slug":"short-girl-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sistersnsport.com\/coaching\/2018\/01\/29\/short-girl-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Short Girl Problems"},"content":{"rendered":"

Short girl problems: How to succeed at netball when you\u2019re the smallest player on the\u00a0court<\/strong><\/h1>\n
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A common sight on the netball court for us little ones (Source: SistersnSport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Quite a few of us have been there. You arrive at your netball match and you\u2019re the shortest girl on the court. It happened to me at school, at my office\u2019s netball league and Back to Netball. Don\u2019t despair\u200a\u2014\u200anetball isn\u2019t just for tall girls.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s Madi Robinson \u200e168 cm (5 ft 6 in) and Sasha Corbin (1 cm taller) have bossed the netball mid-courts all over the world. (OK, these two are still 6\/7 inches taller than me, but they\u2019re playing against even taller netballers, so it\u2019s all relative!)<\/p>\n

So, what can you learn from them? Here are 12 tactics you can use to more than make up for your lack of stature:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Speed\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aSmaller players are often quicker around the court and harder for the taller players to keep tabs on. Quick, darting moves are your best friends on court. Here\u2019s a couple of\u00a0useful drills<\/a>\u00a0to practise in between games from\u00a0Sisters n Sport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0Balance\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aTurn that lower centre of gravity to your advantage: Throw in some nifty footwork and you\u2019ll be able to turn and change direction that bit quicker than your taller opponents and so shake them off your tail. Try\u00a0these change of direction skills<\/a>\u00a0from the NSW Swifts.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Agility and reflexes<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200aBeing that bit closer to the ground and action, your reactions HAVE to be quicker otherwise you risk getting hit in the face or being at perfect elbow height for your taller opponent. So, your reflexes and alertness are often better developed from a self-preservation viewpoint! Check out Sasha Corbin\u2019s agility tips\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Work ethic<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200aBeing that bit smaller means you have to work a bit harder to cover the ground (literally!). But build on your stamina and turn it into a positive for your team. BE the dynamic engine that drives your team!<\/p>\n

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\u201cHere when you need\u201d (Photo: SistersnSport)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5.\u00a0Using space<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200a\u201cHere when you need\u201d\u200a\u2014\u200athe cry of the Wing Attack. Very appropriate for a shorter player often ending up as a WA or WD. There\u2019s no point your teammates lobbing the ball up to you as if you were Megan Craig, so you\u2019ll need to dart into space if you want to receive the ball. Again, you can turn this to your advantage by being there for a quick one-two, especially around the circle.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0Hustle\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aYou won\u2019t have the luxury of waiting for the ball to be passed above other people\u2019s heads into your hands so you\u2019ll probably have to do a bit of hustling in the mid-court to get involved. But every great team needs a battler with a big heart to get the team going, so why can\u2019t it be you?!<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0Great technique\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aNetball is all about the technique\u200a\u2014\u200aonce the ball is in your hands, your height is less of an issue: Fake passes, one-twos, mixing up the type of passes are all in your armoury just as for any other team member. If you\u2019ve got great vision for passing, your height will be no obstacle.\u00a0<\/strong>There\u2019s some brilliant passes on this\u00a0Netball Squad article<\/a>\u00a0to inspire you.<\/p>\n

8.\u00a0Keep moving\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aYou know when you have to mark someone that doesn\u2019t stand still and how HARD it is? Well, be that person! Even if you\u2019re half a foot smaller, they still have to mark you. Especially annoying for them if you\u2019re behind them and they have to chase to keep up with you. If Madi Robinson of Australia can do it, so can you!*<\/p>\n

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*Source: The Saturday Paper 21\/2\/15 Interview with Madi\u00a0Robinson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9.\u00a0Jumping and stretching<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200aAdd inches to your height! Just because you\u2019re shorter doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t time those leaps or stretches for the ball perfectly and nick the ball back for your team!<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0Get close to your opponent<\/strong>\u200a\u2014\u200aYou may be several inches shorter, but your sheer presence and persistence will help put her off her stride. Put the player under pressure to make her earn every ball. Again, your stamina can take you far. Don\u2019t give up! Check out this brilliant Netball Australia\u00a0Guide to Defending<\/a>\u00a0for tips.<\/p>\n

11.\u00a0Reading the play\u200a<\/strong>\u2014\u200aGet better at reading where the ball is going to end up: use this plus your speed to get there ahead of your opponent when the ball does rebound.<\/p>\n

And most importantly, no. 12\u200a\u2014\u200aSelf Belief<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might have been on the end of thoughtless comments from others at school or on the court about your height and your ability, but don\u2019t let what other people say put you off a fantastic team game.<\/p>\n

Take a leaf out of legendary basketballer Nate Robinson\u2019s book. He certainly never let his 1.75 m stature put him off playing and became the NBA\u2019s first three-time slam dunk champion. When questioned about his height, he simply replied \u201cI\u2019d rather have heart than height.\u201d<\/p>\n

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