Update

Hi Bullants families

We are heading into Week 3 of the 2019 Winter Season. SCNA will have a close look at results after this weekend to see if there should be any adjustments to the divisions teams have been nominated into. Look out for information about that in the next week or so.

With the season underway we thought it would be good to have a reminder about the Bullant’s club values and expectations. This will help to ensure the season is a success for all.

Umpires

Without umpires we cannot play. All umpires at SCNA are volunteers, we as a Bullants community need to appreciate the time and effort they put in to allow us to play.

As players and coaches we understand that there can be frustration if we feel the umpiring is not to the standard you would wish. However, we should always remain courteous when communicating with an umpire.

A reminder, players, coaches and supporters should not call out infringements. If there is a need for clarification from an umpire about their interpretation of the rules then the appropriate process is for the team captain to approach the umpires during a break of play (¼, ½ or ¾ time) to ask a question. If that doesn’t resolve the issue then the next step is to ask one the umpire coordinators for a clarification (they wear the pink vests)  or the netball convenor (yellow vests) for that time slot, either during the game or immediately afterwards.

Most of the umpires in the junior time slots are beginner umpires and we need to show patience as they develop their skills. These umpires are participating in an umpiring skills development course which includes the practical element of learned during games. We encourage coaches to give feedback as needed to the umpire coordinator who is leading the program so that they can use the feedback to support the umpires development and, perhaps, adjust their program. It is always inappropriate for coaches and/or supporters to talk direct with the umpires.

Remember: players play, coaches coach, supporters cheer and umpires umpire.

Coaches and Players

As a club we are very lucky to have coaches who volunteer to guide our teams. Our coaches’ responsibilities include helping our players develop netball skills, getting players on court and actively observing games so that they can prepare training plans for further skills development, communicating with players in a firm and positive manner. We have a number of coaches who are either new to our sport or new to coaching and we thank them for volunteering for this vital role. All other coaches in the association are also volunteers and, regardless of whether you agree with their coaching style, we expect everyone associated with Bullants to communicate respectfully with the coaches, players and supporters of other teams.

It is the players’ role to ensure they actively participate in all training sessions, pay attention to what your coaches say and try to implement what they are teaching you and be respectful to your coach and team members. Players should stay on the team bench during the game if they are not on court, unless the coach has asked you to warm up.  It is also important that you understand that coaches will have prepared training plans and game plans, so you may not be able to do your preferred training activities or play in your preferred positions all the time. I would encourage you, or your parents, to have a friendly discussion with your coach about your goals if you don’t feel these are being met. Remember, however, netball is a team sport and coaches need to take account of other team members’ needs as well.

Some of our younger players need to remember that the only time they should leave the team bench on game day is if they need to use the toilets or to warm up. We ask parents of our younger players to support the club in this.

Supporters

The club continues to be a success through good parental and other support. So thank you to all the parents, grandparents and other supporters that come to training and our games. In particular thank you to those who have taken on the manager role for our younger teams. It is a great help to the coaches, allowing them to focus on the players.

We love to hear our supporters cheering us on from the side line. But please make sure that it is good-natured and shows good sportsmanship for the opposing team. Remember, coaches coach and supporters cheer, so please don’t call out instructions to your children as it can become confusing, especially for younger players.

Don’t forget that SCNA has adopted the Netball Australia rules around team benches. Team benches are made up of the players, coach/es, manager and scorer. All other supporters should be on the opposite side of the court. This is a new feature of Saturday netball and we as the largest club at SCNA should get behind this initiative. It is designed to help the coaches focus on the players and provide space for the scorers and umpires to do their part free from too much distraction.

Summary

The Bullants community, through our collective effort, provides a safe and supportive environment for all our players, coaches, umpires, managers, supporters and officials to enjoy the game of netball.

Thank-you for taking the time to brush up on our values and expectations.

Bullants Committee