Netball Scotland are thrilled to launch our very first Academic Partnership with St George’s School, Edinburgh.

This exciting collaboration is a first of its kind for Netball Scotland and one that will see us work together with St George’s to increase community participation in netball and engage with more young people as we continue to promote the many benefits of sport to overall health and wellbeing.

St George’s have already played an instrumental role in the restart of netball in Edinburgh by opening their doors and the access to their fantastic outdoor netball facilities to some of the existing netball community. Joining forces with the highly regarded girls’ day and boarding school allows us the opportunity to further collaborate and open up more opportunities to engage with and inspire young people through the power of sport.

Clare Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland;

“I am immensely proud of this new partnership with St. George’s – a partnership which I hope will create a powerful model for how we grow and develop as a sport through young people, education and communities. This partnership reflects our commitment to using our platform and power as a sport to engage with, educate, empower and inspire the next generation of leaders, athletes, volunteers and game changers who are needed to build a better, fairer and more equal world for all, in and outside of sport.”

Geraldine McGuire, Head of Development, Netball Scotland;

“We are very much looking forward to activating our first Academic Partnership with St George’s School for Girls.  Together we are fully committed to using sport and physical activity to intentionally bring about positive change for individuals and communities.  Combining our knowledge and expertise in netball and the education sector, this is an exciting opportunity for us to make a positive impact on the physical and mental health and wellbeing of both the girls at St George’s and members of the wider community.”

Alex Hems, Head of St George’s School, Edinburgh;

“This partnership with Netball Scotland is an exciting step forward for St George’s. We are delighted to have this chance to combine expertise and experience with such a dynamic governing body, to open up opportunities for access to netball for women and girls across Scotland. Together I am sure we can be significant change-makers in the game and in education. This is an inspiring and important new era for empowering girls through sport.”

Mel Benson, Head of Lower School & Community Engagement, St George’s School;

“It has been so rewarding working with Netball Scotland to help restart the sport on the back of the pandemic. We are passionate about opening our doors and creating and facilitating as many opportunities as possible for girls, women and the wider community to play, compete and enjoy the sport netball. With a very active programme already in place, we are very much looking forward to unlocking further opportunities under the 3 strands; Women & Girls, Education and Community.”

Update Published: 4th June 2021

Travel restrictions for organised sport remain in place supporting the Scottish Government’s phased approach to the easing of lockdown restrictions.

In line with publication of the Scottish Government’s Framework, Netball Scotland will, on the 17^th May  2021 remain in  Phase C of our #SafetyNet Return to Netball Roadmap

An overview of Permitted Activity Guidance per age group can be found here!

Information on the Modified Game can be found here!

The updated Return to Netball Guidance can be found on our updated Return to Netball Hub here.

Netball Training and Fitness Activities are permitted for the following age groups:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under, Indoors and Outdoors
• Members aged 12-17 Years, Indoors and  Outdoors
• Members aged 18+ Years, Indoors (Levels 0, 1 & 2 only) and Outdoors (Levels 0, 1, 2 & 3)
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted

Modified Game Play is permitted for the following age groups from the 17th of May 2021 :

Our Fun 5z Modified Game can take place for:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under Indoors and Outdoors

  Our Modified Game Play can now take place for:

• Members aged 12-17 Years Indoors and Outdoors
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors (Levels 1 & 2 only)
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted

Competitions and Friendlies are permitted from 17th May 2021:

• Netball Scotland organised competitions and local club/association competitions (including friendlies) are permitted for all age groups, Outdoor only in Level 0, Level 1 and Level 2.
• All competitions (including friendlies) remain suspended in Level 3 and Level 4.
• Members aged 18+ Outdoors & Indoors – Level 0 – All Netball activities permitted
• Competitions remain subject to Scottish Government Travel Guidance.

Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity is aligned to the Scottish Government’s own phased exit protection level restrictions, and in line with consultation from sportscotland.

Important Information:

Members should implement the Modified Game rules in conjunction with Netball Scotland’s Return to Netball Guidance and the Scottish Governments Strategic Framework.

It is the club’s responsibility to ensure they are holding activities relevant to their current Permitted Activity Level as set out in Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity Guidance.

Travel Overview:

Participants should, where possible, avoid any unnecessary travel out of an area and keep journeys within area to an absolute minimum. Full details of the Scottish Government Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance on Travel and Transport can be accessed here 

Under 11’s and 12-17 Travel

• Participants aged 17 years or under can travel to and from Level 0, 1, 2 and 3 areas to take part in organised sport, training, and fitness activity.
• Children and young people living in a Level 3 area should follow Local Protection Level Guidance in regards to taking part in informal exercise such as walking, running or cycling.

18+ Travel

• Participants aged 18 years or over can travel to and from Level 0, 1 and 2 areas to take part in organised sport, physical activity and training. They should not travel to a Level 3 area.
• Adults living in a Level 3 area should follow Local Protection Level Guidance in regards to taking part in informal exercise such as walking, running or cycling.

Why Travel Restrictions?

Netball Scotland have provided guidance in line with the Scottish Government’s advice for travelling safely within Scotland.

As a nation we must do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. We want to be able to protect our sport and the netball family as much as possible in this ever-changing landscape which is why we must set out this guidance in line with the Scottish Governments Guidance

We thank the Netball Family for standing with us!

Final Comments from the team at Netball Scotland:

We are delighted that these changes mean that we can now officially progress with our #ReturnToSport campaign which aims to increase opportunities for all members over the summer months as we begin to return to the sport we all know and love! You can find out more information about all of our exciting Sirens Summer plans HERE.

#NetballReady clubs have already been embracing our #NetsGoOutdoors campaign, a new and exciting direction for our sport and one we hope to see as a permanent option for the future of netball.

Are you ready for a Summer of Netball?

Netball Scotland is excited to launch our #ReturnToSport Campaign, which aims to increase opportunities for all members over the summer months as we begin to return to the sport we all know and love!

Plans are in place to kick start the return with one-day festivals for our Junior, Senior & BBN members across 4 areas – Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth & Aberdeen on the 5th/6th June. The events will be 2-hour slots per category. These festivals will provide members with the opportunity to have fun and reconnect with local teams! As a thank you to our members for their support over the past year, Netball Scotland is hosting these festivals FREE of charge for our Netball Ready Clubs. Netball Ready clubs can enter a maximum of 2 teams, and if space permits Netball Scotland will consider clubs who are Netball Ready by 21st May 2021.  Bookings are now live and can be accessed HERE.

If your club is not already #NetballReady, please contact Caroline Walker at Caroline.walker@netballscotland.com to complete this process.

Following on from our one-day festivals, Netball Scotland will launch our BRAND-NEW Sirens Summer Social Leagues on the 14th June 2021 for 8 whole weeks (dates will vary depending on venue). This is a further opportunity to return to the sport and play numerous teams from your area.  The leagues will host 16 Junior, 16 Senior & 16 BBN teams per area. Entries for this event will launch on Friday 14th May at 12pm on a first-come, first-serve basis, and will cost £50 per team per evening for our Senior & BBN members, and £37.50 per team per evening for our Junior members. All members must be affiliated with Netball Scotland.

We seek an army of volunteers to support our #ReturnToSport campaign and help us at the festivals and events over the summer months. Look out for our Volunteer forms if you are interested, coming out soon.

In line with publication of the Scottish Government’s Framework, Netball Scotland will, on the 5^th of April 2021 enter Phase B of our #SafetyNet Return to Netball Routemap, and as such we have re-introduced our Age Group Guidance Permitted Activity Framework to provide guidance on what activity is permitted for each age group.

An overview of Permitted Activity Guidance per age group can be found here!

Information on the Modified Game can be found here!

The updated Return to Netball Guidance can be found on our updated Return to Netball Hub here.

Netball Training and Fitness Activities are still permitted for the following age groups:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under, Outdoors
• Members aged 12-17 Years, Outdoors
• Members aged 18+ Years, Outdoors

Modified Game Permitted Activity is permitted for the following age groups from the 5^th of April 2021:

Our Fun 5z Modified Guidance can re-commence for:

• Members aged 11 Years and Under, Outdoors

We are delighted to confirm that our Modified Game Plan can now take place temporarily for:

• Members aged 12-17 Years, Outdoors until the 25^th April*

Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity is aligned to the Scottish Government’s own phased exit from current Level 4 restrictions, and in line with consultation from Sportscotland.

Important Information:

Members should implement the Modified Game rules in conjunction with Netball Scotland’s Return to Netball Guidance and the Scottish Governments Strategic Framework.

It is the club’s responsibility to ensure they are holding activities relevant to their current Permitted Activity Level as set out in Netball Scotland’s Permitted Activity Guidance.

Travel Overview:

Participants should, where possible, avoid any unnecessary travel out of area and keep journeys within area to an absolute minimum. Full details of the Scottish Government Coronavirus (COVID-19): Guidance on Travel and Transport can be accessed here. 

Under 11’s and 12-17 Travel

• Participants aged 17 years or under can travel to and from Level 0, 1 and 2 areas to take part in organised sport, training, and fitness activity.
• Children and young people can also travel to and from a Level 3 or 4 area, if for example, they belong to a club which is just outside their own local authority area. They should however travel no further than necessary to take part in the organised activity.
• Children and young people living in a Level 3 or 4 area should only travel out with their local government area (up to 5 miles) to take part in informal exercise such as walking, running or cycling which starts and finishes at the same place. Such activity should follow Scottish Government ‘Stay Local’ guidance.

18+ Travel

• Participants aged 18 years or over can travel to and from Level 0, 1 and 2 areas (but not Level 3 or 4) to take part in organised netball training and fitness activity.
• Adults living in a Level 3 or Level 4 area should only travel locally (within their own local government area) to take part in organised netball training and fitness activity.
• Adults living in a Level 3 or Level 4 area should only travel out with their local government area (up to 5 miles) to take part in informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf or running that starts and finishes at the same place. Such activity should follow Scottish Government ‘Stay Local’ guidance.

You can also find some Travel FAQs here!

Why Travel Restrictions?

Netball Scotland have provided guidance in line with the Scottish Government’s advice for travelling safely within Scotland.

As a nation we must do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. We want to be able to protect our sport and the netball family as much as possible in this ever-changing landscape which is why we must set out this guidance in line with the Scottish Governments ‘Stay Local’ guidance.

We thank the Netball Family for standing with us!

Final Comments from the team at Netball Scotland:

We have always said brighter times are coming, the momentum of our sport will not slow down, we are already beginning to see out sport emerge from this pandemic with a new outlook. #NetballReady clubs have been embracing our #NetsGoOutdoors campaign and are returning to training outdoors, this is a new and exciting direction for our sport and one we hope to see as a permanent option for the future of netball. Let’s get outdoors, let’s be seen and let’s get our voices heard. Together we will come out of this stronger. This is Netball and this is the #PowerOfSport.

Three female sport stars are giving back to the sports that they love through the sportscotland Coaching Futures programme.

Olympian Sally Conway (judo), Rachel Cremin (netball), and Maddy Jennings (canoeing) have all been named as apprentice coaches with their respective governing bodies of sport.

Coaching Futures is sportscotland’s performance athlete to coach apprenticeship programme, designed to increase the number of ‘home-grown’ coaches working in Scotland. The programme helps Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport (SGBs) to harness the experience of performance athletes and to create opportunities for them to transition into coaching.

The programme provides a unique opportunity to ‘earn while you learn’ as apprentices will be given time to learn through study and by working alongside some of Scotland’s most experienced coaches and coach developers. Most importantly, it provides opportunity to learn through experience and gives the apprentice the tools they need to direct the development of their coaching practice.

Mike Whittingham, Director of High Performance at the sportscotland institute of sport said:

“We are absolutely delighted that three athletes of the calibre of Sally, Rachel and Maddy have been successful in securing places on the Coaching Futures programme.

“At the sportscotland institute of sport our role is to work with the governing bodies of sport to nurture athletes as they progress in their careers and that doesn’t end when they stop competing. As athletes, all three have learned a great deal about coaching and performance environments so it is fantastic that this expertise will be retained in Scottish sport. I wish them every success in their new careers.”

Sally Conway has competed at the highest level in her sport having won medals at Olympic, Commonwealth, World and European level, making her Scotland’s most successful judoka. She announced her retirement earlier this month but thanks to the Coaching Futures programme, her expertise will not be lost to the sport, but will inspire future generations.

Commenting on Sally’s appointment, Ronnie Saez, Chair of JudoScotland, said:

“I am delighted that Sally has decided to join JudoScotland’s performance coaching team. It is a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to learn from the most successful Scottish Judoka of recent years, and we wish her every success as she embarks on her coaching career”

While Sally herself said: “I’m so excited to be a part of the Coaching Futures programme. I’m looking forward to learning all I can from the coaches at JudoScotland and others I come in contact with. I can’t wait to get started!”

Rachel Cremin is currently Strathclyde Sirens U21 Lead Coach and the Director of Netball at the University of Strathclyde. She has competed at the highest club level and captained the Scottish University squad at the Home Nations event where she was awarded player of the tournament.

Rachel has already been recognised for her contribution to coaching, being named Netball Scotland’s Junior Coach of the Year. Rachel made a successful transition to performance coaching and led Scotland U21s to a silver medal at Netball Europe.

Claire Nelson, Chief Executive, Netball Scotland said:

“We are delighted to have been awarded funding against the Coaching Futures programme again as this investment proved to be hugely significant in enhancing our performance programme through people when we successfully secured this investment five years ago. Then we were able to appoint Lesley MacDonald into the CFC role, and since then she has gone on to play a major role in our High Performance Coaching team as an assistant National Coach, and now as our Strathclyde Sirens Head Coach.

“This funding empowers us to develop our talented coaches and drive towards achieving our performance targets as a sport, and we are grateful to be able to support Rachel Cremin through this programme. We are all excited to see what she achieves in this role.”

Rachel is excited to be taking on a new challenge:

“I feel incredibly lucky to do the job that I do. Having volunteered in the sport that I love for 12 years, I am now privileged enough to say that this is my career and no longer my hobby.

“I love what I do, I love my sport and I want to continue to develop my skills, knowledge and expertise both as a Performance Coach and as a Leader in Sport.”

Maddy Jennings is a world class Canoe Slalom paddler who has represented Great Britain at European Championships, as well as competing extensively in Europe, racing for Scotland.

Jon Schofield, Head of Performance and Pathways at the Scottish Canoe Association is looking forward to having Maddy on board:

“Maddy has been progressing towards coaching over the last couple of years, working as a volunteer with young paddlers across Scotland with characteristic enthusiasm and passion for the sport.

“She has also been a driving force in the sport, sitting on the Scottish Canoe Slalom Committee and serving as the organiser for the Scottish Championships. Alongside her paddling and coaching commitments, she has been studying for a degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Napier University making her the most perfectly qualified candidate for this apprenticeship.”

Maddy is excited about what lies ahead: “The Coaching Futures programme is like a condensed and bespoke degree course without the stress and the rules, but all of the challenge and opportunity.

“I’m passionate about providing paddlers with a good experience in the sport and giving them the opportunity to excel on the world stage. I’m looking to learn as much as possible from this apprenticeship and look forward to my coaching journey evolving over the next two years.

“Starting this journey with the SCA has already been one of my best decisions.”

The three apprentices announced today are part of the third cohort of athletes to take part in the programme. Fifteen athletes across 11 sports have already benefited from Coaching Futures and have gone on to coaching positions in Scotland, Great Britain and internationally.

On Saturday the 19^th of December the Scottish Government set out the latest Covid-19 Guidance, which will see mainland Scotland placed into Protection Level 4 for around 3 weeks from December 26th.

Below you will find Netball Scotland’s recommendations and current guidance which align to the Scottish Governments information.

ACTIVITY

Following the latest guidance as set out by the Scottish Government on December 19^th, we recommend that from December 26^th until January 18^th as little netball activity as possible takes place. This action is designed to reduce the risk of the virus spreading any further.

Any activity that is held within this time frame must follow our Permitted Activity Guidance.

Mainland Scotland will be in Level 4 from December 26^th meaning all mainland clubs should continue follow our Permitted Activity Guidance for Level 4. This relates to all age groups (18+, 12-17 and Under 11).

You can find guidance for all Local Authority Levels in our Permitted Activity Guidance here!

You can find your Local Authority Level here

TRAVEL

Travel restrictions will also remain in place and we advise against travelling outside of your local area for netball activities.

When travelling in a Level 4 area you should:

• Avoid any unnecessary travel out of your local area
• Keep journeys within the area to an absolute minimum
• If you have to travel for essential purposes, follow the Scottish Government guidance on travelling safely
• Adults (18+) and Children (Under 11 and 12-17) living in a Level 3 or Level 4 area should only travel locally (within their own local government area) to take part in organised Netball Training and Fitness Activity.

Further travel guidance can be found in our Permitted Activity Guidance and from the Scottish Government.

FINAL COMMENTS:

Netball Scotland have provided guidance in line with the Scottish Government’s advice.

As a nation we must collectively do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. We want to be able to protect our sport and the Netball Family as much as possible in this ever-changing landscape.

We thank the Netball Family for standing with us through this challenging time and we are confident that as we navigate through this next stage of the pandemic our community will emerge just as passionate and engaged as always!

Brighter times are ahead.

Finally, as the team at Netball Scotland head into the festive break we want to wish our members a joyful festive period. With the office now closed we will see you all again on the 5^th of January 2021.

In the meantime, you can find all our COVID-19 guidance on our Return to Netball Hub here!