THIS edition of Tryout Tuesday opened up a doorway for an entirely new experience, as I laced up some trainers and got stuck into walking netball at Langford.
Through Jersey Netball’s passion and commitment to creating a welcoming community where people of all ages and abilities can get involved came walking netball, a slower-paced, modified version of the game that enables anyone and everyone to stay active, meet new people and enjoy playing every Sunday.
Open to anyone over the age of 16 on a pay-as-you-play basis of £5 per session – with the first one free – the ease of getting started further emphasises the sport’s accessible nature. With coffee, cake and a good chat to follow their fun hour-long sessions, what’s not to love?
I have to say, this one took me by surprise, so let’s dive in.
Let’s find out more
“Walking netball is a sport open to all ages, all abilities and all skill levels – it’s all about getting people out of the house and into the community,” said leadership team member Shaida Aziz, who usually runs the Sunday sessions.
“You get a great workout, and it’s just brilliant for physical and mental wellbeing. We have a great friendly group down here who are so passionate about the game, but some ladies struggle with making the initial step – but, once they’re in, they’re hooked.”
Walking netball is a version of netball that is adapted to be a slower game, thus breaking down barriers and allowing more to play.
The main differences in the rules are that running and jumping aren’t allowed, that an extra step may be taken with the ball if in motion and that the ball may be held for four seconds, instead of the usual three.
A walking-netball programme was first developed in England in 2017 through a collaboration between England Netball and the charity Age UK.
Since then, it’s gone from strength to strength to be played across the globe, even reaching as far as Australia and New Zealand.
That popularity has extended to Jersey, as everyone gets together every Sunday down at Langford to play the game they love and “have a laugh”.
Sessions begin with a big focus on warm-ups which are geared towards strength, mobility, coordination and balance, before the group gets on the court to play.
What’s great about the sport is its ability to get everyone active. Aziz reflected on her beginnings in the game: “It all started up around 10 years ago up at Fort Regent. I got injured and got involved with the Back to Netball setup outside the leagues, but I couldn’t keep up at the level, got injured and lost confidence.
“Through my daughter playing netball, I was drawn into the association and got involved, becoming a coach and umpire. Just being around netball, however, made me want to get back on the court and start playing again.
“Walking netball provided me with that opportunity, and it’s been huge for me. Sunday is the highlight of my week, and we can all carry on playing the sport that we love while also having a good laugh.”
When they say “everyone” can get involved and start playing, they certainly mean it, with ladies of up to 82 years of age having played on the court.
Although getting people active is a huge drive, the social element of walking netball packs just as much of a punch in their approach.
“Our approach is all about the ladies wanting a peaceful time without challenges – just easygoing, ”Aziz continued.
“We have such a lovely bunch down here, all of whom are friendly and passionate about the game. We’re always trying social events as a group – whether it’s bingo, quiz nights or karaoke.
“We’re now forming a group that doesn’t want to wait till Sundays to get together, but do something in between that happens more frequently.
“Even when there’s a competitive element, it’s still all about having fun and enjoying yourself – it really brings out the best in people.”
Although this is a game more about getting people active and social, Jersey’s walking-netball players have stepped into the competitive space to add another string to their bow, travelling to several tournaments before holding their own event last month.
It didn’t take long for the Islanders to experience success on the court, with their two teams “killing it” to place first and second in their first tournament, which took place in October last year, to “hugely boost confidence and morale”.
From there, it’s only been onward and upward for the Caesareans, as they’ve continued their efforts to compete on the big stage before then hosting their own all-day tournament last month, which saw the local outfit welcome five teams from Ireland for an action-packed day of sport.
Jersey’s starring ladies didn’t disappoint on home soil, as they won the tournament overall. However, they just missed out on success in the final play-off by a mere goal, culminating in an outcome which Aziz and the Jersey team were “delighted” with.
When asked what was behind the quick success, Aziz replied: “Tracy O’Reagan is the person who began looking into it and she’s the organiser behind all of it. She’s just such a natural relationship person and without her none of this would happen.
“We’re always keen to improve and we absolutely love it – we’ve really caught the travel bug. It really is a different ball-game – pardon the pun – and we all have a big aim of going to Australia at some point, as well as hoping for a trip to Portugal next year.”
Looking forward, there’s no sign of Jersey’s walking-netball scene slowing down, as Aziz shared: “We would love to increase the size of the club – we draw an average of 15-17 players each week, but it would be great to get more players involved and have more teams travelling with us to these tournaments.
“The first session is free, so there’s no reason not to give it a go – just try it. Taking that first step is the hardest part, but if you overcome that and give it a whirl, I’m sure you’ll be hooked as it’s so much fun.
“Everyone is welcome to this all-in community and we all have such a laugh every week. You can be involved as much or as little as you’d like, play some netball, get in a good workout and then have a natter with everyone after with a coffee and bit of cake.”
Time to give it a go
Heading into this session, I wasn’t overly hopeful for a star-making performance, haunted by past memories of – let’s just say – below-par performances in school PE sessions.
Missed shots, too many steps with the ball, even too much physicality – netball hasn’t been the game for me so far.
However, with this slower-paced, more accessible format, perhaps this was the introduction I had always been looking for. There’s literally ‘walking’ in the title, it must be easy, right?
We began with a quick and simple warm-up, which, in my case, was getting myself up to speed on the techniques and rules. Shaida did a stellar job in explaining the basics in the little time we had, and I felt ready to overturn past shockers as I donned the yellow bib with the role of wing-attack.
With ‘walking’ in the title, I thought it was going to be quite chilled out – but I was way off, as the ladies surely brought the pace – I got a bit of a sweat on.
As we started, I was for some reason drastically over-thinking every aspect – was I in the right place? Was I marking correctly? Was I making the right options and passes?
However, after a quick moment, I snapped out of it and just went for it. Yes, I required Shaida to chip in with a coaching note more often than not – mostly being: “Oliver, move over here, don’t go away.”
I have to say, there have been marked improvements in my game – I made myself open and think I moved the ball pretty well.
There were some misinformed passes, but I was very happy with my passes into the goal circle – one looped over from the right side and set up a goal. Once I had done that, I was pretty happy.
My match wasn’t without challenges, though, as I was constantly marked up by the opposing wing defence, who gave me very little space. Also, my urge to run once I saw the ball was massive, but I just about managed to hold off and stay within the rules.
I really enjoyed the match as, even though I’m pretty much useless on a netball court, everyone was so friendly and more than willing to help me along the way, with little tips and hints going a long way to making me more comfortable in the game.
Much to my surprise, I got massively into the game and completely lost track of time – it went so quickly. If you’re looking for a fun sport with a social, friendly community to go with it, then this is definitely worth a look.
As I had to shoot off early to cover the Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships, I promised everyone there will a part two in my walking-netball journey – so watch this space.
