CSP: Lincolnshire Sport
Further Information: Seasiders Netball Club
Seasiders Netball Club
The club thrives on providing a safe environment for girls to become involved in sport. Seasiders have approached the adult league to sponsor new kit to give them an identity, and they have initiated the launch of a social media page, run by one of the coaches, to draw in new members. In addition, they have recently began competing against local teams so the girls can put their new skills into practise, and they really love the competition. Seasiders recent bring a buddy campaign enabled growth from 28 to 36 participants, with a total of 47 girls attending at least one taster session in our short lifespan! Members aged 11-12 are really growing because parents have been advertising how much their child loves our club atmosphere and professionalism at school. As a result of parental engagement, we now also host a weekly Back to Netball session with on average 12 members! Seasiders allows young girls to develop leadership and communication skills as well as play netball, through umpiring and designing small games to play at training. We’re really proud that we were able to reward our most committed, talented and most improved players over 4 age groups at our end of season presentation night in July.
The club ensure small group to coach ratio so that coaches can get to know members well and help them to settle into the club. They make sure that sessions are planned with all 4 coaches to allow challenge, development of skills through game based activity and most of all we make sure the sessions are fun! Members all have their own kit with their name on the back, which helps them to feel a sense of belonging.
Their newest coach is going to organise a trip to watch an elite game of Netball for our members. Our U16’s have worked so hard in training since January and all of them now play in the local ladies league- an achievement that we are very proud of.
Seasiders have hosted a ‘bring a buddy’ campaign to try to increase numbers which saw growth in particular in our 11-12yrs age group. In addition, the club made the decision to change location to a different secondary school for 10 weeks to break down the barrier caused by local school rivalries. This has created a bond between girls from the 2 rival schools who have now become teammates. We also hold presentation evenings and fundraisers supported by parents and friends of the club.
Seasiders has launched a social media site on Facebook to draw in new members, parental engagement and provide an easy communication channel between members/parents/coaches. We post pictures/updates and news on our page to keep everyone up to speed on our goings on!
They often reward teams with small prizes like chocolates for bringing new friends to the club, but our main event to reward our members was planned for the 19th July 2016. We have hired a venue, invited all members and their parents, as well as coaches and volunteers from the local community to celebrate our success for the year! We presented trophies and medals for our most committed players, most improved, shooter of the season, defender of the season and centre court player of the season! We also spent time thanking our volunteers, because without their involvement this club would simply not exist, or fail as it has done in the past.
The successful Satellite club is aimed at girls aged 10-16 years old from a disadvantaged town, Skegness. There are very few clubs available in the local area and only 1 single sex Hockey club. Many of our members don’t like to exercise with boys so the opportunity to be active with peers of the same gender is huge for these girls, as it is non-threatening and safe.
Coaches have advertised the club in all schools in the local area, either by handing out leaflets or contacting PE teachers to pass on information. We pride ourselves on getting to know our members and creating a bond between participants and coaches, and for this reason, when we have asked members to bring a friend, they have delivered. We make sure to minimise drop out by sending reminders and engaging with our teams.
The club has ensured coaches plan sessions which lead on from each other week to week, with an appropriate amount of challenge but focussed around game play as the members have told us that this is what they want to do. We have organised games or mini tournaments for them to develop their skills as their input shapes our delivery. Our numbers of participants speak volumes to show this is working for us.
Training our coaches on L2 courses to invest in their future as well as better their delivery. We will also continue to seek funding from different pots, e.g. local sponsorship, Lincolnshire Sport and England Netball. If members leave the club through age restriction we will look to feed these players into our senior league, which we have taken control over, by expanding, or we will provide alternative contacts for new activities to try. Our 5 year plan is to establish a junior league here is Skegness that runs before the senior league, to provide competition, social gains and the opportunity to change behaviours and perception of physical activity for females, embedding the necessity to keep active into our member’s DNA!
In addition, we want to breed future coaches and umpires to sustain our club, so we will look to educate our members, to provide the opportunity for them to take umpire and coach qualifications to invest back into the club,
Our club only works because volunteers make it happen. We have in total, 6 volunteers who give so much to the club; their drive, commitment passion and enthusiasm has helped to set up and maintain a club that has previously failed repeatedly in this area. We are so proud that their involvement benefits our members and gives them intrinsic reward for their efforts. We are growing in the local community, mums/friends are starting to get involved too! Back to Netball has been successful as a result of U16 club. Ultimately, volunteers are the backbone of our club and facilitate activity for young, disadvantaged people in Skegness.
About Skegness Seasiders Club
Skegness Seasiders Netball Club began a netball satellite club for 10-14 year olds at a local school. Numbers ranged from 10-20 girls in the first few weeks and now there are 24 regular attendees. Seasiders have had to change venue to the another secondary school in Skegness because of demand and are still recruting through a Facebook campaign and a ‘bring a friend’ initiative. Recently the club set up friendly matches against other teams in the area to give the girls some competition and a chance to try out the skills they learnt over the first part of the year.
Satellite Club Success
Skegness Seasiders satellite club has been so popular that it has moved it's club to a new venue to cater for and recruit more girls. Since the start of the satellite club five u14 girls have affiliated to England Netball to play in the Seasides' league.
The club has successfully fielded three full teams and has recruited volunteers who get involved each week to help to run and promote the club to local children.
A word from the Club
A participant said:
"I love Seasiders, we have new kit and we play lots of different games and matches every week. I’m better at dodging now too!"
An organiser said:
"I’m delighted that our team of coaches has been able to offer the girls a new opportunity in Skegness. Standards have improved, we’re continually moving forward, but most of all, girls are enjoying sport every week."