“The netball league has been a huge success and has fostered a real team spirit. All the girls enjoyed themselves. The regular weekly training sessions and competitive matches have significantly developed and improved the girls’ skills and fitness levels.”
PE teacher/netball coach
We wanted to increase girls' participation in sport and physical activity at Bishopsbriggs School in Scotland. We aim to improve girl’s fitness levels and improve their overall attitude towards health and fitness through the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
We also wanted to develop girls' attitude towards competitive sport and encourage a sense of pride and identity in representing their school in sporting activities.
To do this we established an East Dunbartonshire Netball League to provide an opportunity for girls to represent their school and show commitment to training and league fixtures.
Project details Project duration: 17 August 2009 - ongoing
Organisation:
Bishopsbriggs School
Project name:
Fit for Girls - Bishopsbriggs - Netball League
Audience School
Recruitment and promotion
We kick-started the programme with netball team trials evenings, using posters and staff to promote the events; approximately 60 girls from S1 and S2 attended. We then used a second trials evening to further encourage these pupils and to sustain their interest. At this point girls were informed they had all been successful in their try-outs, that they would all be invited back and that they had ‘made’ the team.
Location
How was your project delivered? NetballPartnership
Support from partners has been essential. Netball Scotland provided specialist coaches, constant guidance and advice; while the local sports centre provided the hire of facilities and equipment; and local newspapers promoted the league and reported on fixtures.
Results
Lessons:
On average 90 girls from the six participating schools competed in the league competition. Around 40-50 of these pupils also attended the monthly coaching sessions.The league has resulted in a significant increase in the number of girls participating in regular sport and physical activity.
The trials evenings ensured the girls developed a sense of identity and pride in representing their school and allowed us to sustain the high number participating in weekly training sessions, match fixtures and monthly specialist coaching sessions. We now find ourselves with around 5 squads and struggle to provide them all with a team kit!
We have seen a vast improvement in the fitness level, skill level and overall attitude towards sport and physical activity; 80% of our S2 girls have gone on to select Standard Grade PE as one of their subjects to study in S3/S4.
“Training and match nights were great fun and taught me a lot more skills and how to play netball better. I think that S2 netball was really good. I hope the S3 league is as good as I hope to have great fun again.”
S2 pupil
All schools have committed their involvement to the S1/S2 league next session, and an S3/S4 girl’s league will be introduced to continue the pathway for current participants.
Netball Scotland has also requested that this programme be taken forward to set up an East Dunbartonshire Coaching School to develop an elite squad of netballers who will have the opportunity to be selected by scouts to represent Glasgow and/or Scotland Netball squads.
Themes
Growing and sustaining participation
The Bishopbriggs Academy was created to increase girls' participation in sport and physical activity. The schools involved in the programme conducted weekly coaching sessions with a focus on netball skills and fitness. The combination of competition and skills was critical to sustaining the group of girls.
We invited specialist coaches to run monthly clinics for players that were interested and ran a weekly competitive league.
We have seen a vast improvement in the girls' fitness and skill levels and overall attitude towards sport and physical activity. 80% of our S2 girls have gone on to select Standard Grade PE as one of their subjects to study in S3/S4.
We have also introduced a transition netball programme for P6/P7 girls and a league style competition between primary schools.
