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Uncomfortable, expensive or culturally insensitive netball uniforms are driving players away from the game abroad and Netball New Zealand recognizes that its traditional game must change with society if it is to remain a sport of choice.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Netball in New Zealand has seen a resurgence in playing numbers in stark contrast to what was happening with its close rivals Australia.
Netball Australia published a powerful report this week showing the organization continuing to struggle to find ways to remain relevant.
While Netball New Zealand’s head of community netball, Ruth Stanley, recognized that some of the issues her counterparts face might apply to a local context, she also pointed out some of the ways her organization was doing it differently.
“We get people to give up netball so we want to be able to retain them and the uniform could be one of those things where they don’t want to wear a short tight dress, they prefer to play in a format that’s more relaxed in uniform, more relaxed in the actual format of the game, “Stanley said.
In Tasmania, the long-running Australian netball community debate over uniforms has yet to be resolved.
Former Australian great Liz Ellis spearheaded an independent report on netball in Australia titled State of the game review.
The views of 10,000 netball community respondents through a survey, as well as 100 hours of interviews with various stakeholders contributed to the 54-page report that took five months to compile.
The report highlighted “opportunities to increase customer satisfaction along with revenue by making it easier and more enjoyable for people to play games more often, wearing clothes they feel comfortable in.”
Liz Ellis, center, was a champion Australian basketball player who is now researching how to advance the game in Australia.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Ellis said the comments showed that some people don’t want to play because they don’t like the traditional dress or skirt uniform.
“The uniform is just a small component of what sport can do better, but it is an important component for some people, they want to be able to wear clothes that are more comfortable or that suit their religious or lifestyle requirements, so it’s just about making sure we reach out to our base dispatchers to tell them to think about being more relaxed and agile, “Ellis said.
Short, tight netball uniforms came under fire in 2007 after a report commissioned by Netball Australia showed that a drop in participation numbers was related to women’s body image and the prevalence of short netball skirts and lycra bodysuits. all in one.
At that time, members of the game’s grassroots team made recommendations to be able to wear shorts or leggings, provided the teams were all in the same outfit.
Australia has not taken the same approach as New Zealand.
Stanley said Netball New Zealand did not have a firm uniform policy outside of national or international events.
“There are a lot of different parameters around participation, for example if you play Whangārei versus Invercargill, there will be different considerations about heat and weather, there will also be different demographics across the country so we don’t make a general rule of thumb. We allow centers to have the ability to determine [the rules]. “
Feedback from the community was taken into account in some cases, Stanley said.
“They can allow junior players to use thermals because it’s so cold in the south and the little kids are shivering or they may have had comments about their social competitions where people really just want to play in tights, so those are the things we give us. centers are free to determine what is best for their community and, to be fair, some are more flexible than others. “
Stanley said the guidelines for proper play attire were established for a reason.
“Bottom line, the main consideration is safety, so not just because of the warmth factor, but we really can’t allow people to participate in sports in oversized, loose clothing that people can get their fingers caught in or stumble, so it must be balanced. “
The state of the game The report also highlighted issues that were not unique to Australia, Stanley said.
“A lot of the things I read in that report also resonated with the things that we identified in our new strategy and, in particular, in the area of diversity and inclusion.
“As a country we are changing and we are changing quite fast and our demographics are changing and we all have to be a little more open to different cultures and different needs and I think we could be more inclusive and our goal is that we want to work to be as inclusive as possible. so that everyone can find a place on the netball.
“We cannot sit on our laurels and think that netball doesn’t have to change and move with the times.”
Including more options for men and boys to play netball is part of Netball New Zealand’s future plans.
Photo: Photosport
Netball New Zealand set its future direction in February this year at the Poipoia Strategic Plan and inclusion was one of the fundamental values described.
Part of the plan spells out “embracing all of New Zealand’s diversity in fun, safe and welcoming environments. Be local, affordable and accessible.”
Work is being done to include men, the Maori and Pacific communities, Stanley said.
“Netball is a traditional sport and we have a strong history, so it’s about challenging ourselves to retain the strength that we have and what people love about the game, but understanding how we can take advantage of that,” he said.
“Anything that we can change to make sure it’s fit for everyone’s purpose is really important and some of the things are small adjustments that make it more accessible or easier for people to participate.”
