Key is to love game - that what school netball coach thinks
ALLORA State School teacher and sports co-ordinator Amelia Sutton first coached netball seven years ago.
Each year she combines with Karyn Byrne to coach the Southern Downs 11 and 12 years school teams at the Darling Downs trials and is the current manager of the regional 11 years team, which will play in this year's state carnival on July 23 at the Sunshine Coast.
Sutton has coached Warwick and district teams at inter-district level and state age carnivals.
She explained her coaching philosophy:
"My main thing is for the girls to gain a lifelong love of the sport,” she said.
"Teaching them skills and being good sports are the keys at ages 11 and 12.
"As the players get older, the same basic skills, like effective passing, apply.
"Some of the keys to enjoying netball are positional play, positioning of the feet and timing.
"Kids at that age are naturally involved in lots of things so are pretty fit.
"As they get older there is more of a need to focus on fitness.
"I tend to learn more from other coaches than watching a national league game on television.
"I watch games on television for the enjoyment rather than to learn how to be a better coach from what they do in the national league.”
