Netball for all

Walking Netball and Back to Netball sessions are now taking place every week at Sandwell Aquatics Centre. We caught up with Charlotte Follos, the South Staffordshire Netball Development Officer, to find out why local people should come along. At just £3.00 per session, it’s a great way to keep fit and meet new people.

What is Walking Netball?

Walking Netball is a friendly and inclusive programme, allowing women the opportunity to find their place in the sport. It's netball, but at a walking pace where the rules are slightly tweaked!

What is Back to Netball? 

Back to Netball provides a gentle introduction or reintroduction to the sport. The emphasis of these sessions is on learning new skills and having fun playing Netball with friends.

What type of activities do you do in the session?

We always start with a warm up to get our bodies ready and then will go in to all sorts of activities and games aimed at improving our netball skills.

We will then have some match play to put into practice what we have been doing in the session, and finally, do a cool down to slow bodies and brains down before heading out the door. What’s great about netball is you’ll be having so much fun you won’t even realise you're exercising.  

Do participants need to have played before or are complete beginners welcome?

Complete beginners are always welcome! The coaches, Zoe and Lucy, are super friendly and so are the ladies that come weekly! We love to see someone new fall in love with netball and meet lots of new friends.

What age groups are welcome?

The sessions are open to anyone above the age of 16 as netball is a game for life! We offer sessions to support people at every stage of life. 

Can I just come along or do I need to pre-book?

You can book in advance via our website, but also feel free to come along to the session and our lovely coaches can help you book on and pay during the session.

What do participants need to bring and wear to the session?

When it comes to kit, we want you to feel comfortable and recommend wearing supportive footwear, like trainers, and any clothing you feel happy exercising in. The majority of our participants play in leggings/tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt. Also bring some water with you to stay hydrated throughout. 

Meet the Coaches

Zoe – Coaches Walking Netball on Mondays 10.30-11.30am.

Zoe has been a working for England Netball for 12 years, encouraging ladies in the local area to come and get involved in netball.  She has just returned to playing netball after having a year off to have her second child, her favourite position is WA.  Zoe's favourite game to coach is Gauntlet, Keeping the ball away from the Gladiators while moving up the court. (Gladiators READY) .

Zoe's best saying is ‘keep the ball, the other team can’t score if we have it!!!’

Lucy – Coaches Back to Netball on Tuesdays at 8-9pm

Lucy has been with England Netball for 3 years, but been a netball coach for 10 years! She thinks netball is a great sport for anyone as it is fun, friendly and a great way to forget your worries for an hour. Her favourite position is GA but can play anywhere really (except C: she admires anyone who can run around that much!) A staple at Lucy's sessions are shooting games: even if you're not a shooter, she'll make sure you get at least 1 in!