COVID-19 has changed our current way of being enormously and Netball, as with all sports, has been affected. From the unexpected delays in season starts to cancellations of major championships, these outcomes have caused frustration and disappointment for participants including athletes, umpires and coaches.
In sport we train to be strong, we train to be agile and we train to overcome hurdles. We do this as individuals and as teams. In 2020, the NSW netball community has continually lifted each other up and shown impressive resilience.
Senior Performance Psychologist Karen Haddad has put together several strategies that you could implement to help yourself and the players that you are coaching to cope with the current circumstances.
Strategies for Coaches and Umpires
Remember that it is normal during COVID-19 to experience feelings such as frustration and disappointment. Try not to disregard these feelings as it is completely normal to grieve right now. Just know that these feelings will pass. These emotions reflect how important Netball is to you and will only help to increase your love of the sport. Make sure you are sharing how you are feeling with others as this will help to lighten the heaviness of these emotions and will help you to move forward and focus on what’s next in Netball for you.
Control the Controllables – Focus on the things that are within your control. This could include how you manage yourself during this time (a bit of self-care is needed) and for coaches the way you interact with the players that you are working with. Focus on what you can do right now and how you can have a positive impact on yourself and others. For example, you may choose to focus on other aspects of your life that had been taking a backseat when the Netball season is on.
Create a self-care routine that focuses on looking after your mental well-being. Organise in your daily schedule a time for you that involves activities that you love and that help to relax you. For example, set one hour aside for reading, walking the dog, exercising, seeing family, listening to music, dancing or something that you love to do but do not normally prioritise.
Identify when things are not okay and seek help – If you notice that you have been in a negative mood state for a period of time and feel stuck seek support from services that are available to you. These services include Beyond Blue, Lifeline, Black Dog Institute, AIS Mental Referral Network, Kids Helpline or go to your GP for help. Don’t stay stuck, get some help.
Strategies that Coaches can implement with their athletes
Listen, share and notice – Connecting with players is a necessity during this time so make sure you are providing opportunities for your players to share how they are feeling. Sometimes just sharing and having someone to listen to makes the situation lighter. For example, you could set a weekly, fortnightly or monthly zoom meeting with your teams or individuals to check in, share, and connect.
Connect with the human in front of you - When speaking with the players ensure that you connect with them on a personal level by encouraging them to tell you about what else is happening in their life as well as netball. COVID-19 has created a great opportunity for us all to grow in other areas of life. Encourage this focus and growth as it will help to create well-rounded humans who play great netball. Recommend the implementation of personal, work, study, school and netball goals.
Don’t feed the beast – If you notice that someone is feeling hard done by with what is happening try not to add to the hysteria, rather just empathise and be a person that they can share how they are feeling with. Sometimes just communicating is a form of therapy.
Identify when things are not okay and empower the player to seek help – If you notice one of your players have been in a negative mood state for a period of time and is unable to shake these feelings you can encourage them to utilise the services that are available to them. You are not expected to solve problems, rather empower them to seek help. The services that are available include Beyond Blue, Lifeline, Black Dog Institute, AIS Mental Referral Network, Kids Helpline or refer them to their GP for help.
Remind athletes that they are still performing by encouraging them to beat their last performance at training or in the gym. This will help keep them motivated and improving their game.
Reflection is especially important right now. Reflect on what they have achieved during the preparation phase and focus on their growth by tracking their gains throughout the time they have spent with you. This is also a great activity for the athletes to do themselves.
Encourage athletes to develop their Netball IQ – Right now is a perfect opportunity to develop strategical knowledge of the game (game sense). Encourage your athlete to watch video footage and then provide opportunities where they can demonstrate their understanding of the game. This is achieved through asking the right questions, “the why” questions This exercise will help build independent thinking players.
Encourage athletes to develop their technical skills – Embrace the opportunity to fine tune the technical aspects of their game. Practice makes perfect and more importantly automatic.
Practice being grateful - Paying attention to the things that you have can be a useful strategy at any time, but particularly now. Encourage your athletes to participate in gratitude practices. This can be as simple as; listing the three best moments of their week, identify what they are most proud of today, or what did they learn today. These exercises help to change one’s perspective on life and may help to improve one’s mood state.
