The Netball NSW Inclusive Community Grant applications will close on Friday 13 March 2020.
The Inclusive Community Grant is designed to give affiliated Netball NSW Associations and their affiliated Clubs the means to include minority groups in netball to create a harmonious and accepting environment that reflects the modern landscape of inclusive netball in NSW.
Up to the value of $1000 per Association, this grant is matched in-kind by Associations as a reflection of their ongoing commitment to inclusion in our community.
For more details on the Inclusive Community Grants head HERE.
Case Study Hills District Netball Association – 2019
Purpose of the Project
In 2019, Hill District Netball Association (HDNA) were successful recipients of the Inclusive Community Grant, and continued to build on the All Stars program. The All Stars program was initially designed to make netball open to everyone, regardless to his or her ability or skill. The All Stars are a group of participants under 18 who have an intellectual disability. It is a fun way for people to come together, and the Hills District netball community as a whole really embraced our program.
Approach
The work done previously by the organising committee for the All Stars built strong foundations for taking the next step. In 2019, we looked to expand the program to be open and accessible to more people. This was done through advertising and connections with local service providers, as well as using the existing netball community to spread the word.
Who was involved?
This program was successful due to the amount of people who bought into the program. They included many members of the executive of HDNA, one of our representative coaches who stepped in to take over the program, players and of course the passionate participants.
Target Demographic
We had identified that Ku-Ring-Gai Netball Association (KNA) had a long-standing program aimed at the adult demographic for netball players with an intellectual disability, however there is a lack of access in our area for junior netballers with an intellectual disability. Rather than compete with KNA for adult participants, we chose to complement their existing and successful program by providing junior netball to hopefully lead in to their adult program. Both Associations want to work together and help people play netball which is, after all, why we exist.
How did you make connections within your community?
We aimed to leverage existing relationships within our netball community, as well as actively seeking new relationships to increase our reach to potential participants and their families. We went about this via three main areas of connection:
- Players in the current HDNA netball community. We found it surprising in the current netball community how many people worked with children with intellectual disabilities. Using their connections and knowledge, we were able to extend our reach to their community.
- Parents who have kids with disabilities. In our netball community, there were parents who have kids with disabilities who aren’t currently playing netball, but their siblings are. Finding out who these people were and creating awareness of what we are offering was another way to get kids involved in the All Stars.
- Schools that cater for special needs. Getting in touch with the school directly and determining which staff member is responsible for their support unit was fantastic. They were very receptive to our program and were happy to allow us to promote it to the students.
What type of program did you deliver?
The All Stars program was a skills and drills netball program designed to increase the coordination, strength, and general netball skillset of children under the age of 18 with an intellectual disability. Our program went for 12 weeks and contained fitness, team-building, spatial awareness and movement, ball play, and match play elements. Every week we aimed to incite more and more independence amongst the participants with an end goal of a full match of netball at the conclusion of the program.
How did you achieve the outcomes of your Project?
We worked very closely to a designed plan that addressed the outcomes of the program that we outlined in our initial grant application. This plan highlighted simplicity in the delivery of the All Stars program, and celebrated small victories along the way, which was key.
Sustainability practices
The initial funding provided by Netball NSW allowed us to buy some much-needed equipment, as well as assist with a more comprehensive advertising strategy. This equipment will last us many seasons, meaning we can allocate future resources elsewhere. After seeing the value in this program not only for the participants, but for our community as a whole, we not have a dedicated budget for the All Stars program. We were also grateful for assistance from Rawson Homes who provided further funds for shirts for everyone. In 2020 we will go to more schools and attempt to get further engagement in this space as we believe there is a significant market of opportunity for participants there.
What were some of the key takeaways from your experiences with this project?
The All Stars were amazingly beneficial for our association as a whole. The atmosphere they created was infectious, and this saw an increase in community connection across the board. Nothing beats having a bad week and then walking out of the All Stars session on Friday night with a smile on your face. Another key takeaway was how important it is to plan. As we know, the netball season itself gets very hectic with the rest of the netball running in the background, so having a plan in place takes away significant groundwork later on. Lastly, the All Stars really fostered a holistic approach to netball at Hills District. It’s not only about our representative pathway. At the end of the day, netball is for everyone – including boys!
What message would you send prospective clubs or associations looking to begin programs like yours?
Contact us if you need a hand! We are more than happy to provide any assistance in getting a disability netball program off the ground. We can provide assistance where required be it talking about the plan for each session, sharing flyers, how to organize it and what equipment we used or any other practical questions. Reach out to us at hdna@bigpond.net.au and we can direct the questions to the right person.
