![Picture](/uploads/3/0/1/3/30135629/682754_orig.png)
Scenario:
Lucy has been playing at a high level of netball for 4 years, she plays club netball, representative netball and has recently been selecting onto the NSW under 17 team to compete against other states in Australia. She has to undergo a lot of specific netball training on a regular basis, she has recently been complaining about sore feet and pain up her shins. She wear 2 different pair of shoes to different trainings, free runs to fitness training and cross trainers that she has had for the last 2 years to netball skills training.
Strategy:
Identify the relationship between netball and the elements of training, focusing on how appropriate footwear will prevent injuries. Focusing on finding a shoe that suits Lucy’s specific needs for netball, the shoe should include certain features such as shock absorption, breath-ability, stability, traction, durability and flexibility as well as levels of support.
How to Implement:
Lucy has been playing at a high level of netball for 4 years, she plays club netball, representative netball and has recently been selecting onto the NSW under 17 team to compete against other states in Australia. She has to undergo a lot of specific netball training on a regular basis, she has recently been complaining about sore feet and pain up her shins. She wear 2 different pair of shoes to different trainings, free runs to fitness training and cross trainers that she has had for the last 2 years to netball skills training.
Strategy:
Identify the relationship between netball and the elements of training, focusing on how appropriate footwear will prevent injuries. Focusing on finding a shoe that suits Lucy’s specific needs for netball, the shoe should include certain features such as shock absorption, breath-ability, stability, traction, durability and flexibility as well as levels of support.
How to Implement:
- Netball players should choose their shoes carefully, preferably with professional advice.
- In netball you run in short, quick bursts, your required to stop suddenly, jump and pivot. In contrast, running shoes are designed for straightforward motion; therefore the support features are located in the heel and forefoot. As a result, runners do not provide support to the sides of your feet, which is one of the main reasons why they are not recommended as footwear for netball players. They do not cater the range of motion that is required during a high intensity game. Since runners are designed to help with forward movement, repetition and endurance; the tread and outer sole are thicker, which means two things your ability to make multidirectional movements is reduced and your ankle sits higher and is far less protected compared to a shoe specifically designed for netball.
- A netball specific shoe allows the foot to sit on a lower platform. This helps to maximize comfort and cushioning on the sides of your feet for a greater range of movement and flexibility but above all, it reduces the risk of rolling an ankle.
- For Lucy choosing a specifically designed shoe for netball will help improve her performance (her ability to withstand the massive demands the sport puts on her body), it will help to reduce the risk of injury (by providing the correct support), which will ultimately keep you from retaining an injury.
- Minimal and barefoot shoes like Free runs especially are not suitable for training. These shoes have no support, minimal cushioning and do not have a durable out-sole for netball. They are designed as a strengthening and training shoes which is perfect for gym activities, short distance runs or casual wear as they are incredibly lightweight and flexible. Be careful about selecting your footwear, as shoes that are not designed for high impact sporting activities can lead to shin splints and stress fractures which has what Lucy has been experiencing. It would be recommended Lucy was to wear cross trainers or good quality runner to fitness training and a netball specific shoe to netball skills training especially because she is at such a high level.