Fitness Components Of Netball

1. Analysis of the fitness components and dominant energy systems(s) used in the sport of Netball.

Fitness Components
Netball is a sport that utilizes all components of fitness (Chandler et al. 2014). On court performance is characterized with strategically executed bursts of anaerobic power and speed, agility and muscular strength along with balance and coordination, muscular endurance and flexibility. Cardio-respiratory endurance contributes to on-court recovery phases (Chandler et al. 2014: another reference). The following fitness components are critical to on court success at an elite level (Barber et al. 2015; Bloomfield et.al 2007).

Anaerobic Power and Speed
Power and speed are closely related fitness components utilising the anaerobic

Evaluate a standard fitness test that measures performance in one of the three fitness components.

The 505 Agility Test.
The 505 is a fitness test that is designed to test the agility of an athlete (Barber et.al. 2016). This test is very useful in the sport of netball as agility is a key fitness component. The test requires three sets of cones set out with a 10 metre lead in distance the a 5 metre testing distance where the athlete has to break the timing gates sprint 5 meter perform a 180 degrees change of direction and sprint back through the timing gates (Wood 2008).

The advantage of this fitness test is that it has a close correlation with the velocity and directional change requirement utilised in playing the game (Barber et.al. 2016). Additionally variations of the test can be used to adapt to sports specific requirements such as dribbling in soccer or holding a ball in rugby (Barber et.al. 2016).

The disadvantage of this test is that timing gates can be an expensive piece of equipment, training is needed for the timing gate operator and only one athlete can be tested at a time (Barber et.al. 2016; Wood 2008). As this test only comprises of two trials with adequate rest time, interplay of the energy systems is not significant if performed at the beginning of a session (Barber et.al. 2016; Gasston and Simpson 2004). However, if the test is conducted at the end of a session the cardio-respiratory endurance fitness may impact on the athlete’s ability to

From a standing position on the base line the athlete breaks the timing gates.
2. The sprint forward and execute a series of 5 direction changes.
3. The athlete must clear cones by going behind them when changing directions.
4. When the athlete gets to the third line and upon clearing the cone they sprint to the top of the shooting circle.
5. The athlete then sides steps/shuffle around the arc of the circle.
6. When the athlete clears the double cone gate that then change direction and sprint to the cone situate 2 metre from the side line and third line.
7. The athletes than again changes direction and sprints back through the timing gate.

Evaluation

This test protocol is very specific to the sport of netball (or any sport where agility is a key component). The repeated directional change simulates a game scenario where the athlete is required to make second and third efforts to either attack or defend (Hale, and O'Donoghue 2007, Fox et.al. 2014). The limitation of the sprinting distance is also reflective of the sports actual on court demands. It would be expected that with practice an athlete would become more proficient in understanding the entry and exit velocity of each change of direction to avoid over run and therefore losing time (Barber et.al. 2016). This would need to be taken into consideration when comparing testing results (Farrow et.al.