DEFENDERS/JUNIORS- Off Season Camp

JUNIOR NETBALL DEFENDERS SPECIFIC CAMP 2026

Our Junior Defenders Specific Camp is a six-week development program designed for New Zealand netball athletes aged 13–16 years who are looking to improve their defensive performance, movement efficiency, physical capabilities and overall effectiveness on the netball court.

This camp will focus on developing the technical, physical and tactical demands of the Goal Keeper (GK), Goal Defence (GD) and Wing Defence (WD) positions. Throughout the six weeks, athletes will work on improving their defensive footwork, body positioning, marking techniques, anticipation, intercepting ability and decision-making under pressure.

We will also incorporate position-specific strength, agility, speed, vertical jump development, reaction time, fitness and conditioning to help athletes become stronger, faster and more explosive defenders. Our training will challenge athletes to understand not only how to defend their direct opponent but also how to read attacking movements, disrupt opposition structures, create turnovers and transition effectively from defence into attack.

KEY AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

• Defensive Footwork & Agility: Improving lateral movement, changes of direction, recovery steps, landing mechanics and the ability to react quickly to attacking movements.

• Marking Techniques & Body Positioning: Developing effective one-on-one marking, defensive angles, body positioning, contesting space and maintaining pressure without unnecessary contact or obstruction.

• Intercepting & Anticipation: Improving the ability to read attacking patterns, anticipate passing options, time interceptions and create turnovers.

• Vertical Jump & Explosiveness: Developing elevation, explosive power, timing and confidence when contesting aerial balls, rebounds and intercept opportunities.

• Defensive Structures & Connections: Understanding defensive partnerships, communication, switching, covering space and working collectively to disrupt attacking combinations.

• Defensive Pressure & Dictating Play: Learning how to control an attacker's movement, force opponents into less effective positions, apply pressure on the ball and limit attacking options.

• Transition from Defence to Attack: Improving decision-making after gaining possession, creating attacking options, driving into space and maintaining possession through the court.

• Decision-Making & Game Awareness: Developing the ability to recognize attacking patterns, respond to different playing styles and make effective defensive decisions under pressure.

• Position-Specific Fitness & Conditioning: Building the speed, strength, repeated-effort capacity and endurance required to maintain defensive intensity, movement quality and concentration throughout a game.

Our goal is to develop confident, disciplined, technically efficient and physically dominant defenders who understand how to apply pressure, create turnovers and positively influence their team's defensive performance.

We want athletes to become proactive rather than reactive defenders, capable of reading the game, making intelligent decisions and consistently transferring their training into competitive match situations.

CAMP DETAILS

DURATION: 6 Weeks

FREQUENCY: 1x Session Per Week – Wednesdays

START DATE: Wednesday, 28th October 2026

END DATE: Wednesday, 2nd December 2026

SESSION TIME: Wednesdays | 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM

LOCATION: 24/7 Fitness Gym, Porirua, Wellington / Mungavin Courts

COST: $60 per week OR $360 for the full six-week camp

LIMITED SPACES: 12 ATHLETES ONLY

This is a position-specific development camp with limited availability to ensure athletes receive focused coaching, individual feedback and quality training throughout the six weeks.

Athletes registering must be willing to commit to the full six-week program and be prepared to challenge themselves physically, technically and mentally.

This camp is designed for defenders who are serious about improving their game, developing a stronger defensive mindset and preparing themselves for the demands of the 2027 netball season.