Jimboomba Blue Jays Netball Club seeks to offer coaching for all members of our community wishing to participate in the sport of Netball.

Our coaching policy aims to assist in the development of our coaches. The goal is to provide our teams with enthusiastic, confident and caring coaches who will aspire to develop quality netball skills and good sportsmanship in all our registered players.

To assist coaches in meeting their responsibilities Blue Jays Netball Club will:

• Request all volunteers who are not exempt to undergo a Blue Card check and/or provide us with their current Blue Card number confirming that they are cleared to work in a child-related role
• Ask that coaches attend any pre-season club coaches’ meetings
• Clearly outline the duties and responsibilities of a coach
• Provide our coaches with guidelines to support them in their role
• Provide coaches with information about expected codes of behaviour
• Encourage and support coaches to complete training to improve their skills and knowledge
• Provide all coaches with continuing support and assistance with all things coaching
• Will pay the registration fee for coaches to ensure they are fully covered by insurance when participating in netball activities.

Registration:

Please register yourself as a Blue Jays coach. When you get to the payment page please tick offline payment and complete your registration. If you need further assistance in registering, please go to the ‘Player’ tab on our webpage and consult the document ‘How to Register’.

Responsibilities and guidelines

Recruitment : The delivery of junior netball would not be possible with the continuing commitment of volunteers in all roles and at all levels of competition. We welcome the support of volunteers to be involved in our Club through coaching. Volunteer coaches are required for every NetSetGo and junior teams and these teams cannot be formed without a coach. Parents and older players are encouraged to take on these positions. These positions are very rewarding, and volunteers find the effort worthwhile.

Coaching appointments are made annually by the committee. All teams are notified of their coaches prior to the commencement of each season via the Club’s Coaching Convenor.

Assistant coaches may be appointed to teams if volunteers come forward.

Minimum Age: The minimum age for the primary coach shall be turning sixteen (16) by 31 December in the year they are coaching. The minimum age for an assistant coach shall be turning fourteen (14) by 31 December in the year they are volunteering. Assistant coaches ages fourteen (14) to fifteen (15) years in the year they are volunteering, must coach in conjunction with an adult, 18 years or older. All prospective primary coaches under 18 will require a mentoring season at the discretion of the Committee.

Mentoring: The mentoring program is designed to provide all Blue Jays Netball Club coaches with support from more experienced and qualified coaches and to provide opportunities to discuss problems and coaching issues that they may be confronted with. The Club’s Coaching Convenor, with the support of the committee, will coordinate any requests or need for mentoring.

Objectives: It is the intention of Blue Jays Netball Club that the focus of coaching junior players is on broad skill development, not specialisation. The main emphasis being on participation, confidence building, skill development, enjoyment, high standards of sportsmanship, access for all to participate and an overall positive netball experience.
Responsibility: Coaches are responsible for developing the netball skills, knowledge and experiences of players, whilst providing all participants equal time, attention and sporting opportunities whenever possible. They are responsible for all matters relating to team coaching and methods of play. Coaches should respect the talent, developmental stage and goals of each person and encourage them with positive and beneficial feedback.

Availability: Coaches must be available to train their team for at least one training session per week during the season and be available to attend Saturday games. Training days and times will be at the discretion of the coach, taking into consideration the availability of the majority of the team’s players. Two adults (1 being the coach) must be present at all training sessions. Coaches should notify the Coach Convenor and the team manager when he/she is absent or unable to attend training or games. Coaches should wear their Blue Jays Netball coach shirt to all Saturday games.

Blue Card: A Blue Card is a prerequisite for child-related work in Queensland. This applies to volunteers as well as paid workers. If you are over 18 and you volunteer in child-related work, you will need a Blue Card (unless you qualify for an exemption). A parent or close relative of a child who volunteers with a team in which their child usually participates is exempt and does NOT need a Blue Card. Therefore, if you are volunteering a team coach for a team in which your child is a member, you will NOT need to apply for a Blue Card.

For additional information go to https://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au/volunteers/index.html.

Coaches Code of Behaviour: To protect the health, safety and well-being of all people involved in netball activities, Netball Queensland has issued role specific Codes of Behaviour. The codes of behaviour are documented in the Netball Queensland Member Protection Policy which is available for viewing on the Netball Queensland website at https://qld.netball.com.au/. All coaches should abide by the Netball Queensland Association Code of Conduct for Coaches.

Knowledge/Qualifications: The Club will assist coaches to gain and enhance their knowledge and skills. We will support all volunteers in obtaining, maintaining and improving their coaching ability and qualifications through development, training and education opportunities. We encourage all our coaches to progress along the Coach Education Framework at their own pace and work towards gaining a level of coaching accreditation that suits the level of player they enjoy coaching.

For more information go to the ‘Coaches’ menu tab on the Club’s website and look for Coaching Resources.

Coaches may also consider completing the Level 1 Umpires Course to further support their understanding of the game.

Regulations: All Club officials, including coaches, are expected to read and adopt behaviours in line with Club Policies and must have knowledge of, and adhere to, the regulations, policies and guidelines of Blue Jays Netball Club, Jimboomba Netball Association and Netball Queensland.

Training: All junior players and Mod A players are committed to training at least once a week as arranged by the coach of their team, unless prior notification is given to the coach and/or manager of the team. It is recommended that a simple register of attendance at training is kept for the duration of the season.

Equipment: An equipped training/match day bag is provided to all teams at the beginning of each season. Coaches will need to sign for their kit upon receipt and inform the Coach Convenor of any damage, faults or loss of equipment during the season. Coaches are responsible for keeping their kits safe. Coaches are responsible for checking the playing area, facilities and equipment prior to the beginning of any training session.