Netball: Aitken laments lack of skills work

Coach Ruth Aitken wants more attention paid to basic skills. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken is blaming ANZ Championship franchises for the decline in skill level among the country's top netballers.

The New Zealand coaching staff were forced to address the basics ahead of Saturday's final test against the World Seven after it became apparent the skill levels weren't where they needed to be for international level.

It is not something the coach of the national team had banked on having to do in the lead-up to a test match, and Aitken believes not enough is being done at ANZ Championship level to encourage players' skill development.

She said after last week's 2-1 series loss to the World Seven that one of the key areas in need of improvement was the need for a more skill work to be done during the year.

"We need to challenge [the players] in the long term that their skill development needs to get better for them to operate at the international environment," said Aitken.

"Something we've addressed is the amount of deliberate practice that happens during their training week during the rest of the year. That is an area we really feel we need to address with franchises for next year."

"The reality is we would like to come into the international environment and we're just tweaking a gameplan that fits them altogether. But unless we ensure their skills are at a better level we're not going to be able to do the things we want to next year."

Since the introduction of the transtasman league, the main chunk of the Ferns' year is taken up with franchise commitments.

The problem is the focus during the ANZ Championship season is on developing a gameplan to counter their next opposition in the short turnaround between matches.

The Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, home to the core of the Ferns' starting side this season, had just one training session during the week with a couple of players based outside the region.

With no attention being paid to the fundamentals of the game, the basic skills have fallen by the wayside.

"That is one of the challenges with the change now to the 17-week competition for ANZ Championships.

"Teams are often trying to work out their on-court stuff, so I think it has been an area that's slipped," she said.

"Because it's a team sport we spend a lot of time working out strategy, but actually if we can't execute those things at a high level under pressure, then it is all for nothing.

"In the end the athlete needs to know they are preparing for an international where everything is exposed a bit more, so they have to take responsibility ultimately."