Netball places high physical demands on the body across the season.

Players are required to sprint, decelerate, change direction, jump, and land repeatedly, often with limited recovery between efforts. On top of this, training loads and match demands can accumulate quickly across the year.

Many players struggle not because they lack effort, but because their gym training is not aligned with the netball calendar. Training too hard at the wrong time, or focusing on the wrong qualities, often leads to fatigue, stalled progress, or time missed through injury.

This page explains how to approach preparation for competitive netball using a clear training pathway, based on time available and the phase of the season, following principles used across Netball pathways and high level competition.

What netball demands from the body

Netball is a repeated high intensity sport with heavy demands on joints, tendons, and soft tissue.

To perform well and stay available to play, players need:

• Strength to tolerate jumping, landing, and contact
• Power for acceleration, vertical jump, and change of direction
• Aerobic capacity to recover between repeated efforts
• Muscular endurance and tissue resilience across a long season

These qualities must be developed in the right order. Training everything hard at once usually leads to overload rather than progress.

Why preparation matters for netball

Without a clear preparation structure, gym training often competes with netball instead of supporting it.

Common issues include:

• Entering pre season under prepared
• Carrying excessive fatigue into matches
• Poor tolerance to jumping and landing volume
• Recurrent soft tissue or joint issues

Preparation solves this by sequencing training around the netball calendar.

Strength is prioritised when court load is lower.
Pre season work is layered in when appropriate.
Training volume is adjusted when matches matter most.

This approach improves performance while reducing unnecessary risk.

How netball preparation is structured

Netball preparation is built using focused 12 week training blocks.

Each block has a clear purpose and is aligned with where you are in the season.

Depending on your timeline, preparation may focus on:

• Off season strength development
• Pre season netball specific preparation
• In season strength maintenance and support

The longer the timeline, the more opportunity there is to plan ahead and avoid rushing key phases.

Choose your netball preparation pathway

From here, select how long you have to prepare.

Each pathway below explains what to train, when to train it, and which programs to use based on your situation.

Netball 3 Month Preparation Pathway
Best for players entering pre season, late off season, or managing strength during the season.

Netball 6 Month Preparation Pathway
Ideal for players moving from off season strength development into pre season preparation.

Netball 12 Month Preparation Pathway
Built for year round development aligned with off season, pre season, and in season demands.

Each pathway removes guesswork and helps gym training support netball, not compete with it.

You do not need to train harder to become a better netballer.
You need to train at the right time, with the right focus.

The netball preparation framework exists to give you clarity, reduce confusion, and help you stay strong, resilient, and available across the season.