2023/24 SEASON
This information will be updated by the end of September 2024 for the 2024/25 season following our AGM.
Senior Regional League (East Region Division 3) – played from September to April – home venue inside at Suffolk One.
U16 & U14 Regional League (East Region Division 3) – played from September to April – home venue outside at Rushmere.
South Suffolk Local League - Seniors League - Ipswich 1-8 & Reds – played from September through to June in 3 main sections and across 5 divisions. All home matches are played outside at Ipswich School Sports Centre, Rushmere unless stated otherwise.
Ipswich 1 Prem Division – home matches Tuesday 7.30pm inside at Ipswich Academy
Ipswich 2 Division 1 – home matches Tuesday 8.15pm
Ipswich 3 Division 1 – home matches Tuesday 7pm
Ipswich 4 Division 3 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Ipswich Reds Division 3 – home matches Monday 7.30pm inside at Ipswich Academy
Ipswich 5 Division 3 – home matches Wednesday at 8or 8.15pm
Ipswich 6 Division 4 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Ipswich 7 Division 5 – home matches Monday at 7pm
Ipswich 8 Division 5 – home matches Monday at 7pm
South Suffolk Local League - Juniors (U15 & U13 Leagues) - played from September through to June in 3 main sections and across 2 divisions – U15 & U13.
U15 1 – home matches Wednesday at 7pm
U15 2 – home matches Monday at 7pm
U13 1 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Bee Netball (U11s) – will play friendly fixtures (to be arranged) and hopefully play in a few tournaments.
MATCH AVAILABILITY
We hope to be able to communicate fixtures towards the middle of August each season but this is entirely dependent on the league. Please ensure that matches are in diaries and on calendars as soon as fixtures are released. Any matches you know straight-away that are not available for should be flagged immediately to your coach/manager.Team coaches/managers SHOULD be able to assume that they have a full team each week and SHOULD NOT have to be sending messages, emailing and chasing players and parents for confirmation of availability.
When a player is not available, this should be flagged to the team coach/manager at the earliest opportunity and certainly not the night before unless a player is unwell. When asked for availability confirmation, a prompt response, no more than 24 hours, should be given. Many coaches will also use Spond for match and training availability. Reasons for absence should still be included when a player is not available.
ARRIVAL TIMES FOR MATCHES
For local league matches players should be arriving at the time given to them by their team coach which will usually be at least 15 minutes before the match start time to ensure they are ready to warm-up as soon as the court is free.
COLLECTION FROM MATCHES & TRAINING
Please ensure that any player under the age of 18 is collected ON TIME from matches and training. Coaches/Managers are not allowed to leave anyone unattended (even with permission) and should not be expected to stay beyond the end of any match or training session.
TRAINING
Training for the majority takes place on Thursday evening at Ipswich School Sports Centre, Rushmere. Some sessions will be inside but due to the number of teams we have some sessions will be outside as long as the weather allows.
There will be 2 sessions each Thursday – 6-7.15/30 & 7.30-9pm. As far as possible we will try to schedule younger teams into the earlier sessions.
You can expect to be training twice a month and the training rota will be published in early/mid-September as this has to be worked around SSNL fixtures.
Training for the Senior Regional squad will be more frequent and scheduled around Regional fixtures. Training will be mainly held on a Thursday inside at Rushmere but there may also be a few sessions on a Tuesday or Wednesday with venue tbc.
TRAINING ATTENDANCE
This is an essential part of both individual and team development. It is NOT an optional extra and you must be able to commit to both training and matches for the season. On average training will be twice a month for all players with the exception of those in the Regional long squad where the regularity will be higher.
Please ensure that training dates are in diaries and on calendars as soon as the rota is released. IF a player is not available for training a message should be sent, at the earliest opportunity, ideally as soon as the training rota is released, to their team coach/manager with a reason for non-attendance. Messages should not be passed on via other team players.
Please respect the fact that it takes considerable time and effort to plan training sessions which should be able to be based on the number of players expected as per the rota.
FITNESS & STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
It is not the club’s responsibility to maintain a player’s level of fitness, that is down to each individual and the expectation is for each player to work on their own fitness levels outside of club training. You should be match fit for the start of the season and throughout it and able to play an entire match at the required standard and pace for your position and level of play. If you need any help in this area at all please speak to your coach.
Strength & conditioning is a growing and very important part of a player’s ongoing fitness. If you need any guidance in this area we have some qualified personal trainers amongst our membership who would be happy to help and there are also local gyms who specialise in this area.
Emma Carpenter (current player) runs Muscle, Mind, Wellness contact - [email protected] or 07990665947 and website
https://www.musclemindwellness.co.uk/ - for those over 16
Alice Heather-Hayes – (parent of current player) Personal Trainer (L3) - 07971 857982 – all ages
Adam Robinson @ Perform for Sport contact - [email protected] and website
https://www.performforsport.co.uk/ - all ages. Considerable experience working with Elite Athlete programmes.
NETBALLHer has been developed to raise the bar for women and girls through the creation of expert resources, practical support, game-changing learning offers and by being a strong and responsible voice for ‘Her’.
PHYSICAL LOAD MANAGEMENT
As a club we are mindful of the high and increasing level of physical demand placed on players, particularly younger players, by the combined load of school fixtures, club fixtures, training at many levels and other sports they may be pursuing, some to an equally high level. Growing bodies require rest and we are very happy to work with players and parents to support their load management. This should not be used as an excuse to not attend training at late notice but we would ask that those players who have heavy loads highlight this to their coaches at the start of the season and do what they can to look ahead and flag busy weeks where rest should be built in.
KIT
To play – the Ipswich Ladies playing dress is the only item of club kit a player must have. We have now moved our supplier to Flyhawk and a club order will be placed after trials each year. Players should preferably wear red undershorts but black are acceptable & white socks (ideally full and not trainer socks.) When the weather is cold players may also wear a white, black or red thermals/base layer top and black leggings.
Warm Up & Other Kit Items - We are in the process of introducing a new range of Ipswich Ladies kit including hoodies, training tops, tracksuit bottoms, training kit, coats, hats, bags etc. None of these items will be compulsory to purchase and as long as players are warming up in black hoodie/sweatshirts and black tracksuit bottoms we are happy for players & parents to purchase what they wish.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT WEAR NAVY SCHOOL KIT AT MATCHES PLEASE.
To Train – players should wear what is comfortable. Leggings, shorts, t-shirt or training top/vest.
EXAMS
It is entirely up to each individual as to whether or not they choose to continue playing and training during exams. Please just keep your team manager/coach informed of what your intentions are and also ensure that coaches/managers are given notice of any absences as far in advance as possible.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones should not be in use during matches (including when players are off court as substitute) or at any point during training sessions unless required for an emergency.
JEWELLERY & NAILS
The only exception to the NO jewellery rule is a wedding band which must be taped. Fitbits are NOT permitted even hidden under a sock! ALL items should ideally be removed BEFORE you get to courtside and players should be ready to warm up as they arrive.
Earring & Cartilage piercings - these cannot be taped and you will not be allowed to play until they can be removed. If you are considering having a piercing, please get it done in early summer so that there is time before season starts for any necessary healing.
Please ensure nails are short (cannot be seen over the tops of fingers) before arriving courtside.
PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect and retain only information essential to enable us to run the club effectively, form teams, contact you in an emergency and to be aware of any health information our coaches need. Information will be collected and retained in line with our privacy policy. Please ensure you let us know of any changes to your information at all.
PHOTOGRAPHY
We would ideally like to share results and photos on our website and social media sites Facebook, Twitter and have therefore already sought player/parental permission to take and share photos of our members as part of our membership form.
VOLUNTEERING/UMPIRING & COACHING
Our club does not function without volunteers and we are hugely grateful to all those who already devote a considerable amount of time to the club. We would like to encourage all players to develop their netball knowledge and to gain experience in coaching and umpiring, as well as playing, with a view to contributing to the running of the club.
Umpiring - At the age of 14 players are able to attend an Into Officiating course which is the first step to becoming a qualified umpire.
Coaching - At the age of 16 players are able to qualify as coaches with a view to buddying at coaching sessions and junior matches but can help at junior training before the age of 16.
Running a team - Those 18+ can coach teams at matches, either individually or in partnership with another player.
In all of the above circumstances the club will highlight relevant development opportunities when they become available and provide support every step of the way through mentoring and alignment to internal club opportunities such as umpiring at training/matches and buddy coaching at training sessions.
If you would like to actively register your interest in becoming an umpire or coach, please email Maggie Brown at [email protected]
Anyone interested in running a team or supporting the running of a team should contact Avril Gray at [email protected]
Umpires are paid depending on their level of qualification and coaches can claim for their time which is again dependent on their level of qualification. Our coaching & umpiring constitutions can be found on our website under policies and documents.
Club Committee - In addition to the above anyone interested in joining the club committee and becoming actively involved in the running of the club and setting its ongoing direction should contact Avril Gray at [email protected]
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
We would also welcome any parents, particularly those with netball experience, who would also be willing to co-coach a team, buddy coach at training sessions or qualify as umpires. Any parent who may also be interested in joining the club committee should contact Avril Gray at [email protected].
We will be asking for a parent volunteers to assist our coaches with team management duties such as player availability, confirmation of umpires, results input. This will enable our coaches, who are all volunteers themselves, to concentrate on coaching teams. Please consider whether you would be able to take on this role.
SPONSORS
We are very grateful to our sponsors who provide essential financial support to our club, enable us to compete at Regional level and to keep our fees extremely competitive.
If anyone is interested in sponsoring the club in some way please contact Anna Hollis at [email protected] who can discuss the various package options with you.
Senior Regional League (East Region Division 3) – played from September to April – home venue inside at Suffolk One.
U16 & U14 Regional League (East Region Division 3) – played from September to April – home venue outside at Rushmere.
South Suffolk Local League - Seniors League - Ipswich 1-8 & Reds – played from September through to June in 3 main sections and across 5 divisions. All home matches are played outside at Ipswich School Sports Centre, Rushmere unless stated otherwise.
Ipswich 1 Prem Division – home matches Tuesday 7.30pm inside at Ipswich Academy
Ipswich 2 Division 1 – home matches Tuesday 8.15pm
Ipswich 3 Division 1 – home matches Tuesday 7pm
Ipswich 4 Division 3 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Ipswich Reds Division 3 – home matches Monday 7.30pm inside at Ipswich Academy
Ipswich 5 Division 3 – home matches Wednesday at 8or 8.15pm
Ipswich 6 Division 4 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Ipswich 7 Division 5 – home matches Monday at 7pm
Ipswich 8 Division 5 – home matches Monday at 7pm
South Suffolk Local League - Juniors (U15 & U13 Leagues) - played from September through to June in 3 main sections and across 2 divisions – U15 & U13.
U15 1 – home matches Wednesday at 7pm
U15 2 – home matches Monday at 7pm
U13 1 – home matches Tuesday at 7pm
Bee Netball (U11s) – will play friendly fixtures (to be arranged) and hopefully play in a few tournaments.
MATCH AVAILABILITY
We hope to be able to communicate fixtures towards the middle of August each season but this is entirely dependent on the league. Please ensure that matches are in diaries and on calendars as soon as fixtures are released. Any matches you know straight-away that are not available for should be flagged immediately to your coach/manager.Team coaches/managers SHOULD be able to assume that they have a full team each week and SHOULD NOT have to be sending messages, emailing and chasing players and parents for confirmation of availability.
When a player is not available, this should be flagged to the team coach/manager at the earliest opportunity and certainly not the night before unless a player is unwell. When asked for availability confirmation, a prompt response, no more than 24 hours, should be given. Many coaches will also use Spond for match and training availability. Reasons for absence should still be included when a player is not available.
ARRIVAL TIMES FOR MATCHES
For local league matches players should be arriving at the time given to them by their team coach which will usually be at least 15 minutes before the match start time to ensure they are ready to warm-up as soon as the court is free.
COLLECTION FROM MATCHES & TRAINING
Please ensure that any player under the age of 18 is collected ON TIME from matches and training. Coaches/Managers are not allowed to leave anyone unattended (even with permission) and should not be expected to stay beyond the end of any match or training session.
TRAINING
Training for the majority takes place on Thursday evening at Ipswich School Sports Centre, Rushmere. Some sessions will be inside but due to the number of teams we have some sessions will be outside as long as the weather allows.
There will be 2 sessions each Thursday – 6-7.15/30 & 7.30-9pm. As far as possible we will try to schedule younger teams into the earlier sessions.
You can expect to be training twice a month and the training rota will be published in early/mid-September as this has to be worked around SSNL fixtures.
Training for the Senior Regional squad will be more frequent and scheduled around Regional fixtures. Training will be mainly held on a Thursday inside at Rushmere but there may also be a few sessions on a Tuesday or Wednesday with venue tbc.
TRAINING ATTENDANCE
This is an essential part of both individual and team development. It is NOT an optional extra and you must be able to commit to both training and matches for the season. On average training will be twice a month for all players with the exception of those in the Regional long squad where the regularity will be higher.
Please ensure that training dates are in diaries and on calendars as soon as the rota is released. IF a player is not available for training a message should be sent, at the earliest opportunity, ideally as soon as the training rota is released, to their team coach/manager with a reason for non-attendance. Messages should not be passed on via other team players.
Please respect the fact that it takes considerable time and effort to plan training sessions which should be able to be based on the number of players expected as per the rota.
FITNESS & STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
It is not the club’s responsibility to maintain a player’s level of fitness, that is down to each individual and the expectation is for each player to work on their own fitness levels outside of club training. You should be match fit for the start of the season and throughout it and able to play an entire match at the required standard and pace for your position and level of play. If you need any help in this area at all please speak to your coach.
Strength & conditioning is a growing and very important part of a player’s ongoing fitness. If you need any guidance in this area we have some qualified personal trainers amongst our membership who would be happy to help and there are also local gyms who specialise in this area.
Emma Carpenter (current player) runs Muscle, Mind, Wellness contact - [email protected] or 07990665947 and website
https://www.musclemindwellness.co.uk/ - for those over 16
Alice Heather-Hayes – (parent of current player) Personal Trainer (L3) - 07971 857982 – all ages
Adam Robinson @ Perform for Sport contact - [email protected] and website
https://www.performforsport.co.uk/ - all ages. Considerable experience working with Elite Athlete programmes.
NETBALLHer has been developed to raise the bar for women and girls through the creation of expert resources, practical support, game-changing learning offers and by being a strong and responsible voice for ‘Her’.
PHYSICAL LOAD MANAGEMENT
As a club we are mindful of the high and increasing level of physical demand placed on players, particularly younger players, by the combined load of school fixtures, club fixtures, training at many levels and other sports they may be pursuing, some to an equally high level. Growing bodies require rest and we are very happy to work with players and parents to support their load management. This should not be used as an excuse to not attend training at late notice but we would ask that those players who have heavy loads highlight this to their coaches at the start of the season and do what they can to look ahead and flag busy weeks where rest should be built in.
KIT
To play – the Ipswich Ladies playing dress is the only item of club kit a player must have. We have now moved our supplier to Flyhawk and a club order will be placed after trials each year. Players should preferably wear red undershorts but black are acceptable & white socks (ideally full and not trainer socks.) When the weather is cold players may also wear a white, black or red thermals/base layer top and black leggings.
Warm Up & Other Kit Items - We are in the process of introducing a new range of Ipswich Ladies kit including hoodies, training tops, tracksuit bottoms, training kit, coats, hats, bags etc. None of these items will be compulsory to purchase and as long as players are warming up in black hoodie/sweatshirts and black tracksuit bottoms we are happy for players & parents to purchase what they wish.
PLAYERS SHOULD NOT WEAR NAVY SCHOOL KIT AT MATCHES PLEASE.
To Train – players should wear what is comfortable. Leggings, shorts, t-shirt or training top/vest.
EXAMS
It is entirely up to each individual as to whether or not they choose to continue playing and training during exams. Please just keep your team manager/coach informed of what your intentions are and also ensure that coaches/managers are given notice of any absences as far in advance as possible.
MOBILE PHONES
Mobile phones should not be in use during matches (including when players are off court as substitute) or at any point during training sessions unless required for an emergency.
JEWELLERY & NAILS
The only exception to the NO jewellery rule is a wedding band which must be taped. Fitbits are NOT permitted even hidden under a sock! ALL items should ideally be removed BEFORE you get to courtside and players should be ready to warm up as they arrive.
Earring & Cartilage piercings - these cannot be taped and you will not be allowed to play until they can be removed. If you are considering having a piercing, please get it done in early summer so that there is time before season starts for any necessary healing.
Please ensure nails are short (cannot be seen over the tops of fingers) before arriving courtside.
PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect and retain only information essential to enable us to run the club effectively, form teams, contact you in an emergency and to be aware of any health information our coaches need. Information will be collected and retained in line with our privacy policy. Please ensure you let us know of any changes to your information at all.
PHOTOGRAPHY
We would ideally like to share results and photos on our website and social media sites Facebook, Twitter and have therefore already sought player/parental permission to take and share photos of our members as part of our membership form.
VOLUNTEERING/UMPIRING & COACHING
Our club does not function without volunteers and we are hugely grateful to all those who already devote a considerable amount of time to the club. We would like to encourage all players to develop their netball knowledge and to gain experience in coaching and umpiring, as well as playing, with a view to contributing to the running of the club.
Umpiring - At the age of 14 players are able to attend an Into Officiating course which is the first step to becoming a qualified umpire.
Coaching - At the age of 16 players are able to qualify as coaches with a view to buddying at coaching sessions and junior matches but can help at junior training before the age of 16.
Running a team - Those 18+ can coach teams at matches, either individually or in partnership with another player.
In all of the above circumstances the club will highlight relevant development opportunities when they become available and provide support every step of the way through mentoring and alignment to internal club opportunities such as umpiring at training/matches and buddy coaching at training sessions.
If you would like to actively register your interest in becoming an umpire or coach, please email Maggie Brown at [email protected]
Anyone interested in running a team or supporting the running of a team should contact Avril Gray at [email protected]
Umpires are paid depending on their level of qualification and coaches can claim for their time which is again dependent on their level of qualification. Our coaching & umpiring constitutions can be found on our website under policies and documents.
Club Committee - In addition to the above anyone interested in joining the club committee and becoming actively involved in the running of the club and setting its ongoing direction should contact Avril Gray at [email protected]
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
We would also welcome any parents, particularly those with netball experience, who would also be willing to co-coach a team, buddy coach at training sessions or qualify as umpires. Any parent who may also be interested in joining the club committee should contact Avril Gray at [email protected].
We will be asking for a parent volunteers to assist our coaches with team management duties such as player availability, confirmation of umpires, results input. This will enable our coaches, who are all volunteers themselves, to concentrate on coaching teams. Please consider whether you would be able to take on this role.
SPONSORS
We are very grateful to our sponsors who provide essential financial support to our club, enable us to compete at Regional level and to keep our fees extremely competitive.
If anyone is interested in sponsoring the club in some way please contact Anna Hollis at [email protected] who can discuss the various package options with you.