Loyalty is a really important to me, not just in netball, but in everyday life. I have high expectations of people and when they fall short, I am left disappointed.
One memory I do have was the ‘scandals’ involving ‘poaching’. It’s not a word you hear in netball circles so much these days but it basically means (my understanding anyway) ‘a player leaving a club for a rival club, not in the best of circumstances’
Whilst it may not be called the same, we all know it happens.
I’ve always been confused by the motivations of the player involved and, more so, the reasons they give for moving teams.
As a fairly experienced coach, I understand the need for players to keep improving and have actually encouraged players, particular young, potentially talented athletes, to move on and fulfil their potential. This normally happens in a very positive and structured way, with the support of all coaches, parents or guardians and it is what is best for the player. In my experience it has reaped benefits with the player going on to fulfil that potential and have the best netball experience possible.
My only one slight ‘splitting of hairs’ in this situation is the ‘elite’ club seemingly taking all the credit for the development of said player. That may well be a blog for another day!
‘Poaching’ by way of its nature is not done in a positive, structured way. I would say it is fraught with deception, deflection and down right dishonesty! It’s not what i’m In netball for and i’d prefer not to have to use such language to describe any part of our great game.
My first experience of ‘poaching’ was actually the ousting of a volunteer Coach by players and not one, thankfully, that has been repeated.
We’re talking a local league club, contenders for league title each season, but by no way would the players have gone and played at a higher level. I was around 11 years old at the time and my Mum was a player, very loyal (there’s a pattern here!) to club and Coach and was upset and VERY angry that, when we returned from holiday, a new Coach had been installed. No conversation, no meeting, no Thank you. All very underhand.
Mum (and me & sis) left for another club (who, it transpires, had been after Mum for years but did not ‘poach’ players!) and her former team mates lasted another season before going their separate ways. So that was all worth it 🙄
In more recent times, as a Coach, I have been a ‘victim’ (I use the word loosely) of poaching. Players, many who had been with the club for a long time, upped and left for a rival club who frankly seemed to have promised the earth.
It’s worth arguing here that a player may not consider leaving if all was well with the original club. Believe me I have agonised over this in certain situations but isn’t it still worth a conversation?
I’ll be honest and say I have been bitter about it - we had gone through county league qualification and promoted to regional together and the future was bright. They were a group of talented, super smart players and I thought we were a tight unit.
And here is where ‘poaching’ rears it’s ugly head and is different from players moving on to better themselves.
‘Poaching’ is unkind - by not having a conversation with those who have invested in you, given you patience, time, effort and motivation, shows a lack of respect that can be very difficult to get over.
Coaches and team organisers, worth their salt, would wish players wanting to better themselves, well on their netball journeys, should they want to move on. But they would need to know to be able to do that! Coaches and team organisers are worth their weight in gold but I have not met any that are psychic.
I have a real detest for text messages, emails and what’s app for delivering important messages and bad news - not just in netball but in daily life!
The people involved in poaching, those who plant the seed, have, in my opinion, very low standards, not to mention morals.
How would you like bad netball news to be delivered?
1. Over a coffee / glass of wine ‘Thank you so much for all you have done for me and my netball. I have had a great time and learnt lots but I think it’s time to move on. I’d like to do so in a positive way’
2. Text message late at night ‘I’m moving teams to play with my friends’.
When it’s put like that, for me at least, it’s a no brainer.
I have not had the experience coaching children that I have had with adults so my understanding of ‘poaching’ in junior netball is largely second hand. You only have to scroll through social media, though, to know it happens.
My view is that it’s the adults in these situations who need to take a long hard look at themselves and the example they set to impressionable children or young adults. I have long been a believer that juniors don’t just learn netball skills and drills / team work in their junior netball experiences - they learn about attitudes, respect, behaviour, discipline and relationships. They learn these from their leaders, their organisers, their coaches and their parents / guardians.
Perhaps I have a rose coloured view of the netball world. I have, after all, been at the same club for 28 years now! Wowsers! I do acknowledge that that level of loyalty (there’s that word again!) and commitment is not common these days - not just in netball, or even sport, but in everyday life.
I wonder, particularly with all the signings news coming out of Vitality Superleague at the moment, if ‘poaching’ happens at the elite level too. Surely a more professional league means more professional behaviour?
In conclusion I don’t necessarily think it’s about netball,, moving teams or loyalty. I think it’s about common decency, consideration and respect. Perhaps ’ballers need more of it!
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