Walking Netball in Basildon

Like many of us netballers, Jean Lawrence has a passion for netball and delights in sharing it with others, says Dawn Bullimore.

Jean had been involved with netball since junior school, and played in local leagues in Basildon, Chelmsford and Thurrock, and also represented East Essex at county level. She is also a qualified umpire.

Following a short break, she got involved with Walking Netball (WN) at Basildon Sporting Village (BSV), becoming a WN Host.

I visited one Tuesday morning and received a very warm welcome. The ladies, Jean said, were aged between late 30s and the eldest at 84. One lady, and the reason I attended this session, was a learner umpire in a wheelchair, but that’s another story...

After the session, I took the opportunity to find out a little more about some of the ladies and how they felt about Walking Netball. Here are their stories:-

Most were retired after completing professional careers working in banking, midwifery, housing, the NHS, teaching, childcare, secretarial positions, nursing and raising their families. Most had started playing netball in their early school years moving on to join local netball clubs. Some played at county and regional level and one had played for England Futures. Some held officiating and coaching qualifications. Several explained how their netball playing days had come to an end following injury of one sort or another, or they had stopped to have families. Several more mentioned how they had been thrilled to play alongside their own daughters and in some instances their grand-daughters too. They were mostly just delighted to be able to return to the sport they had loved.

There were a couple of ladies who had never played netball before and they explained to me how the experienced netballers encouraged and supported them as they learnt the rules of the game.

Through these WN sessions a new ‘family of netballers’ has emerged. They care about one another, encourage and motivate each other, and share netball experiences to improve individual play

I asked them all how they had heard about the Walking Netball session. Most had responded to adverts in the local and free press, invites posted on Facebook and other social media, and several had been introduced by a friend, or a friend of a friend. Apparently, Jean can be very persuasive, inviting newcomers to come along and have a go, after which there is no turning back!

The ladies chatted to me about what returning to netball meant for them, including regaining and improving fitness levels, and providing new friends and companionship that they were missing following retiring from the work environment. Overall, most wanted to get back to playing netball and some now play twice a week, while others have returned to playing ‘traditional’ netball as well as WN.

Several ladies mentioned how inclusive the sessions were, with one lady explaining to me that her employer had agreed to let her have two hours out of the office each week to attend the session as part of a ‘wellness agreement’. How supportive is that?

Through these WN sessions a new ‘family of netballers’ has emerged. They care about one another, encourage and motivate each other, and share netball experiences to improve individual play. New skills have been taught and learnt, enabling these ladies to now compete in local WN rallies.

I asked if there were any other benefits from WN and was told enthusiastically about the socialising that went on after each session. One lady, Chermaine, has taken on an informal social role and instigates social events including cake baking and outings, while another lady brings along and shares vegetables from her allotment. The group are very supportive of each other. For example, one lady shared a story about a friend who had been struggling with health issues, who, after great support, encouragement and idea-sharing among her WN family, went on to successfully start a new business.

Jean says – “it’s what I get out of bed for”. She has become a confidante with a good listening ear, she has seen changes for the better in many of the ladies, skills have developed, ladies are embracing the competitive aspects and relishing in the new-found friendships.