The Grading Process
In 2010 Picnic Point Pumas Netball Club adopted a policy of grading all players turning 10 years and older, with the exemption of seniors and any age divisions where there was only one team for that year's competition. The reason for this approach was to ensure a smoother transition into competition netball and group together children of equal playing ability.
At registration you will be advised of the grading date and session times for your age group and asked to attend a grading day which is usually held at Picnic Point High School's indoor stadium. Grading of each age division can take up to two hours to complete with each player asked to play a minimum of two and up to a maximum of six games of 10 minute intervals. Players will need to wear appropriate attire and bring plenty of water. Each player will have the opportunity to play in their chosen positions. Players may also be asked to fill in at other positions where necessary however, players will only be assessed on their chosen positions and selectors will be advised if a player is out of position.
Prior to the grading process, players will be asked to nominate two playing positions. These positions give the player more than one opportunity to show their skills in various playing positions on court and will be used as an assessment of their skill level and playing ability in a game situation. For players new to the game, positions will be allocated by the coaching coordinator and all the selectors will be made aware that the player is new to the game. It is not expected that all players understand the rules of the game or be proficient in any playing position - what is more important is a demonstration of their skill. Therefore the selectors are looking at the players ball handling skill, footwork, decision-making and body movements on court.
Assessment is done by the club's grading committee. This committee are people known as selectors with the coaching coordinator as head selector. All selectors are experienced accredited coaches who have been trained in the process of grading.
At the conclusion of grading, a meeting will take place to discuss player performance and team allocation. Players will be allocated to teams based on their grading score, playing position and availability of teams and coaches. This process can take several hours as each selector's grade sheets are examined, discussed and compared against others before any final decisions are made. Players will be notified directly by phone should any issues be identified or published via our website.