Every Tuesday a group of keen men and women come together from all over Ashburton for a game they love – it is called walking netball, and it has become hugely popular in Mid Canterbury over the last two years. 

A morning session and an evening session gives these participants the flexibility to attend at a time that suits their schedule. These participants range in age from 20 to 80, but the one thing they all have in common is a passion for the game and a sense of connection they gain from attending.

Walking Netball is a slowed down version of the traditional game, with slight modifications to the rules, including no running or jumping. Through adapting the rules, the game is more accessible to a wide range of participant, from those who may not have played the sport since they were at high school, to those looking for a way to add some more exercise into their lives.

Walking Netball was originally started by Mid Canterbury Netball’s Brooke Morshuis and Aimee Cosgrove (who worked for Netball at the time) in conjunction with Sport Canterbury’s Mid Canterbury Regional Manager, Jan Cochrane and Annabel Askin, who delivered the Green Prescription service during that period. A couple of sessions were first introduced as part of Sport Canterbury’s Be Active Programme, a six-week programme aimed at people wanting to increase their level of physical activity and have along the way.

“The games proved very popular and were then permanently introduced in 2019. It is hugely successful and now runs on Tuesdays, both in the morning and a session in the evening,” says Cosgrove.

The numbers reflect the popularity of the sessions, with 27 regular attendees for the morning games and 16 for the evening timeslot.

Liz Reddecliffe, an Ashburton local and a regular at Walking Netball, has been heading along since the modified version of the game was first introduced by Cosgrove.

“I saw it advertised and I was always a netballer. I played, coached and umpired over the years, so it really appealed to me.”

“We have lots of fun, there are lots of laughs,” she adds.

She is keen to encourage anyone to have a go who may have been thinking about heading along to one of the sessions.

“Just come along, bring your exercise footwear and watch to see what you think. You can always have a go in the last quarter once you get an idea of what it’s all about.”

For more details visit Mid Canterbury Netball - Click here  
 

Article added: Friday 11 June 2021