To succeed in team sports, keep your head up!

Have you ever watched a beginner soccer or basketball player dribble a ball? Typically, this young player is constantly looking down at the ball, especially when closely defended. This behavior is understandable as the player has not yet developed the skills and confidence necessary to dribble the ball without looking at it.

Unfortunately, more advanced players often demonstrate the same behavior. When under pressure (or trying to score) they turn their head downward, exerting all of their concentration and effort on advancing the ball or puck past their defenders.

Read more » Inside Youth Sports: To Succeed in Team Sports, Keep Your Head Up!

Globe Trotting: Netball

Contributed by Emma Booth.
Regional Director, USA Sport Group.

When I was in school, everybody wanted to be on the netball team, more than they actually wanted to get good grades or friends... At least, that’s what I told people when I had poor grades and no friends. But hey, at least I made it onto the netball team...

Netball is one of the most popular participant sports around the world, and is the world’s most popular female team sport. It is played mainly by girls and women, and there are seven players on the court at any one time for each team; goalkeeper, goal defense, wing defense, center, wing attack, goal attack and goal shooter. These positions have set areas they can move around in on the netball court, which is split into thirds. A goal shooter, for example cannot run all the way up the other end, they have to stay in the attacking third.