From preparation and warm-ups to recovery after the final whistle, there’s a lot that happens behind the scenes to help the Silver Ferns get ready to play.
But the foundations aren’t exclusive to elite athletes. The same NetballSmart principles can help players at every level prepare well, look after their bodies and enjoy their netball.
As Silver Ferns physiotherapist and a driving force behind NetballSmart, Sharon Kearney has helped develop the programmes and principles that support players at every level to perform at their best. We spoke with Sharon about how those principles shape the Silver Ferns’ preparation, and what community players and coaches can take from it.
What does your role as physiotherapist involve when the Silver Ferns (SFs) are preparing for and playing a series?
At its core, my role is to support athletes to maximise performance while minimising injury risk. I work closely with all members of the Silver Ferns management team to achieve this outcome, recognising that high performance is built on a foundation of healthy, strong, skilled, and resilient athletes.
Every athlete needs to be physically healthy, move well, implement effective preparation routines, and perform their skills consistently under pressure. These principles are the same as those that underpin the NetballSmart programme across the community game. The difference at the high-performance level lies in the intensity, precision, individualisation, and execution required to meet the demands of elite sport.
The NetballSmart principles are applied through an athlete-centred approach. I support athletes to understand and manage their individual health needs (SmartHealth), reinforce sound nutrition practices (SmartNutrition), educate and guide injury management (Smart Injury Management), and optimise preparation strategies, including appropriate footwear selection (Smart Preparation).
Individual screening and monitoring provide insight into each athlete's musculoskeletal health, movement competency, and injury risk profile. This enables targeted interventions to optimise movement quality (SmartMovement), enhance performance, and reduce injury risk.
Working closely with the Strength and Conditioning coach, we carefully design and monitor training programmes that develop the physical qualities required for performance (SmartTraining and SmartStrength). While high-performance sport can appear complex, it is ultimately founded on the same evidence-based principles that underpin NetballSmart.
Having these principles consistently available throughout the netball pathway benefits the wider game by supporting athlete development, enhancing performance, reducing injury risk, and improving the overall health and wellbeing of participants.
Within a performance series or campaign, these principles remain unchanged; they are simply delivered at a greater intensity, with increased precision and frequency. To succeed at the highest level, athletes must be skilled, healthy, strong, and movement-competent. The alignment between high-performance practice and NetballSmart creates a seamless pathway that supports athletes at every stage of their netball journey.
What does a typical match day look like for you, from the team arriving at the venue through to the final whistle?
By game day, much of my role has already been completed. Players arrive at the venue having been individually prepared, with any required strapping, taping already in place. Many elite athletes have a history of ankle injuries sustained during their adolescent years. While they have successfully returned to play, the supporting ligaments may not provide the same level of passive stability as they did prior to injury. Appropriate external support helps maximise joint stability and confidence while meeting the demands of elite netball.
Once at the stadium, my role shifts to supporting the athlete's final preparation. At this stage, preparation is largely player-led. Each athlete has developed a strong understanding of what they need physically and mentally to perform at their best. The work has been done; now the focus is on execution. The Strength and Conditioning Coach leads the initial phase of the warm-up before the athletes transition into their individual and team-specific preparation routines.
During the game, I continuously monitor players for any signs of injury, fatigue, movement dysfunction, or performance-limiting issues. At quarter and halftime breaks, my focus is on optimising recovery and readiness for the next period of play. This may include providing cooling strategies such as ice towels, encouraging hydration and energy replacement, and addressing any specific concerns raised by individual athletes.
Ideally, I am not particularly busy during a match. Effective preparation, conditioning, injury management, and athlete education should mean that players are physically and mentally equipped to meet the demands of competition. In many ways, a quiet game from a physiotherapy perspective is a reflection of the work completed behind the scenes.
Following the game, I work closely with the Strength and Conditioning Coach to optimise recovery and prepare athletes for the next training session or match. This includes active recovery, mobility and stretching programmes, hydration and nutritional recovery strategies, cold water immersion and where appropriate the early management of any acute injuries sustained during game. The objective is always to facilitate recovery, maintain athlete availability, and ensure players can continue to perform at their highest level throughout the campaign.
Key message: Match-day physiotherapy is less about responding to injuries and more about supporting performance. Success comes from proactive preparation, athlete education, individualised management, and effective recovery strategies that allow athletes to consistently perform at their best
What role does the NetballSmart Dynamic Warm-Up play in the team’s preparation?
A specific high performance (HP) version of the Dynamic Warm-Up is a key part of our routine because it prepares players for the demands of netball. It gets them ready to sprint, jump, land and change direction, while also helping them focus and switch into competition mode.
We want every player to take the court feeling prepared and confident. The warm-up is something teams at every level can build into their regular training and game-day routines. Done well we know it supports mitigating injury risk, support the next performance and the enhancement of performance.
Many people assume elite athletes prepare very differently. How similar is the Silver Ferns’ preparation to what community players should be doing?
The principles are the same however the intention, purpose and intensity is higher at a high-performance level. Whether you’re playing club netball or for the Silver Ferns, your body is preparing for similar movement demands. We use evidence-based NetballSmart principles that are available to every team in New Zealand. The preparation is individualised for our athletes, but the foundations don’t change.
When there are several matches close together, what do you do to help players stay ready to perform?
For a series with multiple games the hard work is done before the series. If a player is not prepared for the demands, they will find it more challenging to cope with the series. Developing physical capacity (strength, fitness and skill) is done well before the event and this then supports the athlete to be ready for each stage of the series. No athlete can underdo their preparation and expect a great outcome.
However, within the series the SF management team ensure they are facilitating recovery after the game and between games, including nutrition, sleep, massage, injury treatment and management, hydration, analysis and psychological recovery and preparation.
How important is recovery during a series?
Recovery is a big part of performance. Every game places demands on the body, so what we do afterwards helps prepare players for what comes next. That can include cooling down (active recovery), eating and drinking well, getting quality sleep and allowing time to recover (physically and mentally)
Recovery matters for every player, particularly during tournaments or busy weeks with multiple trainings and games.
What are some of the challenges of preparing a team for international competition?
The domestic competitions in NZ, Australia and England are one game a week, however a series may be 4 games in 11 days or 7 games in 9 days (Commonwealth games). This puts far greater physical demands on the athletes and that is hard to prepare for. Hence why building physical capacity prior to the event is paramount, sharing the load in the tournament setting is vital (as is in the community setting) so the athletes can perform in the final game (which can often be the deciding game) and optimising recovery and injury management is essential.
Many young players balance netball with other sports, school and busy lives. How important is managing training load?
It’s really important. Young athletes are often doing a lot, and while being active is fantastic, it’s important to balance training with rest and recovery. Listening to your body, communicating with your coach and allowing time to recover can help you keep playing well throughout the season.
Participating in a variety of sports can provide valuable opportunities for skill development, movement diversity, and enjoyment. However, there is a difference between appropriate sport sampling and excessive participation. Over-sampling can create significant physical and mental load, particularly for young athletes whose bodies are still growing and developing.
Young female athletes, in particular, need sufficient time and energy to develop the strength and physical capacity required to support both their sporting demands and their growth and maturation. Too often, strength development becomes secondary to competition and training schedules, despite being a critical component of long-term athletic development.
It is also important to remember that young people need the physical, mental, and emotional capacity to engage successfully in school, maintain social connections, and recover adequately. Attempting to do everything can sometimes compromise overall wellbeing and development.
Being successful in sport is not simply about playing more of that sport. While skill development is essential, it sits on a foundation of movement competency, physical literacy, fitness, strength, and resilience. These qualities underpin performance, support skill acquisition, and help reduce injury risk. A balanced approach that develops the whole athlete, rather than focusing solely on sporting participation, is more likely to support both performance and long-term health.
Key message: More sport is not always better. Young athletes need an appropriate balance of skill development, strength training, physical development, recovery, education, and wellbeing to reach their potential and remain healthy throughout their sporting journey.
Coaches have a big influence on player habits. What’s one thing every coach can do to help players prepare well and stay healthy?
Be consistent. Make the NetballSmart Dynamic Warm-Up part of every training and game, and help players understand why preparation and recovery matter. The habits players develop when they’re young can benefit them throughout their sporting journey.
Support the messaging about the need to develop movement skill, fitness and strength as these all underpin skill development. And focus on skilful movement as well as skill of the game. If an athlete can cope with the physical demands, they can really explore the game
What’s one message you’d like community players and coaches to take from the way the Silver Ferns prepare?
Focus on what you can control. Prepare well, understand that complete preparation (strength, movement skill, fitness, skill development) improves performance and mitigates injury risk, recover well, support your teammates and enjoy your netball.
A player won’t improve if they’re underprepared or injured. Good habits can start at any age and at every level of the game.