Why Our SGNA Teams Often “Play Up” – And Why It’s a Crucial Part of Their Development

At SGNA, our mission has always been clear: to help every player grow in skill, confidence, and resilience through high-quality netball education and game experience. One of the key strategies we use to accelerate this growth is encouraging our players to “play up” in tournaments, carnivals, and leagues.

But what does “playing up” mean and why do we choose this path, even if it means losing more games along the way?

What Is “Playing Up”?

“Playing up” means that we enter our teams into competitions where they face older or more experienced opponents. For example, our U11 players might compete in a U12 or U13 division. This isn’t a mistake or a scheduling issue, it’s a deliberate and proven part of our development strategy.

Learning Over Winning

When we enter our teams in age-appropriate competitions, we often find that the level of competition is not strong enough to challenge our players. Yes, we might win most of those games, sometimes easily, but those wins don’t always lead to meaningful learning. Real growth comes from being tested. From having to dig deep. From being pushed out of your comfort zone.

By playing against stronger, faster, and more experienced teams, our players are exposed to real game pressure. They learn to think quicker, defend smarter, attack with more creativity, and work together more cohesively. This is the kind of development that doesn’t happen when the scoreboard is always in your favour.

Building Resilience and Character

Losing is tough. But it’s also one of the best teachers. When our girls lose matches, especially in tough divisions, they learn to stay composed, bounce back, support each other, and keep pushing. These are the life skills that make great players and great people.

We don’t play to lose. We play to learn. And every game, win or lose, brings new lessons.

The Bigger Picture: School Teams and Showcase Events

Many of our players also compete in their school teams, where winning may carry higher importance, for pride, ranking, or school reputation. By learning tough lessons with us in training and “play-up” tournaments, our players are better equipped to shine when it matters most for their schools.

And yes, there are moments where SGNA competes to win, in showcase events where we want to demonstrate the strength and skill of our players. In those moments, we select balanced teams and aim to impress. But even then, that winning mindset is built on the foundation of the challenges and growth they have experienced in tougher competitions.

For Parents: Understanding the Why

We understand that it can be frustrating to see your child’s team not win games, especially when you know how hard they are working. But trust the process. Your daughter is being prepared not just to win games today, but to become a smarter, tougher, more skilled athlete for tomorrow.

This blog is a reference point for all SGNA parents to understand that "playing up" is not a risk, it’s an investment in long-term excellence.