Abstract
South African has experienced a decline in world netball rankings from being second in
1995 to fifth position since 2003. One of the reasons for this situation relates to the drop
out of talented players, sometimes before even reaching the elite level. Secondly, the
immigration of senior players to other countries is also a major concern.
The aim of this research is to establish the main factors that contribute to this state of
affairs by considering the sacrifices that are made by elite netball players with regard to
the rewards that they obtain in return. Cohesion was also investigated to establish the
impact it has on players. Management of South African elite netball was revisited to
determine the effect it has on players. Possible factors that enhance participation among
players were also investigated.
The study was conducted by combining a quantitative with qualitative approach. The
results indicated that serious attention should be given to professional management of
elite netball to ensure that the rewards received counteract the sacrifices of an elite netball
career. The biggest challenge in facing netball in South Africa however is the fact that
netball is an amateur sport. Strategies were offered and recommendations made on how
to effectively manage elite netball players in South Africa.
Prof. J. M. Uys
Prof. Cora Burnett-Louw