Netball prizegiving slideshow for a New Zealand club

Saturday morning netball is a fixture of a New Zealand winter. School and club teams pour into the local netball centre from May to August, coaches with whistles and clipboards, parents in puffer jackets along the sideline, and the youngest players learning the game through Futureferns. At the end of the season comes prizegiving: certificates, trophies for player of the year and most improved, and, if someone has the time, a slideshow of the season.

Netball photos tend to be dominated by the shooters near the hoop. The players in the centre third and the defenders who never touch the circle edge end up out of focus or out of frame. This guide helps you keep the prizegiving slideshow fair.

A netball winter, week by week

1. Grading weeks in May

   Set up the season once the team is graded and share the link with families in the team's group chat.

2. First proper round

   Ask parents to add photos that afternoon, including the team huddle before the first centre pass and the friendly line-up afterwards.

3. School holidays in July

   Use the holidays to check the coverage list. Wing defence and centre are usually behind. Copy the reminder naming players who need photos.

4. Finals in August

   Finals are tense and wonderful. Remind families the night before to bring a charged phone.

5. Ten days before prizegiving

   Close uploads with the deadline and review the slideshow.

Building the slideshow

1. Add the team

   Paste first names. Netball bibs show positions, not numbers, so leave numbers empty; families' tags match photos to players.

2. Check photo consent

   Schools and clubs collect photo consent. Mark any player without it; her photos stay hidden from other families and never appear in the slideshow.

3. Ask parents to tag across positions

   A good netball photo shows the pass as well as the catch. Parents can tag every player they recognise, so one photo counts toward several players.

4. Move around the court

   Suggest parents watch one quarter from each end. The defensive circle is only in shot from the other end of the court.

5. Review and export

   Rounds become chapters, the sharpest version of each moment is kept, and every player reaches the minimum. Rename the finals chapter and export.

Netball photo ideas that work

The rotation between quarters is a gift: players swap bibs and positions, so a photo of the bib swap at the team bench catches faces in good light. The toss at the start, the huddle at half time, and the handshake line with the umpires all include every player. Indoor courts are dim, so stand still and wait for a held ball, a set shot or a throw-in rather than the moment of the pass. And if your team has a mascot, a superstition or a team song, photograph it; those are the moments the girls will remember.

Netball traditions to capture

New Zealand netball teams love their traditions: team names chosen by the players, matching hair ties, a team cheer before the first centre pass, and the umpire handshake at the end. Photograph them all. School teams often take part in a regional tournament week, travelling together and staying with billet families; the bus trip, the team dinner and the tournament t-shirts make a warm chapter. If your team plays in a Saturday competition at a large centre, the walk from the car park through rows of courts, with every team in its colours, is a great opening image.

How long should a prizegiving slideshow be?

Netball teams are small, 9 to 12 players, so three minutes lets everyone appear four times with team photos too. If the club or school shows slideshows for every team at one prizegiving, two and a half to three minutes each keeps the evening moving.

The Classic style's gentle movement and warm colours suit a prizegiving. Mark Year 13 players or anyone leaving the club as leavers for a tribute at the end.

Prizegiving checklist

Netball questions