As the club countdown to the first round of the season on March 20 for 8s, 9s, 10s, 11s and 12s, Mudgee District Netball Association (MDNA) welcomes 54 teams, an increase in numbers on the years prior.

MDNA president Kylie Marshall says there's a lot more benefits to be had playing netball than what meets the eye.

"Our vision for netball this year is getting people back into sporting teams after COVID-19 last year, and having a bit of fun and making some new friendships," she said.

"It's not all about winning to us, it's not about who's the top of the teams, we want to see as many kids and adults get out on the court and enjoy themselves.

"Playing netball improves mental health and well-being just by getting out in some fresh air. Having that social connection with people in a different environment compared to what people are used to, especially with everyone being so enclosed last year, is a really big benefit."

As our age climbs, adults in particular are overcome with a sense of 'I'm too old for to join', but Marshall assures netball is inclusive of all ages, abilities and experience.

"We've got a lot of adults who haven't played for 15 to 16 years that are wanting to come back and play, and we've got lots of young kids who have never played before that just want to give it a go which is what we want," Kylie said.

"There's people out there who have daughters that play and want to do something with them so it's a mother-daughter bonding opportunity. Parents also need that mental health release and the opportunity to get out there and do something for themselves."

As for the youngsters who see themselves excelling in the sport, MDNA provides the necessary pathways to ensure they get the best opportunities possible.

"We want to give people an insight into what netball is like and offer opportunities for kids to excel, we've got that pathway," Marshall said.

"Some kids out there are very sport minded and can excel in sport and may not be as academic as other kids. It's really important that we offer pathways to develop all our kids if that's the road they want to go down.

"But if they don't want to do that, we've still got a social side of netball they can just have fun doing every weekend."

All divisions registered for Mudgee District Netball Association's season will play from March 27.

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