Muckross Hockey Club

1
Muckross Hockey Club

• Parents Information Meeting
• 2009-10 Season

2
Agenda

• General Introduction
• Club Structure Organisation
• Code of Ethics for Young People in Sport
• Safety Policy
• Attendance Policy
• Uniform Policy
• Coaching
• Training Groups
• Training Match Times
• Communications
• Trips

3
General Introduction

• The club is almost 100 years in existence the
  Junior Club is approaching 25 years
• The Senior Club field 5 teams in League Cup
  Competitions
• The Junior Club field 7 teams in formal League
  Cup competitions
• The objectives of the junior club are to
• Introduce players to hockey from an early age
• Encourage players of all abilities to develop a
  life long commitment to the sport
• Develop and grow talented players who will go on
  to play for the senior club
• Membership has grown from about 80 players to
  220 members in the past 5 years
• Success is attributed to
• Involvement of parents in coaching, team
  management and organisation
• Greater involvement of Senior Club players and
  coaches
• Transition year students coaching at U8 U10
  level
• More and more Junior players have started to make
  the transition to the Senior club
• Current U16s (4TH years) playing on 1sts 2nds
• Past U16s playing on teams from 1st XI down
  through to 5th XI

4
Club Structure Organisation

• The Junior club operates under the auspices of
  the Senior club
• A Junior Committee was set up last year to spread
  the load!
• Junior Co-ordinator Ann Ronan,
• Senior Club Liaison Micheline Gilsenan,
• Child Welfare Officer Ruth Dillon (Shipsey),
• Membership/Registration Secretary Anna Maria
  Bailey
• General Committee Mick Travers Jill Quinlan
• More volunteers are welcome particularly to help
  with
• Supervision
• Require one mother at each U14/16 training
  session
• Require one parent to supervise each home
  training session at U8/10/12
• Fundraising
• Trips
• Tournaments

5
Code of Ethics for Young People in Sport

• Muckross Hockey Club has embraced the Code of
  Ethics Good Practice in Childrens Sports and
  is implementing policies and procedures that are
  considered best practice in hockey
• Hockey for young people in Muckross Hockey Club
  should be Fun, Safe, Child Centred and conducted
  in the spirit of Fair Play
• Please refer to separate handout and letter
• All players and parents must comply with the
  clubs code of conduct this is available on our
  website
• As part of membership players agree to
• dress and behave in an appropriate manner at all
  times while representing the Club
• cooperate fully with the Muckross coaches and
  obey without question the decision of umpires at
  matches
• to wear the club uniform and to be punctual for
  both training and matches, and to notify her team
  coach if unavailable
• not to smoke, consume any alcohol/drugs while
  representing Muckross at training, matches or on
  tour

6
Safety

• Hockey is a competitive team sport and as a
  consequence injuries may occur
• The type of playing surface may also contribute
  to injuries
• Muckross Hockey Club therefore insists that
  players
• Have the correct footwear and equipment
• Do not wear jewelry during training
• Have shin pads
• Use a gum shield unless there are specific
  reasons that your child should not wear a gum
  shield.
• It is not possible for coaches to check that all
  players are wearing a gum shield therefore it is
  every players/parents individual responsibility
  to comply.
• Please ensure that you drop and collect your
  child on time for training sessions and matches

7
Attendance Policy

• Players are expected to attend all training
  sessions and matches as invited.
• Three successive absences without prior
  notification will result in membership being
  withdrawn
• Players are expected to arrive in good time for
  training sessions and at the appointed meeting
  time for matches

8
Uniform Policy

• Uniforms must be worn to both training and
  matches
• Muckross club uniforms all have the Muckross
  Hockey Club Logo (except for the TK Skort)
• Please do not wear school uniform items
• U14s U16s wear socks, skorts polo-shirts for
  matches.
• Club tracksuits may be worn at training as the
  weather gets colder
• Club white hoodies and/or green rain/training
  jackets may also be worn to training or on the
  sidelines at matches
• U12s, U10s and U8s wear club tracksuits,
  polo-shirts and hoodies/sweatshirts for matches
• Coats are not suitable for training or playing
  matches
• Club Training/Rain jackets may be worn on wet
  days
• U12s may choose to wear the club socks skort

9
Coaching (1/2)

• MANY thanks to all the parents who give up their
  time each week to coach the teams on a voluntary
  basis.

10
Coaching (2/2)

• Coaches attend training courses, code of ethic
  courses, first aid courses and coaching seminars
  in their own time
• Training plans are developed by Head Coaches and
  our Coaching director Rixi
• We are always looking for new coaches umpires
• At U8/10 level prior experience of hockey is not
  a requirement
• At U12 level, prior experience of hockey is a
  great help
• Ideally coaches have played at Senior (1st/2nd
  Division level) and/or hold a Level 1 Coaching
  Qualification
• At U14/U16 level we aim to have coaches who have
  a Level 2 award (or equivalent) and/or have
  coached/played at 1st/2nd Division level

11
Training Groups (1/2)

• Training groups are organised according to
  current school class/year and not by age. This
  approach
• Ensures that players are with their peers
• Increases the likelihood of the players moving to
  the Senior Club
• Marginally weakens our U16/14 A teams - which
  can be overcome through teamwork.
• At U14 and U16 level team selection applies
  within the constraints of school class/year
  subject to available numbers
• Players from younger groups from time to time are
  brought up to sub in matches or to a training
  session for developmental purposes
• Our preference is to bring only 13 players to
  each match
• Goal keepers get special treatment

12
Training Groups (2/2)

• There are no formal leagues at U12s, U10s or
  U8s
• This facilitates the development of SKILLS and
  TECHNIQUES
• Inter Club matches are mixed ability teams
• Leinster Irish hockey festivals are equal
  ability teams
• There is ONE competition at the end of the year
  for which Selection applies in the U12 Group
  (Deirdre Ennis Shield)
• The U12 group are split into groups of equal
  ability for training purposes.
• There is movement between the groups every 3 or 4
  training sessions
• This facilitates the development of every player
  rather than the dominant players

13
Training Match Times

• Match times are influenced by home/away status
  IF a team is playing away, then the other club
  dictates the time of the match
• Training times changed this year to facilitate
  more home games for the U14 U16 teams
• We are struggling to get the right balance for
  the U14/16 groups
• We are constrained by pitch time and coaching
  availability given our numbers
• Above times are for guideline but are subject to
  revision from week to week
• U12s train from 1000 to 1130
• The first 30 minutes is an optional speed
  agility session
• FROM HERE ON if you are late to this session
  you will not be allowed to join in
• The 60 minutes pitch time is for stick/ball and
  game skills

14
Communications

• Please check our website www.muckrosshc.com
  regularly for NEWS, FIXTURES TEAM SELECTIONS
  etc.
• Please email muckrosscolts_at_gmail.com with any
  queries / or advance notification of absence
• ALL match notices are issued using TEAMER
  (www.teamer.net)
• There is no cost to the club for using TEAMER
• The cost to reply to a teamer message is that of
  a standard text rate or its FREE if you do it
  online
• YOU NEED TO REPLY PROMPTLY to teamer messages
• FROM this week if you do not reply to a teamer
  message for a match within 2 days you will be
  de-selected and another player invited in your
  place
• The mobile number used for Teamer messages is the
  one submitted on the membership registration form
• If you have registered online, then only you have
  the ability to change the number
• Please DO NOT BE POLITE with your teamer message
  response
• dont add in a name, a thank you or an
  apology That just upsets the system!
• Just answer with a Y or an N (or a Y1, Y2, Y3 as
  instructed - if you have more than one child)
• Answer from the phone that the message was sent
  to
• General communications are issued by text from
  club phone [phone]) or by email

15
Trips

• At present there is only one trip planned
• Yeats County Hockey Club have once again invited
  our U12s to their cross-border tournament
• It will be on the weekend of 26-28th February
• Jill Quinlan is the organiser and has forms for
  all this week
• This tournament has been the highlight of the U12
  group for the past 5 years
• We will be hoping that this years team can
  retain the trophy which was won for the first
  time last year!!
• All players will be expected to comply with club
  policies regarding behaviour and uniforms
• If there is pressure on places, preference will
  be given to 6th class players before 5th class
• We are looking into the possibility of an U14
  trip later in the year or an U16 trip early next
  year
• Volunteers required to organise and fundraise

16
Any Questions?

• The presentation will be published on the website
  along with the handout
• Thank you for your time