Hockey Victoria

TO: Hockey Victoria Affiliates
FROM: Ben Hartung, Chief Executive Officer, Hockey Victoria
SUBJECT: 2012 Masters (Veterans) Competitions & New Open-Age Competitions
DATE: Friday 3rd February, 2012


Dear Affiliates,

One of the commitments I provided in the updated Competition Structure Information Guide released to all Affiliates on 20th October 2011 was that Hockey Victoria (HV) would conduct a survey of our Masters (Veterans) community to obtain valuable feedback on a number of proposed initiatives that were contained in the original Competition Structure Information Guide published on 4th July 2011.

In late October 2011, HV posted an online survey to obtain feedback on the proposed changes and on the competitions available to Masters players in general. We received a fantastic response to this survey with in excess of 750 responses and I would like to sincerely thank the Masters Hockey community for the constructive feedback.

The survey was broken into three age groups (Over 35, Over 45 & Over 55) and a summary of each of these surveys is attached for your review and information. There are some interesting results!

The Masters competition has been very successful and experienced positive growth over a number of years and HV wants to ensure that this growth continues. We want to provide the best opportunity for existing players to transition from the Open-Age (Senior) competitions into the Masters competition as well as providing suitable levels of competition to attract new or returning participants to our sport. There is no doubt that we currently have a gap in our offering. HV does not currently provide opportunities in the Masters competition for Men who are under 40 years or Women who are under 35 years who are unable or not interested in playing in the Open-Age (Senior) competitions on a weekend for a variety of reasons (work, family commitments, etc.). We are making several changes to attempt to address these deficiencies however a phased approach will need to be implemented.

The following information provides a summary of the changes that will be implemented for the 2012 season:


Women’s Masters Competition

•    The Women’s Masters competition will remain on a Monday night for 2012, however HV will be consulting with the Women’s Master community and venue owners/managers during the 2012 season to accurately identify all of the advantages and disadvantages of potentially moving the Women’s Masters competition in 2013 to a Wednesday night. If a change is to be made then clubs will require adequate notification to alter their existing ground usage models. All Women Masters players will be sent a direct email in the next few months with access to survey questions relating to this proposal and it will be critical that we capture a high return rate from all clubs currently participating in the Masters competition so that we can critically evaluate the data as part of our decision making process.

•    The entry age for the Women’s Masters competition will remain unchanged at 35 years of age for the 2012 season, however HV will be consulting with the Women’s Master community during the 2012 season to confirm the strength of support to lower this entry age to 30 years of age. If this change was strongly supported by Affiliates, HV would investigate operating future Women’s Masters competitions in three groups, for example, Over 30, Over 35, Over 45.

•    The Women’s Masters B grade competition will be split two divisions: Masters B North West and Master B South East. This will result in slightly less travel for teams and hopefully with the growth of Women’s Masters we could expand to three or four divisions in the future and further ‘regionalise’ these competitions.


Men’s Masters Competition

•    The Men’s Masters Over 40 competition will remain on a Monday night and the Men’s Masters Over 50 (Super Masters) competition will remain on a Wednesday night for 2012.

•    The entry age for the Men’s Masters competition will remain unchanged at 40 years of age for the 2012 season, however a provision in the HV Rules will be made to allow up to three (3) players aged between 35 and 39 in the year of the competition to participate per match.

Note: The current provision is for up to two (2) players who will turn 40 in the year of the competition to participate and the original Competition Structure Information Guide proposed the introduction of four (4) players aged between 35 and 39.

•    For safety reasons, a local rule will be introduced to ban the use of the ‘tomahawk’ in the Men’s Masters C, D and E grades. The ‘tomahawk’ will still be permitted in the Men’s Masters A & B grades.

•    During the 2012 season, HV will be consulting with the Men’s Master community to agree on an appropriate timeline to implement the change of entry age to 35 years of age. There was very strong support for this change in the Masters Survey (Over 35’s - 72.7%, Over 45’s – 77.0% & Over 55’s – 82.3%).

•    In 2013, HV will be structuring the Men’s Masters competition as outlined in the Competition Structure Information Guide:

-    Masters A
-    Masters B North West & Masters B South East
-    Masters C North West & Masters C South East
-    Masters D North, West, South & East

We believe that this will assist in attracting new players and umpires by reducing travelling times.


New Open-Age Competitions: Expressions of Interest to Host and Participate

In an effort to address the deficiencies highlighted earlier, HV will be offering the opportunity for several new competitions in 2012.

HV are calling for expressions of interest from metropolitan clubs who wish to host and/or participate in a new Wednesday night Open-Age Men’s and Women’s competition.

Details of the new Open-Age competition are as follows:

•    The competitions would be held at club venues (not the State Netball Centre Hockey) on a Wednesday night in following three timeslots: 7.00pm, 8.00pm & 9.00pm.

•    One venue will be selected from the North/West area and the second venue will be selected from the South/East area for each of the Men’s and Women’s competitions (a total of 4 venues), however final venue selection this depend on the level of interest from clubs willing to participate.

•    The competition would consist of six (6) teams and be played over a 15 week season with one (1) finals week (1v2, 3v4 and 5v6).

•    Games will be played in accordance with Masters Rules with 25 minute halves.

•    The intention is to create a more social hockey experience. There will be no relegation and promotion.

•    The competition would commence in May 2012.

•    The cost of entering a team in the competition would be $1,000 (GST inclusive) which is a reduced rate from the standard $1,240 for Over-Age (Masters) team given that there are only 15 rounds. In addition to the Team Entry cost, teams would be responsible for paying 50% of the pitch hire costs which equates to $44 (GST inclusive) per match.

HV understands that demand for ground usage within a club for training (juniors and seniors) on a Wednesday night may prevent many clubs from being able to host this opportunity in 2012, however we believe there will still be capacity within the facility network to accommodate these competitions.

What do you need to do if you are interested in hosting or participating in the new competition?

If you are interested in hosting or entering a team in one of the new Wednesday night Open-Age competitions, please complete the following Expression of Interest Form by the close of business on Friday 24th February 2012.

HV will then liaise directly with all clubs that have expressed an interest to confirm details.

http://hosting3.sportingpulse.com/www.hockeyvictoria.org.au/index.php?id=493


Summary

I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank the Masters Hockey community for their input into the 2011 Masters Survey and the HV team look forward to further engaging with the Masters community in 2012 to ensure that we have a better understanding of their needs and that we are working collaboratively to structure future Masters competitions in order to maximum participation opportunities.

I wish you all the best for a successful year.

If you have any queries in relation to the information above, please do not hesitate to contact the Hockey Victoria office on 8379 4288.

Kind regards,


Ben Hartung
Chief Executive Officer

 
Hockey Victoria is heading to Regional Victoria during March & April to deliver four Country Zone Development Days.
 
The specific dates are as follows;
 
·         Saturday 17 March 2012 – Bendigo, North West Country Lightning  
·         Sunday 18 March 2012 – Albury, North East Country Knights
·         Sunday 25 March 2012 – Churchill, South East Country Cougars
·         Sunday 1 April 2012 – Warrnambool, South West Country Eagles
 
The Country Zone Development Days will provide professional development opportunities for all individuals involved in Country Hockey.
 
- Players – Country Development Program, Day 2
- Coaches – Level 1 Coaching Course
- Umpires – Community Coaching Course & Assessment
- Committee Members – Development Meetings with Each Country Association Committee
 
A Country Zone Forum will also be held at the start of the day, where all members of the local hockey communities are invited to continue the discussions around the future of Country Hockey.
 
A timetable for the day can be found here.
 
Some session times may differ from location to location depending on the availability of facilities.
 
Click here to register your attendance at your Zone Development Day.

ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THE HOCKEY VICTORIA INDOOR PROGRAM THIS WEEKEND PLEASE BE REMINDED THAT THE GIRLS CLINICS ARE ON TOMORROW, SATURDAY FEB 4 2012. 


BOYS ARE ON SUNDAY FEB 5 2012. 

AS PER YOUR CONFIRMATION EMAIL YOU WILL HAVE RECEIVED TWO WEEKS AGO WE HAVE NEEDED TO CHANGE THE DAYS DUE TO COACH AVAILABILITY. 

HOCKEY VICTORIA

 
The 2012 registration system is now open to all players who were registered in 2011 and would like to re-register for the 2012 season.

If you are new to Hockey and wish to register with a club you will need to contact the club directly. Please note, new player registration will not be available until early March.
 
IMPORTANT: There are a number of clubs that have set up their own registration forms. These include, but are not limited to, Baw Baw, Doncaster, Footscray, Frankston, Hawthorn, Knox, MCC, Melton, Monash Uni,  & Waverley. Players from these clubs will need to register through the club website. If you are unsure if you should be registering through your club website or the HV website please check with your club first.
 
Please click here to register.

Maccabi Hockey Club – SE Suburbs
 
Maccabi Masters - seeking goalkeeper for winter season
 
Great Team + Good Competition
 
Playing Vets C Grade
 
We have all the gear (if needed)
 
Please call Daniel 0418 377 608

Invitation to join us for the Hockey Victoria Gala Day

Hockey Victoria would like to invite your Year 7 & 8 girls to participate in a special hockey event at the State Netball and Hockey Centre. 

This is the chance to introduce students to the Olympic sport of hockey. 

HV in conjunction with VicHealth are working on increasing the participation of women & girls in the sport of hockey. 

It is hoped that by introducing the girls to hockey in term 1, we may be able to link them to clubs in the area and facilitate their ongoing involvement in the sport.

What the day involves
1:30pm: Arrival and welcome
1:45pm - 2:45pm: 4 x 15 minute skills based sessions
2:45pm - 3:45pm: 4 x 12 minute (6 a side games on quarter field)
3:45pm: Wrap up the day
4:00pm: Depart the venue

Each team will be made up of six players, so schools can enter teams in multiples of six.

Time: 1:30pm – 4pm
Date: Tuesday 13th March 2012
Venue: State Netball & Hockey Centre, Parkville
What to bring: Hockey sticks, mouthguard, shin guards, drink bottle, sunscreen, hat.

This is a Hockey Victoria (HV) run event so HV will cover costs of ground hire, coaches and entry to the facility. 

Schools will be required to cover the cost of transporting teams to and from the venue.We hope that you will join us in this special day which will provide girls an opportunity to develop some new skills in a safe and friendly environment.

Please return an expression of interest form to shenderson@hockeyvictoria.org.au by 10 February 2012.

Click here to download the form

Hockey Victoria is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Campbell as its new School Programs Officer. Steve, who started this week, joins Hockey Victoria's Development Team working three days per week.
 
Steve has been involved in hockey for 17 years across a diverse range of roles; as a player at Altona Hockey Club, as a coach of Club, School, Zone and State Teams and as an umpire. Steve also brings a wealth of “on the ground” knowledge of Hockey Victoria’s Development and Participation Programs including the Regional Road Show and Zone, Country & State Development Programs. He has most recently completed a Bachelor of Exercise Science at Victoria University.
 
The School Programs Officer role will primarily focus on delivering a number of targeted initiatives within the school setting that will strive to increase junior participation within Victorian Clubs and Associations.  Further to this, Hockey Victoria will implement further initiatives to increase hockey's penetration into the school environment, for example; working alongside School Sport Victoria to grow the hockey7's competition, working with ACHPER to deliver professional development for teachers and continued development of the relationship with the Active After Schools Communities Program.
 
We welcome Steve on board and look forward to increasing the breadth and depth of service that Hockey Victoria can provide its key stakeholders.
 
With school starting back this week, now is the time for Clubs & Associations to become active, recruiting new players to their Club/Association for the upcoming hockey season. Hockey Victoria’s Development Team is here to help – we encourage all Clubs & Associations to arrange a time to meet with us to discuss your Club or Associations recruitment plan & activities, to share examples of best practice initiatives that have been delivered across the State, to share examples of strategies that haven’t worked and to establish a plan of how Hockey Victoria can assist your Club/Association get off to a smooth and successful start to the 2012 season.

Do you know a Local Sporting Champion?

Are you, or do you know, a dedicated young athlete, coach or official participating in a state or national sporting championships? Are you aged 12-18 years old travelling further than 250km return for a state or national championships?

If yes, then you or your team could be eligible for a Local Sporting Champions grant to help meet costs such as uniforms, travel, accommodation and equipment.

Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team are available for young people participating in a nominated National Sporting Organisation-endorsed state or national sporting championships or a School Sport Australia national championship.

This program is an Australian Government initiative managed by the Australian Sports Commission and supports 8,000 young people each year.

The grants are designed to help athletes, coaches and officials achieve their sporting goals and are distributed across all 150 federal electorates of the national parliament.

Applications are open, so apply now!

Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the nominated championships.

For further information, including application forms and eligibility criteria, go to: http://www.ausport.gov.au/champions

LA TROBE UNIVERSITY HOCKEY CLUB 2012

SEEKING NEW PLAYERS
CATERING FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS

•    WOMEN’S STATE LEAGUE 2
•    WOMEN’S METRO 1 NORTH
•    WOMEN’S METRO 2 NORTH
•    MEN’S STATE LEAGUE 3
•    MEN’S METRO 1 WEST
•    MEN’S METRO 2 WEST
•    MEN’S METRO 3 WEST
•    MEN’S METRO 4
•    VETERAN’S B GRADE
•    JUNIOR U9
•    HOOK IN2 HOCKEY


For further information please email women@latrobeunihockey.com
men@latrobeunihockey.com or juniors@latrobeunihockey.com

Or visit our website at: www.latrobeunihockey.com

In 2012 Knox Hockey Club are looking to build on the successes of the past 2 seasons with a concerted push towards a spot in the new Vic League 1 for 2013.
 
We are looking for ambitious young players and those heading towards the twilight of their careers, preferable with experience of State League 2 / Pennant B or higher to join both our Men’s and Women’s senior sections to team up with the exciting crop of young talent that has begun to emerge at the club in the last 18 months. If you are up for the challenge please contact Steve or Ladan to find out more.
 
While the club is seeking experienced players to become part of our first team’s, we would like to encourage any potential member, regardless of ability and/or experience, interested in playing for Knox to also contact the relevant section co-ordinator below.
 
Men’s Coordinator
Steve Hollow
P: 0412 890 002      
E: mens@knoxhockeyclub.com.au


Women’s Coordinator 
Ladan Khatir      
P: 0433 333 804      
E: womens@knoxhockeyclub.com.au