Winchester Warriors Junior Cricket Association

Clubs’ Meeting

Tuesday 8th October 2019, 7:30 PM

Room IT6 (Community Building), Henry Beaufort School, Priors Dean Road, Harestock , SO22 6JJ

1. Welcome Tim welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced all new club and HCB representatives.

Present Tim Milligan WW Chairman Nigel Le Bas Trojans Jon Gray Compton & Chandler’s Ford Juniors’ Coach Paul Crabtree Compton & Chandler’s Ford Juniors’ Coach Adam Clement Broughton CC Graham Dodsworth WW Girls’ Cricket Clubs’ Co-ordinator Julia White Fair Oak Shirley Robbins IBM Andy Erskine Nick Hopton Andover Paul Bulpitt St Cross Richard Tyson St Cross Guy Redhead St Cross Ian Crawley Hedge End Justin Jackman Longparish George Wakely Bishop’s Waltham Anna Budge Hursley Park Rob Pfeiffer Cricket Board Tim Jacobs Regional Performance Manager Richard Macer WW Rules & Fixtures Sub-Committee Chair Jack Martin WW Meetings Secretary George Burnand Easton & Kate Bittles Twyford Steve Whitlock WW Treasurer Colin Smith WW General Secretary

2. Apologies for Absence Jim Ley Sparsholt CC Pete Spain Park Mark Dryden-Brownlee Tichborne Park Russ Rowe South Wilts Stuart Nash South Wilts

3. Minutes and matters arising from previous meeting (19th March 2019) The Minutes were approved and signed by Tim.

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4. Summer season 2019 - Review of the season a) Review of the summer season: Successes and enjoyment? A lot of club representatives shared their positive views on their own summer season but also spoke of aspects of the summer season which did not go as intended. Everyone agreed they witnessed more children taking part and enjoying cricket this year compared to previous summer seasons.

b) How did the format changes go? Any changes needed for 2020? The first topic that people were keen to address was team size. Although we attempted to deal with this in meetings before the summer, there is work that still needs to be done to increase children's participation and continued involvement with cricket. It was very beneficial having Rob Pfeiffer there to take in feedback and to help with decision making using the current ECB and HCB strategies.

Most club members said that they were happy with smaller sized teams for multiple reasons. One of the main reasons was that no matter how much coaches and managers inform parents, there will always be players pulled out of teams at the last minute, usually for weekend getaways. Secondly, one of the main reasons that small-sided games work so well is that players are more engaged in what is happening in the game and therefore they enjoy it more because they are far more involved than if the team size was larger. On this topic, Rob and many others proposed a new team rule of sorts which would mean that all team members must bowl a minimum of 2 overs and must bat to increase player engagement and involvement.

Some club reps stated how they had been to some transition matches (under 15 and under 17 to seniors) and that with the larger team size the less experienced players are often not involved to the same level than is possible with smaller teams because the more experienced players rush past them when fielding. In addition, some teams implement a 1-5 bowling and batting strategy where only the ‘best’ five players are chosen to bat and bowl. We all confirmed that we do not want this to happen in the junior age groups and that matches should not be mainly about winning nor big scores but about an emphasis on engagement, play and enjoyment. It was noted that winning matches and League (or Cup/Plate) victories do matter to teams.

With Rob attending the meeting he presented some new literature from the HCB and ECB regarding team size and player feedback. The new literature expects that for under 9s, the team size should be eight despite coaches and team managers suggesting otherwise. Rob listened to everyone's feedback, and we attempted to weigh up the pros and cons of six versus eight sided teams but decided that we would not reach a decision on the night. For under 11s, the ECB and HCB recommend the team size should be 8 players and everyone felt this was in line with what they would want for that age group. However, we discussed the idea of having scaled team size depending of the league. This could mean that league A team sizes would have to reflect the team size regulations imposed by ECB and HCB but league B could use smaller team sizes as many club reps reflected that often when a B team was short of players they would top it up with A team players, even though it may put the other team at a disadvantage. No proposals for change.

There were no clear concerns regarding pitch length or ball type/size for any of the age groups although some people suggested that the age group rules should be more available for coaches and parents. George Burnand said that Easton had no issue with pitch lengths, boundaries or the type of balls used, it was player numbers that were the problem. George and others said the main concern was the need for more volunteers when team sizes are smaller and more teams are needed to accommodate the available players.

Many club reps shared the issues they faced this year regarding getting new volunteers. Some clubs stated how they achieved limited success using their teenage volunteers because those volunteers are keen to get experience for a reference and will help clubs and teams in return. However, young people in their teens sometimes have to stop volunteering or take time out to deal with exams or other commitments.

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Our attention then turned to how we can increase the number of parent volunteers at club level. Kate Bittles suggested that maybe one factor for a new volunteer is their limited confidence in the potential role as a volunteer. She suggested that for the younger age groups (e.g. U9s) we should look at asking parents to help with things like refreshments and match fees. She also suggested we should help them with umpiring and scoring as soon as they are needed, and we asked Rob if there are any short online video tutorials for these. Rob said he will look into that. Many club reps also said that stories from current parent volunteers may help empower new volunteers to start to help as it could remove the fear factor associated with volunteering at a club.

Experience from St Cross showed that when the club needed help and told parents if there was no help there was no match, volunteers were very willing and enjoyed helping with the essential activities on the day.

c) Any other changes to the summer rules? Not a rule change, but there were comments from some club reps who had struggled with travel time to matches. It was suggested that we could try to reduce travel distance and time for club fixtures next year. One or two club coaches and managers reported that the travel time to and from a fixture often matched or exceeded the playing time and that once the more fundamental issues are fixed we should turn our attention to this.

It was suggested and agreed that in pairs cricket, the penalty for losing a wicket should be 3 runs rather than 5 runs. Losing 5 runs was often felt to be harsh on young players who were very much learning the game.

It was also suggested that for younger teams, it could be good to have 3 or 4 teams playing at the same venue at the same time, as the matches were now shorter and it was possible to convene 2 matches for Under 9s on the outfield at the same time. This was also supported by others.

Ideas for recruiting volunteers included: • Tell parents: unless we have help with a, b, and c, there will be no match for your children • Ask parents and juniors to help with things they can do • Offer to older juniors: if you can help with a or b or c, we can waive your match fees • Help to build the confidence of potential volunteers with recognition of help given • Ask people to help with refreshments or collecting match fees • Ask for help with bringing kit or equipment or the laying out the boundary markers • Approach individuals and ask them: a direct approach often works! • Break down roles into single and perhaps simple tasks • Use videos as an enjoyable and worthwhile training activity (YouTube and ECB website) • Encourage volunteers to take training opportunities (run by WW and HCB for example)

d) The WWJCA Presentation Evening - Comments and suggestions Club reps were very pleased with the recent Presentation Evening and welcomed the involvement of guests like the St Cross U15 player PJ Watkins (national trophy winner) and the Hampshire professional player Chris Wood.

e) Planning for 2020: Building on the format changes Regarding smaller team sizes, one rule change that was proposed was a round-robin tournament style of games. This could bring together 3 or 4 teams at one venue at the same time (also mentioned above). This would be in line with the research that Rob had reported (this says that children’s best playing experience comes from small team sizes where enjoyment and engagement are maximised). This could also be combined with shorter travel distances whilst maintaining a high level of enjoyment and game experience for the children.

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In discussion, it was suggested that we should start to think differently about how we create matches and rules where enjoyment and participation are the most important thing, and not just winning!

The meeting was asked to consider the proposal for U13 and U15 open teams to be reduced from 11-a-side to 9-a-side. Some clubs had proposed that change. The South East Hants district had implemented that change 2 or 3 years ago, Tim Jacobs and Rich Bundy reported, and the players generally loved it. They also mentioned that Under 9s matches could be timed, rather than measured by overs.

On the U13/15 team numbers, Compton & CF and Longparish both supported the proposal. Hursley Park would not be keen for the A leagues, but possibly ok for the B leagues. Others agreed that lower numbers could be worth trying. Ropley was concerned that there are not enough pitches to cater for lower numbers in the teams and the resulting increase in teams wanting to play. It was agreed that the WW Rules and Fixtures Sub Committee (RFC) will consider these proposals for implementing in 2020.

Trojans suggested that at U9/11/13 age groups, all players should be expected to bowl 2 overs, to increase involvement, and to challenge the players to develop those skills. This was also referred to the RFC for consideration.

Other minor issues related to practicality and logistics, however, some people said they found ways around these issues to maximise the opportunities for the children.

Colin reported that the umpire Nigel Riches was working with WW officials and was drafting revised rules for WW outdoor (summer) competitions. Nigel had already advised on the indoor rules which had been reduced in number and been checked for accuracy against the MCC Laws. Proposals from Nigel will be considered by the WW Rules and Fixtures Sub Committee in November, for approval by the WW Committee in December and the Clubs’ meeting in January.

f) Girls’ cricket managers meeting A lot of the issues mentioned above applied to both the boys and the girls' game and as a result, Rob Pfeiffer will pass on all the feedback to the girls’ co-ordinator at HCB. We also discussed what may have led to the decrease in the number of girls’ matches that were played over the summer season. Also, any other feedback is welcomed at the girls meeting on 15 October. Jack Martin offered to pass on ideas and comments from club reps.

5. Financial matters Steve reported on the WW finances and noted that there was one invoice that had not yet been received, but he expected the Association to be in surplus at the end of the financial year. SW reported that at the recent WW Committee meeting it was once again agreed to make funding available to member clubs to improve facilities or possibly help with future developments. The Chairman once again invited clubs to contact Steve with suggestions or requests for financial support. The Chairman also reported that WW had been asked to support the fundraising for the new cricket pavilion at the North Walls grounds. It was decided to allocate £250 to that project and we welcomed the fact that this would be match-funded by another charity. .

Rob Pfeiffer reported that the ECB have allocated £20 million to girls’ cricket in and Wales over the next 4 year cycle. This was sourced from the income from Sky Sports and the BBC. It is expected this funding will support ‘grass roots’ cricket and will help support current and future player development. Steve circulated a summary of the WWJCA financial transactions, as usual, so that club reps could see the flow of funds between all current stakeholders.

6. The WW Website Graeme reported: • A few minor changes need to be made to the website and he is dealing with those.

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• We are looking for someone to replace Graeme as the Website Manager, so if anyone is interested, they should contact him or Colin to discuss what’s involved. • We are using the Play-Cricket website to record and publish results and league tables, and as there’s no negative feedback he assumes this is welcome and works well.

7. Appointing WW Officers Tim said that we owe a wholehearted vote of thanks to Graeme McRobert who has been our Fixtures Secretary for many years and without his work, we wouldn’t have had fixtures for all the clubs, teams and players.

Tim invited colleagues to offer to help and invited colleagues to step forward now or contact Jack Martin or Colin Smith as soon as possible. Or, if anyone knows of a work colleague or personal friend who could help, they would be welcome as well. It was agreed that the Fixtures Secretary did not need to be a cricket expert as it is more of a data crunching task than cricket!

Paul Crabtree offered to consider what he and his work colleagues could do. He runs a data management company and it may be possible to run a weekend hack-a-thon to create fixtures for WW. Paul offered to discuss what’s involved with Graeme.

Colin reported that Dave Morgan had enjoyed being the U11 Results Co-ordinator in the past few years and had decided to withdraw from that role, so we needed a new co-ordinator to receive and process the U11 results during the summer seasons.

8. County and Regional Business a) Regional Performance Centre work The Chairman welcomed Tim Jacobs, the newly appointed Regional Performance Manager (RPM) for Hampshire Cricket, who leads the coaching team for the Central Region in the county. (That’s the same area as Winchester Warriors).

Tim J reported that he is always keen to recruit new players who show good potential, not only at the annual nomination time (August – September) but at other times of the year as well. He will be pleased to hear from Club Reps who want to recommend players. Most of the RPC squads have around 22 players but the coaches are looking to increase that to 32 players for some age groups.

With regard to RPC work and the Hampshire player pathways, Tim will aim to be completely open about all aspects of selection and will be pleased to provide feedback to players and clubs whenever possible. b) Hampshire Cricket Board Rob Pfeiffer reported that the HCB are planning to launch a new programme for 8-11 year olds, which will be similar to the All Stars programme but with a few improvements and amendments to suit the older children and there are currently two options that will allow it to run. The first is that it will be weekday evening sessions during term time, although this timing may not achieve the planned recruitment/engagement due to children already being involved in other activities. The more feasible option is to run the new programme using the summer holidays with an option to extend the time frame if desired. HCB are considering the options. Rob said he expected the national launch to happen on 1 December 2019. The programme for 8-11 year olds would be in addition to the All Stars programme for 5 to 7 year olds. c) Hampshire Schools and Junior Cricket Forum Colin reported on the recent SJCF meeting where reps from all 4 Hampshire districts discussed the transition of junior players into senior cricket, amongst other business. The current HCB and ECB strategy involves trying to create a game structure for adults that current under15s and under 17s want to play. A rep from the Hampshire Cricket League was involved in the discussion and indicated an interest in working with the SJCF to find solutions to the question of how to

5 deliver what juniors are looking for. Hursley Park CC were one of the clubs that is very concerned about the junior-senior transition and is keen to see improved arrangements to support the juniors.

Rob reported that Simon Jones will be holding an education day at the Ageas Bowl on November 14th for District representatives and will send out all details shortly.

Rob then spoke about an upcoming ECB campaign “inspiring generations” that will be presented in December. Rob said: “As we get more information about this, we will send out to all relevant information to parents and clubs reps or anyone else that would like it”.

9. WW Training Opportunities and WW Winter Season Programme, Colin and others commented on the success of last winter’s training sessions that were delivered in umpiring and scoring, with similar numbers of people on the course when compared to previous years. WW will offer training at introductory level in umpiring and scoring, designed for volunteers in junior cricket. This will be open to adult volunteers and juniors from the age of 14. It was noted that HCB will be offering other training opportunities, for example in first aid, young leaders (activators), and coaching. Safeguarding training is also coordinated by HCB.

For the 2019-2020 winter season programme, Colin reported that 30 teams from 13 clubs had entered which is a similar number to last winter. The Chairman thanked Colin for his valuable work on this programme.

10. Any other business With no other business Tim declared the meeting closed and thanked everyone for their work.

11. Date of Next Meeting Next Clubs’ Meeting: Tuesday 28 January 2020: WW Annual General Meeting Notes to be taken by Hedge End JCC

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