• 1: Home
• 2: BHA information
• 3: Junior Hockey
• 4: Senior
• 6: Clubs
• 7: Schools
• 8: Coaching
• 9: Events
• 10: Umpiring
• 11: Vacancies
• 12: Links

• Current page is 13: News

• 14: Gallery
• 15: Next Games
• 16: Match Reports

A MESSAGE TO ALL SOUTH COUNTIES FROM THE SCHA CHAIRMAN

(relating to the Single System  Proposals.)

At the recent SCHA Management committee meeting it was requested that I should undertake a fact finding mission to ascertain the current position of our individual counties with regard to the Single System proposals for junior county competition.

BACKGROUND

At a Management Committee meeting held on 16^th. January 2007, to which representatives of all eight of our constituent counties were especially invited, an agenda item entitled “The future of the counties” enabled all present to debate a paper on this subject which had been previously prepared and circulated by Mike Ward, the Chairman of Hampshire HA. The main concern was that county representative sides would cease to exist under the Single System proposals .They would be replaced by academies with no significant county orientation, and that the impact on the county structures and loyal volunteers would be detrimental to the game.

It was agreed by all present that a paper should be forwarded to EH outlining the SCHA`s  rationale for voicing these concerns and stating that our association had a mandate to retain both county and regional representative hockey at junior level. This letter stating our stance was sent to the EH Board on 24^th. January 2007.

CURRENT POSITION.

During the past year the counties as well as the region have been kept informed of developments and our changing position in relation to our mandate. We sadly had to recently succumb to pressure from the other four regions with regard to the retention of regional representative hockey. Statements have been circulated from various sources in recent weeks and months to update the counties on how this will affect them as well as their talented youngsters, and explaining how we need to adapt our programmes to fit in with the implementation of the new system currently being rolled out across the country.

PLANNING THE FUTURE.

We are aware that EH appear to be softening their approach to “replacing” county hockey. Planning for the next five years has been undertaken by all eight counties through their strategic development plans which should all have been submitted for funding by 1^st. March. The contents of these individual plans are not widely known to other county associations within the region. As it currently remains the South`s wish to retain an inter-county programme for both genders and all age-groups, it is now imperative that we gather vital information in order to proceed with creating an all-embracing junior calendar of competitive events for 2008-09 and beyond. In order to abide by our mandate, each county will need to have one county representative squad per age-group. This will be a single squad selected from your County Academy (or academies if you have chosen to have more than one). I would be grateful if you could confirm to me in writing that this will be the case where your county is concerned.

We will shortly be given an opportunity to see the draft EH “Centralised Calendar” which should present clearly defined guidelines on the priorities and proposed programming of all junior development activity and ensuing competition. The South Youth Committees need you to confirm your competition requirements as soon as possible so that we can plan our future programme in accordance with agreed strategy. We require your responses by our next South Council Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 19^th. March,2008.

Although much merit is perceived within the Single System proposals, it is felt that the current county structures should not only have ownership of their junior development programmes, but that the young players involved should have a county identity.

Thank you,

SM Plant. 24/02/08.

sm.plant@btopenworld.com.