Wed 8 Dec, 2004
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Canada: FHC November 2004 Whats Up  x51
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November 26, 2004 
Field Hockey Canada
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FHC November 2004 Whats Up
Canada Games Sport Selection
On November 3rd, FHC was advised by the Canada Games Council that Field Hockey was not selected for the 2009 Summer Games in PEI, breaking a run of participation in the Games by Women's Field Hockey going back to 1969.
12 sports were preselected for the Games:
Athletics (male & female)
Basketball (male & female)
Canoeing (male & female; flat water racing, includes canoe & kayak) Cycling(male & female; road and mountain bike) Diving (male & female) Rowing (male & female) Soccer (male & female) Softball (female) Swimming (male & female) Tennis (male & female) Volleyball (male & female; indoor and beach) Wrestling (male & female)
Field Hockey was ranked 9th out of 15 sports competing for the remaining spots. Those remaining spots went to:
Baseball (male)
Sailing (male and female)
Triathlon (male and female)
Rugby (male)
Golf (male and female)
The scoring is a combination of rankings taking into account internationalhigh performance, coaching, the sport's international body and internationalcompetitions, membership numbers and rankings of the sport by each of Canada's Provinces and Territories.
FHC initiated an appeal of the decision but on reviewing the facts available against the allowable grounds for appeal, the appeal was withdrawn.
We have engaged the Provinces in a discussion on the implications of our exclusion in 2009 and on how we can get back in the Games for 2013. Much will depend on improving our ranking vs. other sports in those regions where hockey is weak.
FHC National INDOOR Championships
FHC is holding four National Championships for the 2004-5 indoor season as follows:
1. U18 for Men, U18 for Women, to be held jointly on 4-6 March 2005 at Talisman Centre (aka Lindsay Park) in Calgary and hosted by Field Hockey Alberta maximum 14 teams total both events; minimum 4 teams each event
2. Seniors for Women, Seniors for Men, to be held jointly on 11-13 March 2005 at Humber College in Toronto and hosted by Field Hockey Ontario maximum 6, minimum 4 teams per event.
ENTERING TOURNAMENTS
3. PSOs must complete the entry form and send it to FHC along with a cheque for the required deposit amount, $350 per team entered, no later than the entry deadline of 1st December 04. These deposits are only refundable in the event of a tournament being cancelled.
4. Teams can only be entered by PSOs. It is up to each PSO how it selects teams for each event, e.g. a PSO may select a club team to represent their province. However, all matters (including, but not limited to, finance, discipline, local travel arrangements) remain the responsibility of the PSO.
5. Within a week of the registration deadline, FHC will work with the Provincial Presidents National Championships Committee (PPNCC) and the Host PSO (Host) to confirm entries.
If there are too many entries, the PPNCC will decide which to accept using criteria including, but not limited to:
-maximising the number of PSOs represented;
-the host PSO has the first chance for an extra team;
-geographical proximity determines precedence of other extra teams;
-every PSO is offered a second team before any PSO is offered a third;
-if there are too few, the PPNCC will decide how to proceed, e.g. inviting other teams, or in the worst case, whether to cancel the event.
6. FHC will communicate the confirmed entries to all PSOs, and issue refund cheques for any entry not accepted or for a cancelled tournament.
FEES AND COSTSHARING
7. Tournament fees are made up of three (3) parts:
-the deposit, which must be paid to FHC by the registration deadline, 1 December 2004 and is passed on to the Host;
-the tournament levy per team, to be paid to the Host a minimum of one (1) week prior to the tournament. It is determined by dividing up the Hosts budget equally among the teams entered, less the deposit;
-the travel levy, determined through cost-sharing as described below.
Lodging and local transport (i.e. airport-to-hotel, hotel-to-venue, etc.) are the responsibility of the PSO.
For more information on the National Indoor Championships fees and cost-sharing, please contact your Provincial Association or visit National Championships on the FHC web page at http://www.fieldhockey.ca/e/nationalchamps/index.htm.
Coaching
Field Hockey BC is running NCCP Technical Level 2 and 3 courses at its annual High Performance Coaching Seminar in January. In addition to the two separate courses there will be a number of workshops for coaches who are looking to expand their coaching expertise. The High Performance Coaching Seminar is in Vancouver from January 7th-9th, 2005.
International Excellence
COC Sport Review
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) is integrating their Sport Review Process into a new component of Sport Canadas funding formula and are ready to launch the joint review process. The official title of the joint review is Canadian Sport Review Panel (CSRP) and it will have sport technical experts jointly appointed by Sport Canada and the COC. Debbie Muir will be working with each sport to assist in preparing the needed documentation, i.e., athlete identification, benchmark targets for progress and achievement for the next four years, National Team plans for both junior and senior athletes, major gaps and solutions, financial requests, coaching plans, etc. The timeframe for completing the sport review is from November 2004 to February 2005.
Junior Women to Chile
Congratulations to the athletes selected to the Junior womens team off to Chile for a 4-Nations, 13-19 December. Canada will be competing with Argentina, Chile and the USA. Thanks to Hash Kanjee and all the coaches and staff for your support and hard work best of luck to the team. Wendy Stewart will be Canadas umpire at this tournament.
Thanks Kevin
FHC and in particular the mens national team wish to thank Kevin Stoll for all his time and hard work as the primary physiotherapist with the team. Kevin has worked with the team for the last 4 years both on-shore and on many tours. Great job Kevin.
World Indoor Hockey
The Canadian mens indoor team by virtue of their sixth place finish at the FIH Indoor World Cup will be competing in the World (Indoor) Games to be held in Duisburg, Germany, July 22-24, 2005.
Special notes
BC Women's Field Hockey is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Rodrigues as the new High Performance Director, effective November 15, 2004. Steve will be taking over from Jo Hopkins who is returning to Ireland in December after being with BC Women's Field Hockey for the past two years. Jo has had a huge, positive impact on developing the women's high performance program in BC and everyone at Field Hockey BC wishes her all the best with her new position at the Irish Institute for Sport.
Jennie Gilbert will be resuming her role as General Manager of Field Hockey Alberta. Jennie will be replacing Derek Hann as of November 22, 2004. She's happy to be back after a year maternity leave. A big thanks to Derek for a job well done.
2005 is the UN International Year of Sport and Physical Education
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Comments on this article
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More news
11-26-2004 10:05 am
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What's up with national coach job
The English have hired their coach in three months after the Athens games. Come on FHC what is going on with our women's team. No coach for over a year now. Are you really athlete centred????
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Tearful
11-26-2004 12:36 pm
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Canada Games
Getting the boot from the Canada Games is a huge blow for hockey in Canada.
In some provinces, the womens program is only surviving thanks to this quadrennial competition which is receiving some additional provincial funding. The Canada Games team (U-21) is prepared for a 2 or 3 years and produces a core of players who keep playing in the senior ranks.
Without this incentive, womens hockey will soon disappear in some provinces, as mens hockey did in the past
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Puzzled
11-26-2004 12:53 pm
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Ranking?
How can field hockey fall below golf in a ranking of sport for U-21 girls?
Nothing against golf, but looking at the criteria (international high performance, coaching, the sport's international body and international competitions, membership numbers and rankings of the sport by each of Canada's Provinces and Territories) it appears hard to believe that they could fare better that field hockey for international high performance, international body and international competitions. So they must kick us for membership (I guess it doesnt only consider U-21 girls) and
rankings by the Provinces.
And they probably have better lobbyists too
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accountant
11-26-2004 3:20 pm
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numbers
"The scoring is a combination of rankings taking into account internationalhigh performance, coaching, the sport's international body and internationalcompetitions, membership numbers and rankings of the sport by each of Canada's Provinces and Territories"
we know what our international ranking is but could FHC please tell us what membership numbers were used?
There always seems to be a great deal of secrecy around these numbers......
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ns guy
11-26-2004 5:39 pm
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whats going on with the indoor program?? there was three lines about a tournament in july but it didnt say anything about camps scheduled, can somebody tell me what is going on.
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Can Fan
11-27-2004 11:47 am
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Hockey on the decline?
This omission from the CSG leads me to believe that hockey is on the decline while other sports are rapidly increasing in popularity. This is systemic of our lack of action with regards to our National Program & failure to foster growth in our grass roots.
In FHC annual report do we have membership numbers? Do we have projections? Do we have historical trends? Do we have anything?
By the sounds of it BC is FHC as far as Membership / Growth / Funding /....
How can we fix what FHC won't admit what's broken. FHC tends to break off sub units in their own little world and we do not here the results , good or bad.
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Candide
11-28-2004 1:15 pm
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FHC Annual Report?
Can Fan mentions an FHC Annual Report.
Has anybody seen one lately?..
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Curious
11-28-2004 1:39 pm
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assessment of 2001-2004 Strategic Plan?
If FHC was publishing an Annual Report, it would be interesting to read the assessment of their 2001-2004 STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK. Paragraph 2.4 read: To firmly establish men's and women's hockey in the Canada Summer Games.
In light of the recent decision of the Canada Games Council, it would be interesting to know what was done by FHC to make its case or try influencing the decision. Including the men in the CG was a very, very long shot. But having the women kicked out is a huge blow
Since the membership numbers are a well protected secret, and probably not in our favor compared to some other sports, was any lobbying tried? Or was this goal simply pushed aside, as so many other in the 2001-2004 Strategic Plan?...
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ztar
11-28-2004 1:47 pm
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BC is FHC
I suppose that at some point one has to ask "what's worth saving?". I don't know if "BC is FHC" but from the musings here at planetFH, that certainly seems to be the case. If it is, then perhaps the bulk of the resources should go to BC to ensure survival of the game. From the look of things around the Greater Vancouver region, women's FH is ALIVE and WELL and, more imprtantly, GROWING. I get the sense that the same is also true of southern Vancouver Island.
Perhaps, if resources are to be spent, they ought to be spent in regions where FH stands a chance of growing. For example, it would seem strategic to invest in growing FH north of Duncan -- Nanaimo seems a very likely candidate for special attention (ditto Qualicum, Courtenay and Campbell River). Further, the game likely stands a good chance of growing in Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack.
I'm not aware of the particulars behind decline in other parts of Canada, but I think NOW is the time to act in terms of growing the sport in BC where athletes clearly are interested. Perhaps it's time to acknowlege climatic realities: this is not a game that can realistically be played in all parts of Canada. Let's worry about Abbotsford, not Antigonish. Let's work on Ladysmith, not London. In the future, how can Toronto players hope to compete with British Columbians who play from September to June?
If BC is FHC, then let it be.
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Fiasco
11-28-2004 2:40 pm
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Is it finally over?
Things could not get any worse...or could they?
FHC has finally hit rock bottom, as soon as the CIAU is cancelled it will be the end of field hockey in canada and only BC will still have a league.
But I guess we will all stand by and let FHC continue to pretend that ther si a program and lie to the membership about doing anything.
It is time to bring a vote of non-confidence and eject the board of directors. When we have some sane humans back on the board there is only one step left....fire the staff.
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alrighty
11-28-2004 8:54 pm
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BC would love the funding
FHC...how about providing some funding to BC field hockey to build a world class training center?
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can member
11-29-2004 1:56 am
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fiasco
maybee you are right somebody should bring a vote of no confidence in the board, but first is there suitable candidates read to take over, and do YOU or anybody for that matter have the stones to stand up and initiate this and get a new boeard..?
I doubt there is anybody out there who will, otherwise it would have been done right?????
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Provinces
11-29-2004 9:26 am
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I hope people realize that the CSG is really a provincial sport organization responsibility. Ask your provincial associations what they did to lobby for higher rankings. I've been told that only three provinces ranked Field Hockey high enough - BC, AB, ON.
The provinces are absent when it comes to saving FH in Canada.
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Fiasco
11-29-2004 12:51 pm
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provinces
yeah right .... then why is it in the FHC newsletter?
If we have to rely on each province to do the lobbying them why do we need FHC?
The reason only three provinces ranked it high was because other than NS no one has a program......
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Provinces
11-29-2004 2:21 pm
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Fiasco
I guess I missed it in the Field Hockey BC newsletter. Or the posting on the website. I don't recall the lobbying FHBC did to keep hockey in the CSG. Maybe they didn't publicize their efforts - maybe FHC didn't either. Tell me what FHBC did for hockey in Canada.
The provinces haven't done anything about it. You say that outside of NS no province has a program? That's a pretty weak argument. As Tearful said, there are a number of provinces who develop a core group of players, as a group, in four year batches. Not anymore. The fact that 7 other provinces ranked it so low shows you what people really do think of field hockey in Canada. It ranks behind rugby, golf, triathalon.
Fiasco - give us a solution to this. Don't just complain and hack on somebody else. Give us a solution, or someone you would like to see in charge. Don't tell us who to fire, tell us who to hire. Share your SOLUTIONS.
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ztar
11-29-2004 8:50 pm
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7 other provinces ranked it so low
If indeed "7 other provinces ranked it so low", what does that tell us?
Rather than incessant hand-wringing about the future of FH in Canada and the slow death in various provinces, why not look to the bright spots and ensure that the flame continues to burn brightly there. In other posts here at PlanetFH, gbraun has often pointed to the great successes of a small community like Duncan/Cowichan. Absolutely right!
First, let's see if the rest of Canada can learn from Cowichan and the West Vancouver club (I'm talking women's/girls's hockey now). Second, let's ensure that these and other bright spots stay viable through resource support. Let's not ignore the viable clubs while attempting to prop up clubs and teams where there really is no apparent interest.
If interest is waning in many parts of Canada, what's the reason.
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willy10
11-29-2004 11:03 pm
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i dont know who u are but the person that said to fund BC hockey you guys have just about everythign a developing hockey player would want. i live in alberta and i can tell u we get nothing from fha and manitoba is the same way i think we need to help out the developing provinces before the already somewhat developed provinces
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Reg
11-30-2004 8:52 am
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NS Guy
Contact Gene Muller, Eric Broom or Louis Mendonca to find out what is going on with indoor. The national office should be able to help you get their coordinates.
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Fiasco
11-30-2004 2:21 pm
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Solutions for Provinces
Ztar and others have said it.
May very good ideas have been floated, as they have under many other administrations. problem is they are ignored or no one cares to follow them since they are always obsessed with the national team program.
First since BC is the only province able to effect any change we should close the Ottawa FHC office and move it to BC where there are resources and a plethora of willing volunteers.
Then we begin at the most basic of problems we face.
1. do a demographic study of current membership. Where are they , how many are members are there, how old are they, why did they leave, what iwll allow them to come back. It is unbeleiveable that FHC has not attempted this.
2. do a similar survey of facilities across the country and attempt to superimpose the member demographics onto the facilities survey.
3. Try to increase the retention of the thousands of players that slip through the cracks yearly. Our game is played in many provinces at the HS level but we have been unable to retain more than a couple of % of these players in the club system. Why is this? can we move from 1% retention to 2%? A small step that will have an immediate impact on membership numbers. As some have suggested put the resources behind those areas which are most likely to succeed then extend the programs to regions that are struggling.
4. Set membership goals after examining, with clarity not emotion , the trends over the last 10-5 1 years.
5. Make development of grass roots at a national level the only priority for FHC.
6. Find an acceptable set of candidates who will run on a platform together so that we can have some harmonyon the board.
7. Stop pointing the finger at the provinces, they are obviously powerless when it comes to a national crisis such as we have now.
8. Stop saying that anyone who disagrees or is frustrated is just a whiner.
9. Remove the current office staff. They have had their chance for the last 20 years, time for new blood.
10. Be brave
These are not difficult concepts, any corporation, NGo, or small business would follow something similar. But first those who hold the votes must be convinced that the status quo is not acceptable.
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ns guy
11-30-2004 3:40 pm
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Reg
Would you be able to give me their email addresses?? I have an old one for Lou, and I've never met Eric Broom. Send them to fieldhockeyns@hotmail.com. Thanks Mr. Plummer.
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Curious
11-30-2004 4:35 pm
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So what is happening with the selection of the Canada Womens team Coach? Does anyone know at what stage the process is up to?
Just interested thats all. It seems to be taking so long to complete this process.
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Chris
11-30-2004 4:48 pm
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I think the longer FHC takes on getting info out to the hockey communnty the more things are going to go down hill for them.
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ztar
11-30-2004 8:23 pm
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Fiasco's plan
It seems to me that Fiasco has a plan. Such a plan might go some way to answering the questions concerning growth (or lack thereof) in specific areas.
willy10 makes a case for Alberta and Manitoba, and he may well have a point. But do we actually know the level of interest in those provinces. It would be interesting to know if, on the basis of participation rates, BC "ha[s] just about everythign a developing hockey player would want". If we had the figures, perhaps we'd find BC is actually being short-changed (I'm not saying it is, I'm just speculating).
From an investment perspective, we KNOW there'll be a payoff if the resources are put to use in BC. Elsewhere, given the hand-wringing one sees here at PlanetFH, one suspects the investment might be wasted. Are there enough resources that FHC can afford to waste them?
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Observer
12-01-2004 1:29 am
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Provincial vs National
The provincial associations should NOT wait for FHC's lead...
Or else all is doomed.
Volunteers should look to help out within their provinces first - charity begins at home.
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Reg Plummer
12-01-2004 8:03 am
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ztar
Good questions & good points ztar. I think it is fairly safe to say that Sport Canada will not continue to fund FHC if hockey declines too much more outside of BC. At the last AGM the Sport Canada consultant told us that she was concerned with the state of the game in Canada. I would think that losing our place at the Canada Summer Games and the CIS's has dropped us further down Sport Canada's standings.
More worryingly, perhaps, is that the ranking system the Canada Summer Games folks use to decide whether a sport is to be included or not may not be greatly different from the one Sport Canada will be using. Mind you, I have not studied the Sport Canada ranking system and I have the impression they are changing it. Still, I would expect the following types of factors will apply: total participation, regional pariticpation, international ranking, administration, and a credible strategic plan. (Incidentally, at the last AGM, it was pointed out to the Board and the Provincial presidents that FHC does not have a credible strategic plan but I don't think anyone from the Board either disputed that observation or acknowledged it.)
Putting funds into BC may give dividends in terms of total participation but I would not expect that to be enough to offset the negatives we would be getting for our weakness in many other regions across the country.
I think it is fair to say, without any great analysis, that there are already many people working hard for the sport across the country.
What I think I see is a lot of people in these areas struggling to grow their sport that could do with some help. But the help doesn't necessarily have to come in the form of a lot of money. It could be advice and ideas. It could be a bit of a moral boost from knowing there are other people working and succeeding in other parts of the country. They might even like to hear how those communities in BC are succeeding so they can apply it at home. However, we won't know what they want and we will not be able to help them if we don't make an effort to see the hockey world from their point of view.
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Yan Huckendubler
12-01-2004 2:47 pm
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Good plan
Good and realistic plan from Fiasco.
I would only disagree with point 5: the development of grass roots at the national level should not be the only priority of FHC, but lets say the main priority, as it appears important to maintain some kind of National Team program.
May be during the rebuilding phase, the NT program efforts could be directed towards the Junior teams?
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Faisco
12-01-2004 7:20 pm
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Yannick
geez ten ponts and you only disagree with one word?
this is some kind of record for me..........
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Ztar
12-02-2004 2:50 pm
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Advice on growing FH: SOCCER!
Advice on growing FH: SOCCER! PART 1
Reg Plummer quite rightly suggests that people in parts of Canada where FH is struggling "...might even like to hear how those communities in BC are succeeding so they can apply it at home."
I don't pretend to know how or why BC is succeeding, but I have a hunch. Let me share my observations and then people can determine if it is applicable in their locale.
Whether by luck or design, the spring youth FH season in the Lower Mainland of BC flows almost seamlessly out of the lengthy winter soccer season. Just as young soccer athletes are finishing off their season and are wondering what to do from mid-March to the end of June, FH presents itself as an alternative.
Of course FH is not the only sports alternative (baseball, softball, and, more recently, lacrosse also present themselves). So why have so many kids in North and West Vancouver chosen FH?
I think the answer lies in the fact that there is some (considerable) overlap between adults who are advocates for FH and who serve as coaches and officials in the soccer leagues. Thus, as soccer winds down, these FH advocates suggest to the kids: "Hey, if you're looking for something to do, why not FH?" For most soccer kids, faced with, say, a choice between baseball and FH, the outcome is a no-brainer: FH wins in an instance.
I'm willing to bet that more than 95% of the youth players in the West Vancouver club also play soccer. The growth of FH is very much, in my opinion, a function of (1) a successful local soccer program and (2) soccer officials who are willing to promote FH as a fun athletic activity in the spring.
In fact, I think my hypothesis can be tested here in the Lower Mainland. It appears to me that FH in Coquitlam is growing along the same lines that happened in North and West Vancouver (lagging about 5 or 6 years behind). Conversely, Burnaby, in spite of fielding some awesome girls' soccer teams appears to be a black hole as far as spring FH is concerned. I suspect (but have no way of knowing) that Coquitlam FH benefits from the sort of soccer-FH cross-fertilization that I think is essential, while Burnaby somehow lacks FH advocates in it's soccer ranks.
I'd welcome insight from Coquitlam and from Burnaby.
A concluding thought (which I may spin into Part 2): if FH is to continue to grow -- DO NOT UPSET THE SOCCER GODS, as they are the source of our growth.
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Jessie
12-02-2004 7:31 pm
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ztar
I think your right. I live in the lower mainland and I do play soccer and field hockey. I had done soccer in the winter and then swimming for the longest time. That got boring so I set out in search of something else. I had done lacrosse and baseball in previous years but if I got good in lacrosse I had no future, and baseball was boring. My friend mentioned field hockey to me and said that it was like soccer with a stick. I joined and have never regretted it. I recently tried out for the U-14 high performance team and am still awaiting results. I completly aggree with what you said.
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adi dassler
12-02-2004 11:55 pm
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One should never ever...
upset the Soccer Gods...
BECAUSE they reign supreme
Or else, they could allow Scotland to win the World Cup one day and that would be very very scary...
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Reg
12-03-2004 8:29 am
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Ztar, Fiasco
Ztar:
Your observations fit with what Jurgen Lankau did in Tsawassen (gads, I forgotten how to spell it) and others did in West Van years ago. It's worth noting though that this model doesn't necessarily translate well east of the Rockies. Soccer and field hockey are played in the summer months. Our high school league is in the fall when soccer is over. However our clubs are starting to move to indoor at that time. In Ottawa at least, the clubs are very involved with providing coaches and umpires for the high school league. Some of those high school girls continue to play in the summer competitions - however we are competing directly with soccer at that time and our clubs are having trouble holding on to them.
Here in Ottawa we are trying to get an indoor junior girls and boys comp going, but during the summer season we will still have to have something well organised to offer those girls to keep them in the game. We have had some success but it is a tough cahllenge for us.
However, there are other things for us to learn from those successful BC communities I think and they are related to some of the points Fiasco raised. We have hundreds of school girls and university girls going through the high school and university systems every year in Ottawa, Toronto and elsewhere yet we fail to hold onto them after they leave high school or university. Why is that?
I would be interested to know what the organizational structure of those successful BC communities is. Do they have clubs, senior leagues, are there veterans, competitive leagues as well as social? Do they have a regional association? They sound like well-run organizations - is that true and how do they do it? Are they in fact sustainable enterprises and why do you think so? Junior development programs have be born, flourished and then disappeared.
Ottawa's major challenge is not just coaches, umpires or players - although those do present challenges for us - I think our number 1 problem is one of organization. We are not very good at organizing ourselves. We tend to do things in an ad hoc manner. We don't get organized early enough and we don't communicate well with each other. I think it is all fixable but it is the hard administrative work that is lacking. I am not as familiar with Toronto but I wouldn't be surprised if they have similar problems to us.
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Viper
12-03-2004 11:24 am
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WVFHC
Your suggestion on the success of WVFHC being due to soccer people may in part be correct, but I think it also ignores the hard work and effort put in by the dedicated executive, particularly on the Junior Girls side. FH is a natural complimentary activity to soccer in many ways, and at young ages certainly more entertaining for the athletes than T-ball or softball.
The Greater Vancouver Women's League runs during the "soccer season" (Sept-Mar) and WVFHC is currently going through a huge growth spurt in that area as well. We have 8 teams currently, and are having to scour to find coaches. I believe the growth rate will continue there, as the juniors look to play more than just the spring season which runs about 10-12 weeks.
I'm sure the Junior Girls executive would be more than willing to discuss with interested parties from other clubs.
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reg
12-03-2004 2:23 pm
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Fiasco
A few comments for your consideration fiasco...
I think your ideas around growing the sport are fine. However, I find it incomplete. I agree with Yan - you cannot afford to ignore high performance - there will be no FHC without high performance. However, its not just high performance that's missing from the plan. FHC also has to concern itself with junior development, clubs, university competitions, umpires, coaches, national champioships, leagues and administration. In my view, we need to take care of all those elements in order to grow our sport.
Just in terms of growth, I would add a few steps to your plan, Fiasco. I would be setting up to talk to the communities across the country. No plan is going to work if people in the regions can't relate to it. Also, I would recommend developing growth targets based on the plans of people from Halifax to Victoria. I would be setting goals and targets not just for overall participation but also for coaches, umpires, clubs and leagues. But to be honest, I think a detailed plan with milestones to get us there is far more important than the targets. FHC has a habit of developing targets with no plan on how to achieve those targets.
A detailed plan is hard to make - never mind trying to carry it out. Volunteers in the regions as well as FHC staff and FHC's own volunteers would have a role to play in seeing it through. Provision would need to be made for slippage and failure - not all plans succeed and running around shouting off with his head, off with her head is not a very successful management style.
More generally, this web site is the only vehicle we have for discussing field hockey in this country. We need to be able to share ideas and we need to hear about what is going on across the country. What's up is one-way communication and, while better than nothing, it is much less than what we need. I think a portion of FHC's million dollar budget should be put towards creating something better.
Finally, our biggest problem, in my view, is that, with few exceptions, our organizations do not function effectively - that is our boards, our clubs and our leagues don't function effectively. We need to address directly why that is so. I don't believe it is all FHC's fault nor do I think it is reasonable to blame FHC staff. They are an easy target but our problems go well beyond the individuals in charge right now. We have a collective failure going on here and we need to address it collectively. I think we need to start by admitting that creating a successful organization is hard to do - thousands of businesses fail every year. We are trying to run a million dollar business here and it's tough to do. Actaully, it has more in common with a government program than a business. Let's stop assuming that running a successful organization is easy and that those people in the top spots must be stupid. Its not easy and they are not stupid.
We are failing, however, and we need our leadership to provide some direction. it's not clear what they are doing about it. It's time John Green and the provincial presidents gave us a collective response on what they plan to do to get us moving in the right direction. They could do worse than starting with some of the ideas presented here by ztar, Sandeep and others.
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Ztar
12-03-2004 3:06 pm
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FH vs soccer
Reg:
I suspected that the soccer-FH model would not be appropriate for anywhere east of the Coastal Mountains. The soccer-FH model, I think, works well for us here. Perhaps, in places like Ottawa, you need a different symbiotic relationship: perhaps ice hockey-FH would work for you. In other words, a sport that (1) does not have a season that conflicts with FH and (2) a sport that has FH enthusiasts in its ranks who would champion FH as an alternative when the other season is over.
Reg says: Some of those high school girls continue to play in the summer competitions - however we are competing directly with soccer at that time and our clubs are having trouble holding on to them.
I may be wrong here, but I suspect thats a losing battle. I dont see how FH can compete with the soccer U-21 Nationals on TV and players like Kara Lang and Christine Sinclair having a significant degree of recognition and minor star power. My hunch is, if you require or force most U-8 to U-16 girls to make a choice between soccer and FH, 9 out of 10 will opt for soccer and there goes your program!
If your seasons coincide, then I think youd have to find some way to coexist with soccer by encouraging participation in both sports. Further, and this goes to my comment about not ANNOYING THE SOCCER GODS, I think you have to recognize that you are the junior partner in this and ensure, for example, that you dont schedule FH games when the players also have soccer.
There is enough critical mass on the lower Mainland now that many U-14 to U-18 girls are making a choice to play in the Vancouver Womens league through the winter. The increase in the number of younger players in the Vipers (for example, from 4 to 8 teams in just a few years), Jokers, Sharks, Lakers and Hawks clubs is quite noticeable. Many of these young players, however, are not yet ready to commit 100% to FH and thus are also involved in youth soccer at the same time.
Since Sunday is traditionally the day for girls soccer in the Lower Mainland, the FH league has wisely scheduled very few lower division FH games for Sunday. Thus, these girls are rarely forced to choose between the sports. This is wise because most would likely opt for soccer.
By the time the players are at the U-17/U-18 stage and also more likely to play in the higher FH divisions, many have actually decided that FH is their preference, and scheduling conflicts with soccer become less of an issue.
The key is, I think, not to try to compete with soccer.
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Lorne Carnes- Victoria Rebels Hockey Club
12-03-2004 10:56 pm
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Reg
Thanks Reg, very positive discussion.
I think you'll remember that hockey here on the coast is primarily Club (as opposed to team) driven. We've taken a bit of a beating with the move to synthetic turf ...yet Club programs still represent the best vehicle for attracting and retaining players. Perhaps an article explaining how they're structured and why might help those communities now struggling with competing youth sports and aging baby boomers.
Lorne
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ztar
12-04-2004 12:29 pm
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VIPER
Viper:
I dont mean to be argumentative and you may have misinterpreted the general thrust of my comments. You said: Your suggestion on the success of WVFHC being due to soccer people may in part be correct, but I think it also ignores the hard work and effort put in by the dedicated executive
.
I in no way intended to ignore the hard work (in fact, let me take this opportunity to salute those hard-working individuals) of the WVFHC executive. My observations (and I stand to be corrected) are that the unprecedented growth of the WVFHC was as much serendipitous as it was planned. In fact, Ill go out on a limb and suggest that the growth of the WVFHC has been SO HUGE that it could (would?) never have been dreamed, never mind, planned.
There have been ample instances over the past 6-8 years where virtually ENTIRE soccer teams have applied to play FH. Viper, as youll likely know, this came about less through the work of any executive and was more likely due to the good fortune that the local soccer organizations (executive, coaches, and managers) consisted of people willing and able to advocate for FH. In fact, if Im not mistaken, some of the WVFHC executives also have close connections with the soccer organizations.
If theres a lesson in this for Reg, Ottawa, or other FH organizations, it might be to curb any instincts to micro-manage your growth. By this I mean: resist the temptation to impose league-mandated rules for how teams are formed. Keep in mind that growth (not parity or equity) is your foremost objective. Thus, you need to permit entire soccer (or ice hockey, or basketball or wherever youre recruiting from) teams to play together as FH teams. The downside to this is, of course, that winning soccer teams generally become winning FH teams while less successful teams in soccer tend to be less successful in FH. RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO MEDDLE until youve got a critical mass of reasonably permanent players!
As Viper points out The Greater Vancouver Women's League runs during the "soccer season" (Sept-Mar) and WVFHC is currently going through a huge growth spurt in that area as well. If Reg and others around the country, who are struggling to exist, are to learn from this success story, they also need to know that this growth comes from a base of 1500-plus junior players. Clearly, once you have a certain critical mass, a portion of those players will make a deliberate choice of FH over soccer. But without that critical mass, I dont think youd want go head-to-head with soccer in terms of players loyalties. At a minimum Id suggest working WITH soccer in terms of scheduling so that players can do both.
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Fiasco
12-04-2004 6:48 pm
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Van Soccer and FH
Glad to hear these creative ideas, they are out tehre just that no one ever asks......
east of the rockies the situation, generally because of the wether is a little different, in BC you play in the winter, obviously not an option for us. But that does not mean that we cannot partner with other sports, the most likely being the other hockey, the one that parents spend thousands on each year. Aside from the obvious synergy hockey would love to stop the bleeding to soccer every year and have their kids play a game that enhanced hand eye co-ordination with a stick.
Hockey canada is also attemting to penetrate some of those families from non-tradional ice hockey backgrounds, almost all are playing soccer but ice hockey would welcome this. This is not a new idea , many places that had programs in the past attracted players from hockey schools and leagues. A co-ordinated strategy here would be very helpful. While I agree that regional creativity should not be throttled there has to be room fro a flexible national strategy.
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gbraun
12-05-2004 12:09 am
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Although the soccer factor is a good one, I think one point to note is that you can't have growth unless you have volunteers. In fact, because our sport is so technical and has a PE reputation of "shin hacks" you must have volunteers with more than just a little knowledge of the game. Perhaps FHC or the Provincial associations should try and foster more "volunteerism" in our sport. This is a tall order because I see that few people are doing a lot of work as it is right now....it is hard to attract volunteers in all facets of society from charities to school teams to community teams. In addition, these "volunteers" would ideally be in the sport because they love it not because they want their child to get further ahead than the next one.
One more thing, as long as we continue to believe that hockey must be played on turf, growth will be limited. Unfortunately, few areas have such a surface which means that hockey will be limited to the Lower Mainland and a handful of other places. It is the classic the rich get richer and poor get poorer. In the end, the whole sport will suffer as it won't be played in many provinces, and Sport Canada will not continue to fund it. We must address this issue soon...
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Sawyer 01
12-05-2004 12:16 am
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Reg
Is Reg running for pres of the FHC? Isn't he the same guy that stood or sat while Rome burnt in 2000 at the meetings and had Eric Broom & Rob Watt takeover the National Programs? Isn't he the same guy that was really close to FHC Office staff that got rid of anyone else that asked too many questions or tried to get things done independently?
I kind of wonder why Reg is all of a sudden so self righteous (sp)? What happened? Did he just discover god or is he beginning to feel guilty that everything is going downhill?
Reg was a bust as FHC executive and now he complains !! Oh, I guess he volunteered but used his position to shut down the successful men's program in 2000. I remember when he would not listen to anyone but the FHC office staff and told everyone to toe the line. What goes arounf, comes around - Reg - deal with it.!!
Be a man a admit that you messed up the program and then some of us will believe you and try and sort this mess out. Stop trying to sound so goody, goody becaus it is sickening to hear that you have some good suggestions.
The Men's program was on a roll and FHC Office staff could not deal with it because they did not control the coach and team. So much success wihtout FHC involvement - how could that be possible!! You and John Green did not know which way was up except listen to FHC staff.... so you co-opted Doug Harris and Peter D'Cruz - to be your supporters but I think that they saw through this farce and left. Neiother could or would do much.
ANyway, eneough said for now. More to come at the right time as many of you have blood on your hands for dismantling the Men's Program. You now have a coach that could not plan a program if his life depended on it. Nice guy but Head Coach...give me a break. Reg - you and others have cost the Men's Program a lot.
I hope that you , Eric Broom , Rob Watt, Gene Muller, FHC staff , John Green and other executive tell all of us that I am dead wrong by providing some information that tells us the success of the programs to date and how much you did for FHC.!!!
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Peter D'Cruz
12-05-2004 12:12 pm
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To Sawyer01
I have never got into a contentious discussion on this site with anyone who hides behind an alias. Your perspective of the men's national team program since 2000 is incorrect. I'd be happy to discuss things with you at your convenience. We may not agree but better those who want to make things better are really talking together instead of just being expressive on PFH. Nothing is going to get solved in a PFH discussion thread.
Please e-mail me at pdcruz@sympatico.ca if you wish to do so.
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ztar
12-05-2004 5:28 pm
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gbraun and volunteers
Gbraun
Gbraun states: you must have volunteers with more than just a little knowledge of the game. So true: but what do you do if the demand for FH exceeds the supply of knowledgeable volunteers?
This is where an executive like that of the WVFHC really deserve accolades. Faced with unbelievable growth and, fortunately, plenty of volunteers but, unfortunately, mostly inexperienced ones, the WVFHC sought to get these volunteers up to speed with plenty of information sessions. Sessions on umpiring and the rules in the clubhouse; sessions on simple skill development with national team representatives in school gyms; sessions on teams tactic, again with participation of national team members, in the clubhouse; and on, and on, and on. Clearly, there is no substitute for having played the game, but the WVFHC worked hard to bring soccer (and other sports) moms and dads to a coaching level that was passable. [In days gone by, Im sure to Gbraun and others in the Cowichan coaching ranks, some teams from West Vancouver may have appeared to play a rather rough, inelegant, and hacky style of FH].
As there is no substitute for having played, the WVFHC now features many older players (U14-U18) giving back to the sport by coaching or by assisting soccer dads who may know how to run a practice but are unfamiliar with the finer nuances of FH.
Perhaps an even tougher issue is the availability of umpires. Again I have to credit the WVFHC for having implemented a program that sees U14 and above players umpiring ½-field games for the U8 etc tykes. Further, the club has aggressively fostered the attainment of umpiring credentials by volunteers.
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ontario
12-05-2004 10:48 pm
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HOCKEY FINISHED!
Hockey is done in Canada....they will never be on the map to compete. Its sad to see. Bring back the club championships for the men's. It was at least competitive and interesting. It's much better then trying to have a provincial championship. You can't really have a provinical championship with 2 teams which are usually Ontario and B.C. let's face it the other provinces hockey is DEAD. You can't really make a career out of Hockey in Canada...Nobody cares about field hockey except the players who have love for the game. Nobody comes out to watch field hockey compare to other sports. Its too difficult too see Hockey rise in Canada.
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Was once a great Hockey Fan
12-05-2004 11:21 pm
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Thanks Gillian...But...
We have exhausted the goodwill of the majority of our Vounteers. Whether they are "knowledgeable" of hockey or not. We are stuck in this repetitive loop.
We have the tendency to take from volunteers and not give back in order to keep them still involved in the sport over the long haul... They burn out and we don't replace them quicker than we lose them.
We have no Central location on the Island where families can come to the field and not be subjected to "foul" language and a sheltered are for the kids to hang out and stay for a "pop". In Victoria ... UVIC is not a friendly Environment for families if you watch a "men's game" or there is poor weather. I hope Chesterfield has provisions for washrooms/ change rooms/ lounge areas / shelter from the rain
We have come to the field then leave the field culture. The comraderie of the "old" days are gone. We will never attain the "Euro-Stlye" Family Club system.
"GrassRoots" as we so affectionally refer to, also means keeping those baby boomers
and Gen Xer's still interested in the sport.
"For the love of the game " doesn't always cut it when there are competing activities out there.
FHC has done nothing to foster growth. In BC they don't need to. In PEI NB NS MAN...
the outcome is not worth their resources that they would have to put into it. I would suggest that FHC target ALL availabe Funds to these parts of the country where we can build a "System" not currupted by pettiness and bad history.
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onyx
12-07-2004 11:16 am
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anybody surprised
it seems that FHC and others were surprised by the Canada Games decision. Perhaps now is the time for all of those folks to take off the rose coloured glasses and rather than suggesting other sports like soccer take people look at the real problem. The real problem is the overall running of FH.
Hey in europe sports like FH exists in harmony with soccer... and there are enough participants to go around.
FHC has done a poor job of promoting the sport... and yes, sadly because of incompetence, FH will die in Canada
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sunspot
12-07-2004 2:20 pm
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volunteer umpires
Ztar
why would anyone want to volunteer to be an official when the ranks of umpires in FHC is as corrupt if not more corrupt than the rest of the program.... sure you can get people to do the lower levels, however, it is depressing when moving to higher levels how a person can get shut down not because they are a bad official (because there are lots of bad officials who have regionals and above) but because they do not tow the party line, or some other petty personal reason.
there are many people in the past who have been "shot down in flames" because "someone" at the top didn't like them (and yes many of these people were from BC, though it is not only BC, this happens across the country...)
face it.. the system is broken through and through
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Ali Gaul
12-07-2004 10:30 pm
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re: Thanks Gillian...But...
I agree with some of the comments made by "was once a great hockey fan". It CAN be hard to bring your kids to the field to watch a game. Some games are filled with glaring examples of bad sportsmanship that I don't want my kids to witness. In some leagues, players rush off afterwards and miss out on the healthy social activity I want to encourage my children to be involved with for a lifetime. However, for the last few years, my family has really enjoyed the Windsor Park League in Victoria. There are many families where Mum and Dad are playing and the kids are watching the game, or playing on the playground with grandparents. There are grandkids watching their grandparents play. There are teenagers playing with their parents. This co-ed league runs from Sept - November and consists of 4 teams. Games are always at either 1 or 2:30 p.m. on Sunday and there is always a social afterwards. There are frequent outings to the pub but there are many post game parties that are for the whole family. Socials are often held on the side of the field, in the clubhouse or at a family home. There are some very high-calibre players and some players who are totally new to the game. Everyone gets to play, everyone gets passed to and everyone has a good time. The teams are well matched and the games are a good workout (whatever your level of play). We've looked forward to Sundays each week this fall when Mum and Dad could play with their "hockey friends" and the kids could play with their "hockey friends". We're looking forward to next September. I hope you'll check it out "was once a great hockey fan". You might just learn to love again.
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Fiasco
12-08-2004 10:15 am
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Sawyer 01
You work for FHC?
You seem to have inside knowledge.
Who's "blood" is on Reg's hands?
It is attitudes like yours that have lead to the demise of hockey, obviously you would much rather lay blame than look unemotionally at this crisis.
I guess its up to our imaginantion but is there a chance that YOU are part of the office staff?
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Peter D'Cruz
12-08-2004 11:27 am
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Fiasco's questions to Sawyer 01
I offered Sawyer01 to discuss his or her false statements with me in confidence, but no one has contacted me at my e-mail address as yet. I know the statements are false because the reasons stated for my departure from the commitee are a lie.
That's the unfortunate problem with this forum is that people can state complete untruths by hiding behind an alias. The forum would be so much more useful if people stated who are they and expressed themselves openly so that some of the positive things and ideas expressed by many who want field hockey in Canada to get better do get implemented.
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Once a Great Hockey Fan
12-08-2004 12:17 pm
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Re Ali...
Thanks for the reply...
Windsor Park is the Classic example of Hockey, as it was meant to be played and experienced. Too bad it only runs for a few months.
I am a strong advocate for "turf" and High Performance and give it my full support!
But... There is no longer any "honour" or "respect" in the game any more. The elements
that demonstrate "poor" sportsmanship are becoming more prevelant. Disrespect for your opponent and officials are the norm. Having a league where masters players are playing against those hlf their age and losing by 5-10 goals doesn't seem to me an experience that one enjoys.
I have played / umpired /coached for over 25 years in Victoria and Hockey is definitely taken a turn for the worse. I would challenge those who think otherwise to promote the current hockey climate as being healthy.
But Again... because of this we have the Windsor park league as a natural progression towards "fun" hockey.
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Reg
12-08-2004 12:29 pm
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ztar, gbraun, Fiasco, Lorne (Hi Lorne)
James Joyce said that history was a nightmare from which we are trying to wake up. Byron called history the devil's scripture. There are always lots of very good historical reasons to tell us that the cause is hopeless and that we ought to just dig ourselves a hole and then get in it and lie very still.
However, people are out there doing good things for field hockey. We were talking on this thread about some of the positive stories and about sharing those stories with people so that we can learn and grow. I understand that last weekend Titans Club in Toronto ran a very successful junior indoor tournament. People here in Ottawa are looking to expand the junior girls program both indoor and outdoor. Toronto FHC has a pretty impressive web site with plans and coaches and kids playing. There are lots of reasons for guarded optimism.
And people are following this thread and taking part in the discussion. That says there is interest and optimism. This discussion has been valuable for me because I have learned a few things and because the discussion reinforces the feeling I have that while the task is tough it's not impossible and we can do this.
I would like to suggest we make a more conscious effort to share ideas and strategies and discuss common problems. I'd like to suggest that a couple of people on the west coast put together a proposal for FHC and the Provincial presidents. Perhaps GBraun and ztar - assuming you know each other - could put together a proposal to develop a one-day workshop that show cases a few success stories.
The case studies could take us through the key elements of a successful program/club, it could discuss challenges dealt with as well as future challenges. Once you had an outline of it you could share it with interested folks across the country and we could provide some feed back and then after its ready perhaps one or both of you could, with some expert facilitation help perhaps, go to a couple of centres and run through it with the locals.
For this to work, you would need some support and funding. I would expect FHC to react positively to this - especially if we have the support of the provincial presidents and we have a plan of action. Key people in the regions would need to be identified and their interests would need to be guaged as well. And we would need them to prod their provincial pres to prod FHC.
I for one would be willing to help you with it just in terms of making suggestions about what aspects I would be most interested in hearing about and in terms of drumming up support for the idea. I am sure Fiasco would too and there would be others. I would be happy to have you come to Ottawa to run through it here and I am sure I could get all our key people to take part. I am hoping there are people elsewhere in the country who would like to hear what you have done and how you did it as well.
What do you think? I realise I am asking a lot of you and perhaps this idea won't quite work as described here but is there a variation on this that you think is workable?
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onyx
12-08-2004 3:16 pm
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once a fan has a point with respect to the players in the leagues that are out there... there is no "honour" or "respect" in the game that is played in Canada today. I am always shocked to see extremely one sided games where the winning team just continues to score, and the coaches on the sidelines who stand there and encourage it.
however, the game is slowly dying in Canada, we have all been observers to a slow deterioration of the sport. Federal funding is all but dried up, the national teams aren't even on the radar screen for large events, or even small events for that matter (unless you count the fact that they see canadian teams as a way to pad the goals for category).
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