SB Welcomed Everyone to the Meeting

WPC 7th September 2013

Minutes

Welcome

SB welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Attendance

Sallie Barker

Clare Stoot

Clare Smoothy

Alex Carnegie Brown

Bella Kiddle

Mark Coups

Polly Enevoldson

3. Apologies for absence

Jenny Sanderson

Alison Dunn

Kate Nelson Lee

Jenny Haynes

Rob Keogh

Brigit Parry

Michelle Bray

Composition of WPC

Rachel Buckley has volunteered to come back to WPC and has agreed to share National Events remit with Kate Nelson Lee.
Jenny Sanderson – has offered to take on North Junior co-ordinator role and does not have the time to do WPC as well. Following discussion it was agreed that the Junior and Senior Development roles would not continue and so Jenny would not be replaced. Alex Carnegie Brown to be co-opted onto WPC.

With regards to the agenda and attendance

PE to chase individuals in future who are mentioned to confirm their attendance
SB to also speak to Sara Benbow about future WPC involvement.

4. Minutes of last meeting

- Approved by those present.

5. Matters Arising

a. Confirm position of Birmingham

AD confirmed Birmingham was moving to SW league. This was approved by WPC
Helen Murray had developed a series of monthly tournaments alongside friendly ‘league’. Now 14 teams in the SW league.Tournament will be seeded after performance on the first weekend.

b. Ideas for women’s network and Hall of Fame

JH not in attendance, had sent an email saying she had had some ideas on these and will bring them to next WPC meeting.

c. Unified pitch markings:

WPC agreed that unified markings will be compulsory as of next season and advised that all prepare for the change this season.
Information to go out in shooting strings and the draw.
FIL website holds new pitch marking diagram, PE to attach to minutes and put a link in email.

d. Decision around Sticks – changes to stringing rules

Super league, JRT and SRT must be compliant this season and NS2014.
Whilst Regional tournaments should be compliant this season, clubs will not be affected at the moment

Move to 10 a-side game
Following discussion it was agreed that we would wait and see what happened. At present, we have the elite version (12 a side) and the 10 a side game is used developmentallye.g. BUCS premiership and div 1 play 12 a side, other leagues do 10 a side to help with development, hoping to lead to increased 2nd teams.

10 a side would be great for 2nd teams in a club, would help with university leavers – allow clubs to make the decision later on in the year/season whether to enter another team solely based on September uptake.

5. Update from Head Office

Mark Coups, CEO, provided an update on the following areas:

–Finance:

There have been some complications and thanks to Bella for coming to Head Office to help with the situation
As of 16th September Kim Lewis will be taking over from Steve Hindley until Christmas.
Erin Bevington is coming back on a part time basis, proposal to board re her role as senior administrator.

–IT consultant:

Updating IT systems, creating remote icloud to access documents out of the office
Club dashboard – staff training happening next week.

–Events:

Signed partnership agreement with Rathbones for National Schools.
Rathbones coming up with number of events that they want to run e.g. play day in Hyde Park

–Delivery Team:

7 regional officers
Performance management system being introduced, act as link between development in the sport and making it happen.
Different job descriptions and aims/targets for all delivery staff to reflect area.

–Senior Management Group

Jane Powell – National Talent Development Manager to start on 16th September.

–Girls National Academy

GNA replaced Centex, all curriculum updated, head office has been providing administration.
Around 300 girls attended this summer.
System is now in place, once Jane has arrived she will continue to work with U19 staff to update and improve the GNA.
ACB commented – have identified areas to target, will improve with new camp venues. 95% of girls who should be are in the academy area. Challenge going forward – data management and communication between ELA, parents, players and schools.

–Performance Committee

Nominations have been made by elite.
Committee meeting on the 20th September 2013.

A discussion was held on the role of WPC. It was agreed that this is to govern and advise the domestic game. With a focus on the school and the club game to help ELA meet Sport England targets. WPC to influence volunteers and schools to encourage girls to continue playing lacrosse.

6. National Events

WPC approved the draft WPC tournament guidelines, subject to a few amendments below, and thanked CS for all her hard work on the document.

Action: Game time: if object to playing two full stop clock matches back to back, option to play 30 minutes half full stop clock, 20 minutes full stop clock halves. CSmooth to consult with SW, SE and North and report back final decision.

Action: AD to confirm position in relation to men’s flags final

–NUCCS and Junior Regional Tournament’s

Idea to put JRTs alongside the NUCCs club event to make a festival lacrosse weekend.
If NUCC’s is a priority event, Abi Merrill (AM) will start organisation from Head Office.
National Junior Clubs (NJCs) – run by Head Office, same day as NJTs.
3 events on one weekend - Saturday: NUCCs Sunday: NJTs and NJCs
AM will do event infrastructure, schedule and volunteers to be run by National Events.

–Home Internationals – Joint Senior and Junior 29th -30th March

To be hosted by Wales for 2014, venue TBC.

7. Development of the Super League

ACB to spend some time with Sam Patterson and Caroline Royle to discuss how it is to be marketed (date to be confirmed).
Player orientated this year.
She had spoken to Welsh and Scottish national coaches, agreed to come onto drafting panel and also encourage participation within the super league.
Budget – idea to keep player entry fee low to encourage teams. ELA and WPC to provide money in some form.
Four branded teams to start the super league, festival day for the first weekend, round robin format.
Case of keeping teams balanced as super league grows.
Approached netball and the development team that set up their super league, to take on board lessons they learnt on the way. Aim to follow netball model, once initial idea mapped out, will draw up a development plan aim to work with Rathbones to gain sponsorship.
Will become part of the elite pathway, but not until off the ground.

8. Development of the Women’s Game

Paul Coups had sent an email to SB about how WPC could work with HO to develop the women’s game. During discussion the following points were made:

Broader understanding of critical mass of people needed for the different tiers of lacrosse to work.
Best way to help expansion via:
Schools
Juniors
Universities
Clubs
Need to dovetail the post university leaver’s catchment with WPC to guarantee all aware of how it is happening.
Need to influence schools, getting girls to play for clubs, continue at university and continue once they leave.
Drop out happens after school, need to find ways to push girls into university and club lacrosse.
Potential for U13 B & C regional tournaments, invite clubs down to pick up the girls getting them into the club system.
New areas of development e.g. Newcastle
How do we improve and support each area to make sure we get more people playing?
Potential for local clubs to attend alumni games.

How to bring this forward – back ground work
Player life cycle
Persona work – against tournaments/leagues where are the gaps
New areas versus models of each region.

Action: All information to be brought to the next meeting for discussion.

Issues re: rules post FIL women’s sector meeting

Both elite and WPC have been asked to provide feedback.
SB to ask RK to co-ordinate feedback in regards to the rules.

Action: Rob to circulate information to WPC and Elite for comment.

9. Communication within the Women’s Game

SE – committee positions, trials for regional’s, end of season survey.
Regional contact lists including age lists – when register option to select which region you are from.
Changes being made, database being updated constantly in the aim to gain more data. Would like to capture the following:
Name
Date of birth
Address
Email address
Club/university/school
Region
Role: player, non player, volunteer, coach, committee

Action: Mark to get CSmooth an answer and also to speak to Gary Wilson who will reach out to CSmooth to make sure the updates made are applicable to WPC and what the want to achieve.

Action: PE to include in next Draw – update membership info, superleague memo, stick ruling, unified markings, WPC update.

10. World Cup 2017

Jan Kiddle had provided an update and will send WPC regular updates in future
First committee meeting on the 8th October.
WPC initiative – could we log volunteer hours and once a certain amount has been reached people could be given a free ticket for 2017? This will provide us with a volunteer base and would also help us organise events in the run up to 2017. Could also involve MPC in run up to 2018, option for credit towards ticket of choice not just 2017 etc.

Action: MC to discuss with WC2017 organising committee

11. Budget

Bella provided an update, but there was still outstanding information required from North and SW. If no plans received by 30 September, money will be re-allocated.

All WPC money to be spent by March 31st 2014.

SW only paid half the regional entry fee, and North not paid any of it at all. BK to sort out.

Umpiring - £3000 allocated to courses. SB to let PC know.

Action: Alison and Michelle to provide a budget and plans for £3k by 30th September.

Action: BK to work with MC on cash flow of WPC.

Action: SB to discuss umpiring monies with PC.

13. AOB

-PE to set up dropbox for WPC documents for all to access.

-PE to complete club contact list via communication with SE and SW league.

-All regions need to bring their Regional calendar alongside University calendar to the January meeting.

-PE to email Bella with information regarding clubs and teams per club for invoicing for Ron Balls asap.

12. Dates of 2014 Meetings:

11th January 2014
10th May 2014
7th September 2014 (please note Sunday instead of Saturday for this date)

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