Purpose of this policy
This policy outlines how players will be selected for each team and match throughout the season.
Who does it apply to
It applies to friendlies as well as league fixtures and applies equally to all active players, regardless of their position within the club, individual ability, length of tenure at the club, committee member or not, full paid members and pay-as-you go members, juniors, seniors, outfield players and goalies.
Background
Cheddar Hockey club prides itself on being a friendly and supportive environment for all players. We all give up our time and we all pay to play hockey as a hobby. However we are committed to self and club improvement via winning matches and accepting promotion where it is earned.
We’re all incredibly proud of how far we’ve come as a club and due to this growth as a club, and with the inclusion of a junior section, this policy outlines in more detail how team selection will be undertaken at Cheddar Hockey and how we make sure that it is done in a transparent way for the welfare of all players.
Club Position on Selection
It has been agreed that the primary focus of selection will be for the betterment of the club position in league fixtures.
It is important that members recognise that if they are asked to move up or down a team it is intended to be in the best interest of the club. It is reasonable for the club to promote the development of younger players and to see their inclusion into appropriate teams. It’s assumed that players will be willing to play for whichever team they are selected for.
We understand that it’s important for life planning for there to be some consistency in teams. This is also in the best interests of the club as playing together regularly offers the best outcomes for matches.
However, movement within the teams should become an accepted part of selection and players should not expect to be guaranteed a place in a particular team. This should extend to when players return from injury or other lengthy absences, such as University.
New players to the club should start at an appropriate level decided by the selection process.
Selection Process
Cheddar Hockey uses a Selection Panel each week to decide which players are going to play for each team.
The Selection Panel consists of;
Selection will be decided on a Tuesday evening (8pm) by the Selection Panel and Players are informed by Wednesday evening via the Teamo automated system. This message is automated therefore cannot be personalised to each player.
Team selection will be drawn from the collated information on member availability. Selection will be decided from the 1st X1 Team downwards. It is expected of players to acknowledge the need for the club to put the requirements of its highest teams first. Quality of selection within higher teams should not be compromised to assist lower teams, in line with League directives.
The Selection Panel is committed to ensuring sensitivity with inevitable team movement, up and down.
Where a player is being asked to play in a team different from ‘regular’ (regular being defined as 3+ games in a row) the team captain of their regular team will personally message to inform him/her of the decision and the reasons why it was taken before the Teamo automated message is sent. If the captain is unable to issue this message, another team captain will send the message.
This personal message will be delivered for up to 3 games after which point we’d define the ‘regular’ team to have changed.
Selection criteria
It is the job of the Selection Panel to construct, with the players available, the most balanced teams, playing the best standard of hockey that they can. Selection will be based on merit given the requirements of the Club, the individual Teams, and the development of talent.
As above, the primary focus of selection is for the betterment of the individual teams position within their league. Selection decisions are taken from a primary drive to avoid relegation and move towards promotion and to ensure that junior talent is developed through the club.
Selection will be based on the following criteria. ‘Club Requirements’ indicated must be met and the ‘Player Attributes’ are considered (in no particular order but with a focus on ‘skills’ as the first amongst equals).
Club Requirements
Player Attributes
Player Responsibility
It is the responsibility of each individual player to ensure their information is kept up to date. It is NOT expected of captains to pursue individual players to establish their availability.
Players are advised that failure to confirm availability may mean that they risk missing out on selection for their regular team, or perhaps at all, on that date. It should also be recognised that availability and selection are not the same thing. Selection procedures can only begin once accurate information regarding player availability is gathered.
We will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible.
