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For the 2023/24 season, team selection will be done by a club selection committee rather than individual captains. The goal is to improve selection, communication and the player development pathway. This policy sets out how selection will work across the entire club.
We will put availability requests on Spond well in advance of the games.
Please complete your availability in Spond as early as possible.
Please complete your availability for all games, regardless of which team they are for.
We won't chase for availability, if you don't let us know you are available you might not get a game.
About once a month, the selection committee will meet to create squads for each game.
Final squads will be published as early as possible as Spond events so you can see your upcoming games.
We know circumstances change, if you have a late change of availability then please contact the captain of your usual team.
Selection to be done by the club selection committee.
The duty of the Selection Panel is to construct, with the players available, the most balanced teams, playing the best standard of Hockey that they can.
Selection should support the development of all players, giving them development opportunities in appropriate higher teams.
Selection should allow for the natural exchange of players between squads
Selection should aim to provide the most hockey for the highest number of people.
The selection committee to include: Team captains, Team managers, Head Coach, Section Coaches and membership secretary.
The selection committee to be chaired by the club Vice-Chair
All members should endeavour to attend each meeting, or provide a report with their recommendations to the committee chair in their absence.
Committee decisions should be agreed by all members and members should work together to give opinion and input from players.
In the case of a dispute, this should be mediated by the committee chair, making a final decision if necessary with regard to this policy and the club goals.
In exceptional circumstances, members of the committee may escalate an issue to the Club Chair.
Committee to meet prior to the season to perform initial player rankings, squad allocation and selection for initial weeks of the season.
Committee to meet at least every 4 weeks during the season to update rankings, squads and selections for the next period.
Availability and selection are not the same thing, selection can only be done after player availability has been gathered.
Players are expected to make themselves available for any game on a gameday where possible.
Players only making themselves available for their chosen squad in an attempt to influence team selection may lead to a disciplinary action.
Players are expected to give their availability in good time for the selection committee to make their decisions.
Players have responsibility for keeping their availability up to date.
Players not providing availability may miss out on selection for their regular team or may not be selected at all.
Captains and Coaches are not expected to chase players for availability.
It is expected that occasionally players availability will change at short notice for a number of reasons. This will be accommodated and players will not be penalised in selection.
Some players circumstances may not allow them to give availability far in advance. In these cases, they should contact the Head Coach and make them aware of their circumstances. Players will not be penalised unduly.
Players not up to date with membership and match fees will not be selected by the club. If the player has exceptional circumstances, is unable to pay, needs to explain non or late payment, or requires a change in payment plan then they should contact either the Club Treasurer or Club Welfare officer.
Selection will be based on:
Performance in training and matches
Commitment to availability on matchdays
Attendance at training
Punctuality
Fitness
Experience
Ability to play at selected level
Enthusiasm and attitude
Respect
Positional ability
Potential to develop
Discipline
E. Senior Team Selection Guidance
Club selection objectives will be continually reviewed by the selection committee throughout the season, bearing in mind the needs of the teams such as promotion/relegation chances.
Membership secretary to provide an up to date list of selectable players to the selection committee, taking into account current payment status.
All available players should be selected, subject to the squad size limit (16)
If the club is regularly oversubscribed and players are missing out on games due to the squad size limit, selection should attempt to ensure all members get approximately the same number of games across the season.
Where the club is oversubscribed for goalkeepers, unselected goalkeepers should be offered an outfield selection.
The selection committee should select teams to fulfil the highest number of games on a matchday.
Should the selection committee need to cancel a game, as many players as possible should be taken by other teams.
Where the club is short of players on a matchday, and this cannot be resolved by doubling up players, each team should take an equal number of players, unless in extreme circumstances.
Where the club is short of senior players on a matchday, juniors should not be pulled up from age-group teams unless it is in the best interests of the player. The senior teams should play short or be cancelled where necessary.
Where it is determined that a junior player shall play senior hockey for development purposes, they shall have the same selection standing as a senior player.
Unless is extreme circumstances, an equal number of players should be selected across the teams. Where an additional player is available, the higher team should take the extra substitute.
Unless in extreme circumstances, such as last match of the season with promotion on the line, a lower team should not play short of players if a higher team is taking substitutes. Every effort should be taken to avoid this and match fees should not be charged to the lower team.
Competition for places is welcomed and is a healthy part of running a sports club. Teams should not become closed groups and players should have a reasonable expectation that their improvements should be recognised.
New players to the club should start at an appropriate level.
New members shall not be refused or dissuaded from joining because of existing player numbers.
Players should have a reasonable expectation of playing a fair proportion of the game. If you have selected 12 players for a team, it is unreasonable that 10 players get 70mins and 2 get 35mins.
Players moving up a team for development should ideally be given 3 games to settle in the higher team before moving back down for at least 2, to ease their introduction to the higher squad and allow them to adapt, repeatedly moving up and down between teams can be disruptive to player development.
Selection to be communicated to players weekly, as soon as possible.
All players should be aware that selection takes place with the aim of improving the overall level of club hockey and providing development opportunities for all.
Movement between teams should be an accepted part of selection and players should not expect to be guaranteed a place in a particular team.
Players being promoted above their usual level should be informed by the higher team captain or head coach with reasons and support given. This should be done in person where possible.
Players being demoted below their usual level should be informed by their usual captain or head coach with reasons and support given. This should be done in person where possible.
Emphasis should be given to the experience and strengths players moving to lower teams provides, including the ability to improve the players around them. If requested, an action plan to address reasons for demotion should be provided by their coach.
Players should respect the decisions of the selection committee, we ask them to perform a very difficult balancing act.
Players should support and respect all their teammates regardless of selection, any perceived mistakes in selection are not the fault of the player.
Players needing to change their availability after selection has been published, for instance due to illness or injury, should inform their captain as soon as possible.
Changes to selection after selection has been published, for instance due to illness or injury, should be discussed by members of the selection committee and communicated to the players involved by their captains.
Players are encouraged to discuss any selection issues with their captains and the Head Coach, who should bring those concerns to the selection committee.
Children progress at different rates and have different potentials. The club doesn't not want children playing out of their depths or being held back where they are technically or physically more developed. The club will continually assess our young players to make the best development decisions for them.
Physical condition of junior players should not be taken for granted, quite often they are playing other sports and this should be taken into account when selecting them for hockey games. Ideally players should not be playing more than one full game a day and not more than two in a weekend.
Nobody under the age of 13 will play in senior competition.
Young players will not be introduced to senior competition until it is in the best interests of the player, and only then in agreement between coaches, player and parents. Players will not be recruited just to make up numbers.
Young players being introduced to senior competition should be given the opportunity to join in multiple senior training sessions prior to being put in a game situation and their development in those sessions should be closely monitored.
Young players being introduced to senior games should be able to do so as a substitute to remove some of the pressure from them. Young players should also not be expected to travel significant distances to an away game for this.
Young players involved in the senior squads should have a clear selection priority for their development between senior and age-group teams and should only be selected for one on a match day.
Players primarily should be selected for their current age-group.
Players should only play up an age group if there is a clear development opportunity for them.
Players should only play down an age group if it is for their own development, age group teams should not double up players from higher age groups.
All available players should be selected where possible.
Where an age-group is over subscribed and all players cannot be selected, players should be rotated over the season to provide everyone with equal numbers of games.
Age-group teams should provide, as far as possible, equal playing time for all players in the age-group. This is essential to allow the range of technical and physical abilities across the group to develop, rather than be dominated by the tallest/fastest players.
Age-group teams should provide, as far as possible, a full range of positions for players across the season. Players should not be pigeon holed into a position early in their development and playing a range of positions is good long term.
Selection and communication should be based on development, good play and enjoyment for the players. Winning is a nice benefit, but should never be the focus.
Once too old for age-group hockey, it is expected that players will join senior squads for the following season. Players should be introduced to senior training in advance of this to help them transition to the senior game.
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