Hi all,

I hope everyone has had a great summer; it has really flown by!

At this point as the Ladies pre-season starts creeping up, I wanted to touch base with an update on where we are at for the season ahead.

COACHES

For the upcoming season, we are delighted that Sara Quill will be staying on as Head Coach, as well as the U16 Girls again. We are excited to welcome Dr. Fiona Weldon as the new Ladies 2s Coach. Fiona has been volunteering in the Junior section of the Club and more recently has been helping to run our recent “Pick up a Stick” campaign. Jack Lacey-Curtis is staying on as Ladies 5s Coach also and it is great to welcome him back to the Coaching Team.

For our Goalkeepers, we are excited to welcome Holy Micklem to the Coaching team. Holly did some work with the GKs last season and we are excited to bring her in on an increased capacity. Holly is currently at the Junior Europeans with the Irish Under 21s and is in the mix for Senior Selection also.

At this point we are still looking to secure Coaches for the Ladies 3rd and 4ths and conversations with potential candidates are ongoing. We hope to have some news on that very soon. We are still open to receiving applications, so do get in touch if you are interested or know anyone that might be.

PRE-SEASON DATES

• Saturday 13th August – Ladies Welcome Back Blitz, Loreto Bray 10.30am to 12pm
• Tuesday 16th August – Preseason starts, all players, Loreto Bray, 7pm to 8.30/9pm
• Thursday 18th August - All players, Loreto Bray, 7pm to 8.30/9pm
• Saturday 20st & 27th August – All players, trial matches to take place, Loreto Bray, times TBC. There may be friendly fixtures arranged for some selected players across the squads, others to attend the trial sessions.

Most or all sessions will be split by ability/targeted squad for the coming season. This will vary depending on the Coaches availability with a fundamental aim for all players to be seen as much as possible by Selectors.

Goalkeeper trial dates are TBC asap.

From August 23rd onwards, we aim to split the preseason into training groups to help identify players for each squad. This will depend on numbers back at preseason and times below are subject to change:

• L1s to L3s Loreto - Tuesdays 8.30 - 10 & Thursdays 7pm - 8.30pm
• L4s & L5s Loreto - Tuesdays 7pm - 8.30pm & Thursdays 8.30pm to 10pm

SELECTION

Selection Committee

The Selection Committee will include all Ladies Coaches, Goalkeeper Coach, Ruth McDonagh (Vice-President) & Claire Prendergast (Ladies Club Captain).

Selection Considerations

Selection for each squad will include considerations of the following criteria:

• Ability (skill, technical & tactical)
• Availability
• Attendance
• Fitness
• Coachability

Squad Coaches will have final say on selection but will be supported by the overall Selection Committee.

Coaches are permitted to hold up to 2 squad spaces for specific players if they are unavailable during preseason. These players must be available to train/play no later than September 16th, otherwise the positions are to be filled by players selected for a lower squad.

Selection Dates

• Ladies 1sts & 2nds – 29th August
• Ladies 3rds, 4ths & 5ths – 4th September

Selection Process

We appreciate that trying out for a team can be difficult and not everyone will be selected for the squad they are aiming for. We want to have a fair, empathetic and transparent process so these will be the steps involved:

• All players to clearly identify at the start of preseason what squad they are aiming to try out for. This should be within reasonable ability of the preferred squad. To do so, please complete this form no later than August 15th. Please complete this even if you are not starting preseason until a later date.
• Players should attend the relevant trial/training sessions un Coaches are permitted to hold up to 2 squad spaces for specific players if they are unavailable during preseason. These players must be available to train/play no later than September 16th, otherwise the positions are to be filled by players selected for a lower squad. less otherwise advised by the Coaching/Selection team, this may happen at any point of the process if player is deemed not to be at the required level
• Selection to the relevant selection of each squad will be sent by email from the Club email address and will only identify the players selected for the announced squad
• Players that do not make selection will not be communicated with in advance of the selection
• Players are requested to wait 24 hours before seeking feedback on their selection. Feedback requests can be directly to the relevant Coach or through the Selection Committee
• Players joining the Club later in pre-season or during the season will be assessed at a level deemed appropriate by the Selection Committee. This may mean that a squad may carry additional players during the assessment period until a decision has been made
• Should a player already on a squad be dropped for an incoming player, this should be communicated in person by the relevant Head Coach and in the presence of one of Vice President or Club Captain
• All players should be aware that incoming players may affect their selection and that selection process runs throughout the season
• Coaches need to ensure that regular, transparent, constructive and honest feedback is given to players throughout the pre-season and playing season. Coaches should clarify with players that they are fully aware of circumstances should they be on the fringe of a squad
• Players are encouraged to strive to play for higher teams throughout the season and should seek feedback from their own Coach and higher-level Coaches in order to enable their progress

TRAINING TIMES

As of August 29th, the official training times for the season will come into play for the Ladies 1sts & 2nds.

L1s training will be in both TCG (Tuesdays) and Loreto (Thursdays) each week with matches also being rotated between the two venues. The Men’s 2nds will use the L1s slot on Tuesdays in Loreto.

Ladies 3rds to 5ths will continue to train for one further week as a larger group until selection is made.

L5s training will be moving to Mondays and Wednesdays from early September and will be based in TempleCarrig.

NEXT STEPS

1. Add yourself to the ClubZap Group - 2022 Ladies Preseason; Go to ClubZap, Chat, Search or 2022 Ladies Preseason and add yourself 😊
2. Complete the preseason form to let us know what team you are aiming for this season; https://forms.gle/SsGU5LxqsnszSneZ9
3. Pay your subs; Go to ClubZap, Clubhouse, Membership, follow the steps!
4. Sort out your Hockey Ireland membership for the season ahead; https://hockeyireland.justgo.com/Account.mvc/SignIn
• NOTE; This will not be available until September
• Played last season? Then you need to renew your membership, cost of €10
• New to hockey? Go to the link and register and pay for your membership, cost of €10. Record your ME number and share with Claire P (Club Captain)
• Anyone wishing to play hockey this season must have a valid membership to be eligible to play

Looking forward to seeing you all soon,

Ruth

Bray HC, Vice President