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PART ONE - SUSSEX COUNTY
CRICKET BOARD DEVELOPMENT PLAN
PART TWO - WHAT IS A FOCUS
CLUB ? Click here
PART THREE - WHY ARE FOCUS
CLUBS IMPORTANT TO S.C.B. and WHAT ARE S.C.B. OBJECTIVES FOR FOCUS
CLUB DEVELOPMENT?
PART FOUR - HOW DOES THE
CLUB BENEFIT ?
PART FIVE - WHICH SUSSEX
CLUBS CAN BE FOCUS CLUBS?
PART 6 - ONE THOUGHTS- IS
THE FOCUS CLUB PROGRAMME THE ANSWER TO DEVELOP YOUTH CRICKET INTO
THE 21ST CENTURY ?
WHAT
IS THE POSITION OF A FOCUS CLUB IN THE DEVLOPMENT OF SUSSEX YOUTH
CRICKET ?
- The Sussex Cricket Board see five main strands in their Development
Plan
- SCHOOLS CRICKET
- 415 PRIMARY SCHOOLS
- 80 SECONDARY SCHOOLS and 8 SPECIALIST
SPORTS COLLEGES
- CLUB CRICKET
- 235 AFFILIATED CLUBS
- 104 WITH JUNIOR SECTIONS
- 15 CLUBS WITH GIRLS SECTIONS
- * 40 CLUBS REGISTERED
WITH CLUB MARK *
- 7 CLUBS FULLY
ECB ACCREDITATED
- AREA CRICKET
- AREA SQUADS BOYS 10-15
- AREA SQUADS GIRLS 11,13,15
- REPRESENTATIVE CRICKET
- BOYS 10-17
- GIRLS 11,13,15,17
- * The 40 Clubs have been identified as FOCUS CLUBS by the
Board and they were invited to the meeting with the ECB officials.
- "This is a new area of development for the Sussex County
Cricket Board and naturally carries it with concerns. There is
a shared belief that helping Clubs to establish quality will
only enhance cricket in the County and deliver the SCB Development
Plan. " Extract from Focus Clubs Discussion Paper.
- WHAT IS
A FOCUS CLUB ?
- The ECB Strategy for Cricket sees the development of Clubs
as a key element of a development plan for Sussex
- The National Strategy can be found at hhtp://static.ecb.co.uk/files/national-strategy-seven-steps-club-40.pdf
- The overall aim for Club development
is " To ensure that every person, including players of all
levels of experience and ability, has the opportunity to play
and become involved in the game in a fully structured , organised
and resourced Club environment"
- What then is a FOCUS CLUB?
- The ECB Development Department , through the 40 County Boards,
has identified 1,365 Clubs throughout England and Wales with
which it will work more closely in order to help them develop
over the next three years.
- These Clubs are the ones best placed to deliver the ECB objectives
for Club cricket.
- The Sussex County Cricket Board
therefore decided to prioritise its efforts initially identifying
Clubs which the Board felt it could best work with
- The list of Sussex Focus Clubs is
not, at this moment in time forthcoming from the Board, but it
is understood that they will be drawn form those Clubs who already
have a good track record working with youth cricket.
- The model being used is as follows
: There would be clusters of Primary and Secondary Schools supported
by Specialist Sports Colleges who would be funded from the Local
Education Authority and linked to Clubs through the Specialist
College . The District Development Group would relate to the
Focus Club
- The ECB gained £9.4 million from the Government's Community
Club Development Programme . It is being spent on a small number
of FOCUS CLUBS instead of being spread thinly across many cricket
Clubs.
- It is felt that in time this approach will make a real difference
to the youth cricket scene.
- It is to be believed that three
Sussex Clubs have been granted Conditional Awards under this
scheme . It is hoped to verify this and to establish how much
money will actually be received by each of the three Clubs.
- PART THREE
- WHY ARE FOCUS CLUBS IMPORTANT TO
S.C.B. ?
- The focus club will
A. assist in a viable cricket infrastructure that links with
SCHOOLS and provides appropriate support for identifying and
developing talented individuals and meets the needs of local
comnmunities
B. increase club membership levels among young people in ALL
clubs and to support development of quality assured JUNIOR SECTIONS
of clubs
C. increase club membership among WOMEN/BLACK and OTHER ETHNIC
GROUPS/PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
C. Focus Clubs will catalyse cricket development in all Clubs
- WHAT ARE S.C.B. AIMS FOR NON-FOCUS
CLUB DEVELOPMENT?
- A. To further enjoyment of game
B. To encourage clubs to link with FOCUS CLUBS
C. To encourage clubs to offer high quality structured coaching
and competitive opportunities for all playing members
D. To develop the appropriate structure to raise the standard
and profile of club cricket and to enable club cricketers to
fulfil their potential.
E. To encourage and assist cricket clubs to help themselves.
Encouraging them to develop and utilise their own human and financial
resources to achieve their long term goals and through this to
increase the energy and enthusiasm such that all will benefit.
- WEB MASTERS COMMENTS
At the risk of appearing cynical I cannot distinguish between
the aims of the Sussex County Cricket Board for Focus Clubs and
non-Focus Clubs. If one reads into the jargon the aims appear
the same and the delivery of the programme appears to be the
same.
However it would appear that - with the carrot of MONEY dangling
in front of the FOCUS CLUBS they are required to add additional
levels of bureaucracy to their Club activity and are required
to act on behalf of the Board to be involved with all and sundry
in the local community.
- Experience of Club cricket development over many years
suggests that it is the ever changing PARENT body which drives
the youth cricket scene. There are very few individuals in Clubs
who have maintained a development drive and enthusiasm over a
period of 6 years- the average Club life of a young cricketer.
- One knows that at National level the England Wales Cricket
Board are required to submit very detailed plans when seeking
financial support and this perfectly acceptable requirement at
National level seems to be cascading down to the lowest level
of youth cricket administration.
- The term NANNY STATE comes to mind in describing what
appears to be CENTRALISATION of youth cricket administration.
- HOW DOES THE FOCUS CLUB BENEFIT
?
- QUOTE - The Focus Club scheme allows
Focus Clubs to realise their desire , through the support of
the County Board and the Partnership working that it encourages.
Focus clubs will GAIN priority treatment with regards to
a. improved communication
b. help with access to resources
c. advice on volunteering opportunities - grant aid; equipment;coaching;talent
identification and progression ; match play; administration;
child welfare and any other areas of Club development that will
ultimately increase participation and improve standards.
- The role model being used is as
follows.
- FOCUS CLUB
-Development planning/Links with Local partners/suport for talented
players/coach training and support/volunteer recruitment/sources
of funding/groundmanship/Club Mark accreditation/Links with Local
schools/setting up a girls section/Developingp layers/umpire
and scorer training support
- PART FOUR
- HOW DOES THE CLUB BENEFIT?
- Focus Clubs will gain priority treatment
with regards to
a. Improved communication
b. help with access to resources
c. advice on volunteering opportunities
d. advice on grant aid
d. advice on equipment
e. advice on coaching
f. advice on talent identification
g. advice on match play
h. advice on administration
i. advice on child welfare
j. advice on any other areas of club development that will ultimately
increase participationand improve standards.
- Webmaster observations
The list of benefits to a Focus Club appears to be exactly the
same list of requirements as that of any Club seeking help from
the Sussex County Board and through it the- Cricket Development
Office.
Is the implication of the list of benefits for a Focus Club that
any non-Focus Club seeking
help will not receive it ?
- RESOURCES AND FINANCIAL BENEFITS
FOR THE CLUB
- What funds are available?
This question-(Web master comment-
on the lips of every volunteer youth cricket administrator) misses the point .
- THE SCHEME IS NOT ABOUT MONEY -
IT IS ABOUT GOOD PRACTICE AND QUALITY. HOWEVER RESOURCES INCLUDING
FUNDS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME AVAILABLE FOR CLUBS ONCE THEY START
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT , WITHIN THE COUNTY, THEY ARE LEADERS IN
CRICKET DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE
CLUB ACCORDING TO THE SUSSEX COUNTY CRICKET BOARD?
- FOCUS CLUBS WIL BE REQUIRED TO
- Gain Clubmark accreditation
Ensure that non Focus Clubs work with Focus Clubs to develop
Work together with their Area Development Group to produce and
implement a comprehensive development plan.
Produce development plans to facilitate professionalism
Actively recruit players
Access funding to set up schemes
Create a high quality , safe child friendly environment
Make their clubs more accessible to children- particularly those
from disadvantaged backgrounds
Breakdown barriers to the participation of girls, minority ethnic
groups and disabled children
Increase awareness of ECB and other , local and national initiatives
and the contributions they can make to the government's wider
sporting agenda
Consider the appointment of Cricket Development Managers in order
to boost Club development and facilitate communication with County
Boards and the ECB
WEB MASTER OBSERVATION
Is the person or persons who compiled this document in touch
with reality ?
Of course all Clubs will want to create a safe child friendly
environment and the response County wide to undertake Criminal
Record Bureau checks has been very well supported in Sussex but
much of the list that a Focus Club will be required to do is
so far removed from the simple intent of the active youth cricket
vlounteer.
The feeling is coming across that the buck is being passed onwards
and downwards from the ECB through the SCB to the lower levels.
It is as if a drawbridge is being pulled up and the Boards are
hiding behind it with an I am alright Jack mentality. Why is
all this bureaucracy required in order that a very part time
Club volunteer can obtain help from the full time professionals
?
- PART FIVE
- Clubs eligible for this scheme in Sussex must demonstrate
that they embrace the following :
- 1.COMPLIANCE
WITH ECB'S WELFARE OF YOUNG CHILDREN POLICY AND PROCEDURES including
the nomination and attendance of people at relevant training
courses and the appointment of a Club Welfare Officer
- 2.
The appointment of a Club Volunteer Co-ordinator and a club volunteer
management plan that includes
The maintenance of Club membership records to reflect all types
of membership - playing/social/junior/parent etc
Records to include skills/availability etc
A volunteer management plan that shows succession planning and
the development / sustaining of members' skills
Job descriptions on all volunteer posts within the Club , including
an agreement to pay appropriate expenses
The recruitment of new volunteers
Recognition of the work/achievements of existing volunteers
Volunteer reward schemes
Links through the ECB National Volunteer plan to local volunteer
bureaus
- 3 Financial
management - including independently examined or audited accounts
Forecast of income and expenditure for the next 12 month period.
- 4 The
club should have an open constitution
- 5 The
Club should have policies covering the following aspects
Equity
Health and Safety
Codes of conduct - players/members/spectators etc
- 6 Security
of tenure - the Club should have a minimum security of tenure
of 5 years.
- 7.
The Club should have insurance to cover all of its activities
, buildings, contents, equipment etc.
- 8. Clubs
will be expected to also liaise with local partners , in particular
with Local Authorities (LAs) and Local Strategic Partnerships
(LSPs)
The Sussex Board paper goes on to say
Clearly Area Development Groups -in Sussex - East/North/South/West
- and the Area Development Officers - Nick Wilton and Andrew
Winstone - are vital if the Focus Club process is to be a success.
Therefore a period of training is required to bring all Areas
up to the same level of understanding. It is crucial therefore
that the concept is introduced in a sensitive way.
- In the first instance it is proposed that the Sussex Cricket
Board run 4 workshops - one per Area - for the Area District
Officers only. These should then be replicated by the ADO with
their ADGs.
- The aim of the workshops would be to communicate the concept,
how it works, why Clubs should be encouraged to get involved
and what the next steps are.
Ideally these workshops should be completed by the end of the
season.
Web master comment - request of established
dates and meeting places is to be made and info posted on this
site
- ONE'S
THOUGHTS ON FOCUS CLUBS AS AT 20/02/05
- The Sussex Cricket Board paper concludes that "there
is general agreement that the term FOCUS CLUB will be misunderstood.
Some options to consider for the naming of Focus Clubs in Sussex
DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT CLUB/ DYNAMIC CLUB/DISTRICT
HOT CLUB/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CLUB/PARTNERSHIP CLUB
Comment
It does not appear to be an easy task to put a name to
the Focus club. Whatever happens the words will be reduced to
letters. We all understand that C.C. means Cricket Club. Why
give a dog another name? Is the entire proposal in fact too gimmicky
for the benefit of Sussex youth ?
- Web master comments
1. Not convinced that the programme as devised is supportive
- feel that it may well be devisive to the benefit of those
who have to the detriment of those who have not.
It is understood that of the £9.4 million which was constantly
being mentioned at the Sussex roadshows three years ago just
three Clubs ANSTY/EAST GRINSTEAD and HORSHAM may have benefited
by receiving a CONDITIONAL AWARD ( Enquiries by this site in
respect of this award has not yet proved frutiful).
The three Clubs are amongst the upper echelons of youth Clubs
in Sussex and who may already have a great deal more than many
other Clubs in the County.
- 2. But as the S.C.B. reminds the reader
THE SCHEME IS NOT ABOUT MONEY
- IT IS ABOUT GOOD PRACTICE AND QUALITY. HOWEVER RESOURCES INCLUDING
FUNDS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME AVAILABLE FOR CLUBS ONCE THEY START
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT , WITHIN THE COUNTY, THEY ARE LEADERS IN
CRICKET DEVELOPMENT.
Recent articles in both the
Times and the Telegraph would suggest that one should take the
author of the Board's paper to task. For the volunteer in the
Club it would most definitely appear to be about money.
Brighton and Hove CC have fought for years desperately seeking
assistance in their quest to remove the burden of local rates
on the Club. Initially fighting a lone battle some progress has
eventually been made.
A report- presented to the the ECB strategic meeting held last
week- is reported to conclude that there has been serious neglect
in the recreational sector to the benefit of the professional
game. The system does not allow recreational cricket to challenge
the First Class forum and it is believed that of the £68,000,000
earnt by the ECB in 2003 only 4% went to the recreational game.
The First Class Clubs are swallowing 90% of the total income.
- In financial terms the sceptics
have every right to doubt the Focus Club programme.
- There are quality recommendations couched
within the SCB paper.
The Clubmark programme which seeks Clubs to inwardly look at
themselves and create an establishment acceptable to the child/parent
and local community will bring about a better environment for
all concerned at the inidividual Club. BUT there seems
to be unsurmountable hills to climb in the expectation of a FOCUS
CLUB developing other Clubs in its vicinity.
A cynic - and theWeb master may well be one- would suggest that
any big fish is going to swallow up a minnow
One only has to look at how the large Clubs - some of them pot
hunting- have taken on roll players from nearby clubs.
This is very noticeable after the Area Festivals when some players
have been seen to move Clubs.
It has also been very noticeable over the years just prior to
the Sussex Junior Cricket Festivals.
- Introduce a ruling that no player may
move Clubs until he reaches the age of 16. So often small Clubs
develop players only for them to move to bigger Clubs during
their formative years.
It is understood that some Clubs cannot provide players with
cricket at each age group and thus a player could be attached
to a " mother Club" for specific times in his career.
The problem with this concept which was proposed at the inauguration
of the Sussex Premier Under 14 Youth competition 2004 ( a failed
venture) is that Clubs did not want to take on "loan"
members of other Clubs.
There are too many doubts in one's mind about the S.C.B. paper.
Has the Board really thought this through or have they passed
onwards and downwards the entire thing from the E.C.B ? There
may well be a feeling of a descriptive rather than supportive
attitude being portrayed by the SCB.
- We await the development with interest
and really do hope that it succeeds as construed but ....
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