Essex Coaching Committee
24th January 2006
Chelmsford RFC 19:30 hours
Minutes
Present at Meeting:
Mike Redding (MR), Keith Green (KG), Ged White (GW), Dai Davies (DD), Chris Emmerson (CE), Ivor Smith (IS)
Apologies for absence:
Ray Mills & John Davis
General Point of Discussion before agenda talked about
o Discussion was held about the wording of the Essex Coaching Committee’s role – Point 6 & Point 10 sub point 9.
o The word ‘assist’ was used, but is this the correct terminology? After discussion it was decided that everyone was happy with the wording.
o It was asked that when the next version is sent out that it has the date at the bottom on the page to make sure no one is confused with so many versions going out since the first one.
Agenda 1 & 2
Roles & Responsibilities & pathways and Structure
o Discussion held over County players being put under pressure from County Coaches to move club, but not in the interest of the player, but of the County Coaches’ own club.
· MR – felt that this was an abuse of position & questioned if someone found doing this should be remain a County Coach?
· GW – issue was a ‘double edged sword’; if Essex Coaches caught tapping players for their club it would cause the county to lose credibility.
· It was felt by all that a County Coach could be asked their opinion by the player, player’s parents or player’s present club coach, but the County Coach must give an unbiased opinion and not just promote their own club.
· This issue should also apply to members of the Essex Committees.
· IS – pointed out that this issue has happened in the past and recently.
· Point raised what happens if we see or hear of this- comment was made that the first line of action would be a quiet word to the coaches about the situation
o Discussion on how we can raise standard?
· We need be careful how we (County) purvey ourselves.
· Members of the E.C.C. need to view/assess county coaches within the structure.
· The E.C.C. needs to look at standards of the coaches and how the purvey themselves to the players, supporters, clubs and referees.
· E.C.C. need to raise the standard and requirements expected of the County Coaches through Coach Education Programme- this would then be filtered to the Club Coaches.
· Coach Education Evenings by Saracens RFC would a superb and thanks to Mike Hynard for running the most recent session- it was felt that if he could arrange for the players to run the session it may be more attractive to get more coaches to the sessions.
· It was felt that Coach Education evenings need to be run at clubs that could provide non-water logged pitches, as well as tea, coffee, soup & bread for after the session to allow more interaction between the coaches.
· The idea of an Essex Rugby 1st Aid Course was raised – the viability for this to be put on will be investigated.
Agenda 3
County Coaches – 06/07 & 07/08
o Roles & Responsibilities for the coaches, lead coaches and managers is on the new website.
o 07/08 County Coaches
· U17s/U18s County Coaches need to make an application for next season.
· U13-U16s: Tony Robinson will sit in on application
· All county coaches must be CRB checked
o Monday 26th March @ Chelmsford RFC @ 7:30pm – meeting for all County Coaches to review and evaluate the season and to what will happen next season.
o Eddie Jones- will feedback to MR on his opinion, it was felt he would not be able to get to the meeting.
Agenda 4 & 5
Coach Education & Club Coach Coordinators and their Role
o MR – Saracens RFC owe the County 3 Coach Education Sessions.
o It was raised that we need to make sure that each club has a Club Coach Coordinator
· Some clubs did not have a C.C.C.
· Most C.C.C. difficult to contact- numbers given the RFU/Essex RFU were incorrect
· Most C.C.C did not respond
· KG – E.C.C. has requested money to employ someone to contact every club to found out who the C.C.C is.
· MR – Coach Education Evenings need on: Continuum & Player Welfare
· Level I – II conference for 30th/June & 1st/July already in place
§ It was felt that many coaches did not know the Continium & this was vital knowledge
o Physio: Each county squad should have a Physio
o MR – job to make sure each team has a Physio should come under the remit of the E.C.C.
o Down to the Manager to make sure the Physio is there
o Physio needs to be CRB checked
o What was the possibility of their being a County Doctor
o Issue raised about players coming to training injured
· Where was the follow up?
· Is there any contact between parents, school or club?
· Players are forced to play injured
o JW – There are coaches interested in being county coaches- how do we recruit these coaches?
o JW – Can we county coaching as Coach Education
o JW – Do we, as a County, help coaches along the way?
o MR/KG – there are minimum standards to be a County Coach
o KG – We fast track players, but do we fast track coaches?
Agenda 6
Budget
o Budget for the season for the E.C.C. has been agreed
o IS – there is a container @ Thurrock RFC with Essex Rugby kit in
o If Schools of Rugby replace County- where will be the base for equipment?
o Lead Coach/Manager to make sure required equipment order through County and that it is kept safe
o IS – every section needs to look at their costs
o MR – need a copy of budget to examine what has been spent
o KG – need to think about next year’s budget for the Schools of Rugby
Agenda 7
Schools of Rugby
o No county squads- core athletes working on skills
o KG – form list of possible coaches to send to Mike Hynard & Tony Robinson
o KG – Poster to coaches who express an interest in coaching the Schools of Rugby players
o Need to contact Mick Eyres to ask his opinion
Agenda 8
A.O.B.
o MR – complaints procedure for the poaching of players
o What do we do?
· Find a County Coach who poaching players – dealt by a discipline committee
· 1st action- words of advice to the coach before it becomes a more serious issue – could be a call of misjudgment
· Hard to deal with at the moment until the Roles & Responsibilities goes out to all coaches
· MR – there needs to be a Code of Conduct
· IS – use RFU CoC
· MR – All County Coaches need a copy of the CoC
· MR – once a player/coach is selected for the County they need a letter to state was is expected from them & a player’s parents.
Next E.C.C meeting – 19th March 2007 – location & time TBC
Club Coordinators Meeting set for – 12th March 2007 – location and time TBC
County Coaches review meeting – 26th March 2007 – Chelmsford RFC – 7:30pm
