PROPOSED LEAGUE ENTRY CRITERIA - SportsTG€¦ · PROPOSED LEAGUE ENTRY CRITERIA IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 2016 - 2019 Released – December 2015

PROPOSED LEAGUE ENTRY CRITERIA IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 2016 - 2019

Released – December 2015

LEC Implementation Guide 2 | P a g e

Table of Contents

Introduction and Background ................................................................................................................................................................................. 3

League Entry Criteria (LEC) Implementation Timeline .............................................................................................................................................. 5

Affiliate Categories ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 5

League Entry Criteria Overview .............................................................................................................................................................................. 6

League Entry Criteria Implementation 2017- 2019 .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Interim LEC (Seasons 2017 and 2018) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9

On Field Interim LEC Standards (Seasons 2017 and 2018) ....................................................................................................................................................... 9

Off Field Interim LEC Standards - Participation .................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Community Clubs and University/School Clubs with Full Participation Pathway ...................................................................................................................................................... 10

University/School Clubs with Social Participation Programs ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 11

Regional Association Team ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 12

Regional Representative Teams ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

Full LEC Participation Standards (For Season 2019, Assessed at End of 2018 Season) ............................................................................................. 14

Full LEC Participation Standards – Coaching and Officials ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Full LEC Standards – Club Management ................................................................................................................................................................ 16

Governance Standards........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17

Facilities Standards ............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 19

Full On Field LEC Standards ................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

Application Process, Assessments & Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................ 21


Introduction and Background Over the past two years Hockey Victoria, in consultation with its competition affiliates, have discussed and workshopped the development of a set of more robust League Entry Criteria (LEC) to be used as the minimum standards to be met by hockey clubs wishing to play at the highest standard of hockey in Victoria in the future. Currently, there is an overwhelming appetite for change as the overall benefits of its implementation are viewed by the collective leaders within clubs as the most practical and strategic approach to achieving long term growth and sustainability in the sport. The League Entry Criteria will also be the catalyst to ensuring the historical behaviours adopted by clubs in pursuit of promotion and / or the approach to saving relegation are behaviours of the past. The future and size of Premier League will be determined by the success of our organisation’s ability to remain relevant to the wider community and furthermore, the success of our collaborative approaches to growing the game. A club worthy of playing in the Premier competition because ‘off field’ standards are met will grow the sport and will sustain their own talent at the top. Being bold and aspirational is exactly what the sport needs right now! Standing still and not changing will result in our sport remaining a boutique sport, continuing to be played by inner suburban clubs with no recognition of the Victorian community growing around us. In order to become more relevant to a greater number of its current community, but also be a major sport of choice for the wider community, Premier League needs to become more relevant to more clubs and more people. Our sport must recognise the growth of Geelong and the emerging communities in the North, North West, South East and West. To expand our sport into new markets and its reach into the new communities of Victoria we must adapt. We must respect the inner suburban history of our sport and maintain strength of these roots, however recognise it will not be the future to the success of our sport more broadly. Like all major changes, the implementation of the proposed LEC needs to be made with caution. We need to ensure the quality of the competition is maintained through the short to medium term and also remain flexible and adaptable to change during this time. The implementation plan (including the timeframes) is included within this document. The change must be embraced by the wider hockey community to have maximum success. So to the why? Well, let’s start with why not? How many times have clubs been promoted in the past only to see them come straight back out of Premier League before they have had a chance to sustain themselves? How many times a talented junior transferred from clubs with strong junior programs only for the club the player has left to be decimated for years? How many times have clubs focussed on promotion or relegation rather than the basics which drive long-term success rather than short term survival? Further to the historical barriers to promotion witnessed by our Affiliates over time, our sport has witnessed significant participation growth in the past three years through record Hookin2Hockey numbers, junior players under the age of 10 and the introduction of girls only competition at Under 10 and 12 level. Furthermore, our organisations focus on retaining both female and male talent through the expansion of elite player development programs is resulting in a significant number of emerging players with ambitions to reach the highest possible level of hockey in Victoria and beyond. Hockey Victoria in conjunction with its


Affiliates is strategically growing the base of participants at the majority of clubs and associations ensuring that each Affiliate has a vibrant future. With more clubs and Associations supporting junior teams, there is an ongoing need for our sport to be progressive and ensure that all clubs have the hope to one day each the ultimate level of competition.

The new LEC will draw a line in the sand to all aspiring clubs. It will also set the standard for current PL clubs in terms of their expectations as a Premier club in Victoria. In addition to driving sustainable practice within the clubs, the new LEC will drive a clear link between the ongoing programs Hockey Victoria is undertaking with clubs in Community Hockey. Reward growth and reward the clubs who are doing the work. To assist with the implementation of the LEC, Hockey Victoria have established the Premier League Working Committee (PLWC). Premier League and Vic League 1 clubs have elected the members of the PLWC, and they are: Bob Crowley (Chairman), Nicole Virtuoso, Andrew Minter, Kam Ley, Alan Climpson, and HV representatives Andrew Skillern and Sash Herceg. This committee is a representative body for all PL and VL 1 clubs, and they have made an assessment on “what makes clubs successful”, which was reflected in the finalisation of the LEC Standards. The key learning was that well run and managed clubs, with good membership numbers, good junior programs and a focus on recruiting new juniors end up as sustainable and successful clubs.

The ‘Success Factors’ as part of the roll out of the League Entry Criteria are below: - Ongoing growth in participation within Victoria – 90% of clubs achieving participation increases annually during this time. - Management of the quality of the Premier League competition. (Number of teams / fixture structure) - Improved quality of experience - Improved governance standards of all PL/VL clubs - Reducing the number of players who leave Vic League Clubs to play Premier League - Increasing the number of home grown players playing Premier League for their clubs

So finally when reading through the implementation of this important change, I ask you to consider why not as well as why?

Let’s all be part of this important step in our sports history. Bigger, bolded & better. Kind Regards

Andrew Skillern

Chief Executive Officer,

Hockey Victoria


League Entry Criteria (LEC) Implementation Timeline

LEC implementation will commence from season 2017, in the form of the Interim LEC, and will initially only be applicable to clubs in Premier League (PL) and Vic

League 1 (VL1) competitions. The full LEC will be implemented from season 2019, providing all HV affiliates with adequate lead in time to meet the full LEC

standards outlined further on in the document. The full LEC will be applicable to all clubs in the PL and VL structure, however the standards for VL2 and VL3 will be

a significantly revised version of the Full LEC. The VL2 and VL3 standards will be developed in consultation with the PLWC over the next 12-18 months, and will be

communicated to all affiliates well in advance of the implementation phase from the end of 2018 season. Please see the graph below for the 2017-2019

implementation noting the assessments will be conducted in September each year for the following season (e.g. assessments will be conducted in September 2016

for the 2017 season):

We understand the need for the LEC to remain agile in keeping up with the sport & community

trends. With this in mind, the LEC will be reviewed in 2018, and any adjustments will be

communicated appropriately and within realistic implementation timelines.

Affiliate Categories

For the purpose of clarity of LEC implementation, all HV affiliates will be categorised into the following groups based on their participation pathway:

Community Club- defined as a metropolitan club which provides the full participation pathway- Hookin2Hockey, Intraclub, Junior and Senior teams. Approx. 75% of HV affiliates would fall under this category.

University/School Club with social participation programs – defined as a university or a school based club, catering for seniors teams and conducting a social hockey program.

University/School Club with full participation pathway- defined same as a Community Club.

Regional Association Teams (e.g. Hockey Geelong, CV Blazers) - defined as a representative team of a single regional association.

Regional Representative Teams (e.g. Gippsland Bulls, WestVic) – defined as a standalone regional representative team of multiple regional associations.

Note: all five affiliate categories listed above will have to comply with the same set of Club Management and On Field LEC standards.


League Entry Criteria Overview

The LEC will be categorised into two sets of standards- On Field standards and Off Field standards. While the On Field LEC will still take into the account the team performance directly on hockey pitches (i.e. a Club’s PL or VL1 side only), the Off Field LEC will be linked to Club Management and Participation standards. The Club Management standards will broadly consist of Governance and Facilities standards. The Governance element will focus on club constitution, strategic plan, finance management, policies, spread of workload, communications, diversity, and support of HV and HA initiatives. On the other hand, the Facilities element will cover the standards for physical amenities. The graph below illustrates the elements of LEC.


League Entry Criteria Implementation 2017- 2019

The table on the right shows the criteria that will be applied to the current PL clubs (at

the time of assessment) and the VL clubs being invited to be assessed under the LEC

criteria.

Below are some key items relating to the table:

2017 Season (assessments conducted in September 2016)

No relegation for current Premier League Men’s or Women’s teams in 2016.

Up to four (4) Vic League 1 teams (both Men’s & Women’s) may be invited to apply to for Premier League status.

To receive an invitation to apply for the 2017 season, Vic League 1 clubs will need to meet the minimum Off Field Interim LEC Participation Points (minimum 15 points) and finish in the top four on results based on the Interim LEC formula (page 10).

The invited Clubs will need to prove compliance with Off Field Club Management (full compliance Governance standards and only pitch standards under Facilities standards). They will also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials (page 16).

Premier League Clubs will be assessed on the “pitch criteria” under facilities. From season 2017, Premier League or PL Reserve matches will not be scheduled on sand filled grounds. Failure to meet the minimum pitch standard criteria will not mean that teams will lose their PL status, but it may mean that a non-compliant club will have to play their home matches on a suitable compliant pitch surface.


The number of VL1 teams invited for the 2018 season will depend on the PLWC assessments and recommendations in the interest of competition

integrity.

To receive an invitation to apply for the 2018 season, Vic League 1 clubs will need to meet the minimum Off Field Interim LEC Participation Points (minimum 22 points). In addition, the Interim LEC formula (page 10) will still apply and will take in consideration the Premiership Points, however the final number of teams invited to apply for a PL status will be announced by the PLWC group by early 2017).

The invited Clubs will need to prove compliance with Off Field Club Management (full compliance Governance standards and only pitch standards under Facilities standards). They will also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials.

All current Premier League Men’s & Women’s Teams will need to meet the Interim criteria based on a combination of:

o Off Field Interim LEC Participation Points (minimum of 22 points)


o Off Field Club Management (full compliance Governance standards and only pitch standards under Facilities standards)

o On Field Premiership Points - All Premier League clubs participating from 2016 season onwards, may be subject to losing Premier League Status if

they finish, on aggregate, in the bottom two teams over two seasons and do not meet an assessment of the Off Field standards by Hockey Victoria.

The first time this will be assessed will be the end of the 2017 season)

PL clubs may lose the PL status if not meeting the Off Field Standards.


The number of VL1 teams invited for the 2018 season will depend on the PLWC assessments and recommendations in the interest of competition

integrity. The PLWC proposed ceiling on the number of teams in PL is 20.

To receive an invitation to apply for the 2019 season, Vic League 1 clubs will as a minimum finish in the top two spots in the regular season (or as deemed appropriate by the PLWC, and communicated timely to all affiliates), and meet the Full LEC Participation Standards.

The invited VL1 Clubs will need to prove compliance with Off Field Club Management (full compliance with both Governance and Facilities standards).

They will also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials.

The Full LEC will apply and all Premier League clubs will need to apply for Premier League status and meet the criteria based on a combination of:

o Off Field LEC Full Participation (please note from the end of 2018 season there will be no points system for Participation Standards- the measure

will simply be whether a club meets the Participation Standards – these standards are presented on Pages 15 and 16)

o Off Field Club Management (full compliance with both Governance & Facility standards)

o On Field Premiership Points (Extended assessment will be applied for teams finishing bottom two in 2017 and 2018. The assessment will focus on

the performance of the PR Reserves team, Junior Shield performance, and number of players in the High Performance system. This process and

assessment particulars will be communicated by the end of 2016 season)

Some of the other relevant points:

Grace Period

All clubs entering Premier League from season 2017 will have a two year grace period to consolidate their ‘on field’ standard.

Working Towards

The definition of ‘working towards’ is a positive trend over minimum of a three year period in regards to participation and facility standards. For example,

a club has 6 full field junior teams in 2016. If the same club has 10 full field junior teams at the end of 2018 (however does not have 12 teams as required

in the LEC), and 130 U10 participants, this would be assessed under the ‘working towards’ definition.


Interim LEC (Seasons 2017 and 2018)

The following pages provide the information about the Interim LEC standards, and the assessment process used against the Interim LEC. The focus of the Interim LEC will be primarily on modified Participation standards, excluding the Coaching & Officials standards which will be applied in full from the end of 2016 season. The rest of the Off Field LEC Standards (Club Management) will also be applied in full from the end of 2016 season (with the exception of Facilities standards, where only the pitch standards will be implemented in the Interim Period).

The Interim LEC will be applicable for seasons 2017 and 2018, noting that up to four VL1 teams may be invited to apply for the PL Status at the end of 2016.

The basic premise of the Interim LEC will be a simple formula, which, when applied in 2016, will produce up to four VL1 teams to be invited to apply for PL status. Please note to qualify under the below formula, an affiliate will be required to score a minimum number of points against the Interim LEC Participation Standards.

The formula is as follows:

VL1 Premiership Points (On Field) + Participation Points (Off Field) The top four VL1 teams at the end of 2016 season (in each MVL1 and WVL1), based on the above formula, will qualify to be invited to apply and be assessed against the Club Management standards. If a club passes the Club Management standards assessment, their relevant team/s (men and/or women) will be offered a PL status. They will also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials.

On Field Interim LEC Standards (Seasons 2017 and 2018)

Losing PL Status: Current PL clubs’ ‘on field’ performance will be assessed at the conclusion of 2017. Any PL team which finishes in the bottom two over the 2016 – 2017 seasons will be assessed against the Off Field standards by Hockey Victoria, and may lose the PL status if not meeting the Off Field Standards. Gaining PL Status: Please note that only the top four VL1 teams in the 2016 season (MVL1 and WVL1), based on the above formula, will be eligible for

consideration for PL. Providing they collect the minimum Participation Points, they will be assessed against the Interim Off Field Criteria- Club Management. As

mentioned previously, the number of VL1 teams which will be invited to apply & assessed past the 2016 season may vary, and will be set and communicated by

the PLWC. The following On Field criteria will be applicable to all affiliate categories in VL1 (listed on page 6):

Full number of points accumulated by the ‘firsts’ team only during the regular season (applicable in Season 2016 and in Season 2017)

Example: Club A have finished the 2016 VL1 season on 52 premiership points. The full 52 points will go in the formula under the VL1 Premiership Points (On Field).


Off Field Interim LEC Standards - Participation

As mentioned already, the Participation LEC standards will be applied differently according to affiliate category. As an example, a University/School Club may be required to meet a different set of participation criteria if they don’t have a junior program. They may need to meet targets relating to social participation instead of the junior targets.

According to the HV set participation weighting, the total number of points under the participation that would equal to the full LEC compliance from 2019 is 27. With this in mind, the minimum number of the Interim LEC participation points from 2017 will be 15, and will gradually increase to 22 points in 2018. From 2019, all affiliates in the PL will be required to meet the full Participation LEC (however, the Participation Points system will only apply in the interim period, unless specified otherwise). The following pages will focus on illustrating the interim Participation LEC standards for each affiliate category.

NOTE: HV will rely on the individual member data directly from HockeyNet to assess all standards relating to individual members. Similarly, HV will rely on Team Entry data to assess the team related standards. In regards to Regional Competitions, HV will request written Team Entry evidence from Associations.

Community Clubs and University/School Clubs with Full

Participation Pathway

The LEC standards relating to Participation are classified under the following

categories, and carry the following maximum points:

U10 Participants (max. 10 pts) o Hookin2Hockey Participants (max. 5 pts) o Individual Junior Members (max. 5 pts)

Junior Teams (max. 12 pts)

Senior Teams (max. 5 pts) The table on the right provides the breakdown of points available under each of the above categories:

Example: Club A has:

- 63 Hookin2Hockey Participants- 4 pts - 36 Individual Junior Members under the age of 10- 3 pts


- 7 junior teams- 7 pts - 3 senior teams- 3 pts

This would mean the Club A has accumulated 17 points under the Interim Participation LEC. This number (17) would be applied in the formula and added to the premiership points that Club A accumulated during the regular season. The total number of points would be used to determine if the Club A is one of the top four VL1 teams in 2016, which would be invited to apply for a PL status. The club would also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials (Page 16).

University/School Clubs with Social Participation Programs

The LEC standards relating to Participation are classified under the following categories, and carry the following maximum points:

Social Hockey Participation (max. 17 pts)

Senior Teams (max. 10 pts)

We recognise that some affiliates linked to universities or schools may be unable to deliver Hookin2Hockey or junior programs. However, we also recognise that there is an opportunity for those affiliates to equally contribute to the growth of the game via social hockey participation. The below table provides the breakdown of points available under each of the above categories.


- 83 Social Hockey Members- 10 pts - 6 senior teams- 6 pts

This would mean the Club A has accumulated 16 points under the Interim Participation LEC. This number (16) would be applied in the formula and added to the premiership points that Club A accumulated during the regular season. The total number of points would be used to determine if the Club A is one of the top four VL1 teams in 2016, which would be invited to apply for a PL status. The Club will also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials (Page 16).


Regional Association Team

The below LEC standards relating to Participation are pertinent to aggregate numbers of the whole association- each club within the association would contribute to the overall targets stated below. The LEC standards would be classified into the following categories, and carry the following maximum points:

Individual Registered Members under the age of 10 (max. 10 pts)

Junior Teams (max. 12 pts)

Senior Teams (max. 5 points) The following table provides the breakdown of points available under each of the above categories:


- 183 U10 Individual Members- 8 pts - 22 Junior Teams- 7pts - 12 senior teams- 4 pts

This would mean the Club A has accumulated 19 points under the Interim Participation LEC. This number (19) would be applied in the formula and added to the premiership points that Club A accumulated during the regular season. The total number of points would be used to determine if the Club A is one of the top four VL1 teams in 2016, which would be invited to apply for a PL status. The Club would also need to meet the Full LEC Participation Standards relating to Coaching & Officials (Page 16).


Regional Representative Teams

There will be no interim participation standards for this category. HV and PLWC acknowledge there is a significant load of work to do in the major regional hockey centres of Victoria to prepare the Regional Representative Teams for a sustainable path to a PL level. Over the next three years, HV and PLWC will work with the current regional representative teams and the regional associations towards a more sustainable structure. HV Management will shortly embark on a consultation process with the current Regional Representative Teams and Regional Associations. The proposed outcome of the consultation process will be a new structure for regional hockey which will ensure growth and sustainability into the future. The Full LEC Participation standards relating to Regional Representative Teams are outlined in the Full League Entry Criteria (2019).

EXAMPLE OF A POSSIBLE SITUATION AT THE END OF 2016 SEASON

The table on the right shows a possible situation at the end of 2016 VL1 season. Club A finished on top of the table in the regular season with 54 Premiership Points, with Club E finishing fifth with 45 Premiership Points. Participation Points are then added to the Premiership Points producing the top four VL1 clubs based on the formula (page 10) – Clubs A, B, D, and E). Based on the total number of points, and the failure of Club C to collect the minimum of 15 Participation Points required to progress to the next stage of assessments, Clubs A, B, D and E are invited to be apply for the PL status, and are assessed against the Club Management criteria. All four Clubs comply with the Club Management standards, and would be recommended to HV Board to gain the PL status for 2017 season.

* Less than the minimum points required at the end of 2016 (min. 15)


Full LEC Participation Standards (For Season 2019, Assessed at End of 2018 Season)

From the end of the season 2018, all PL clubs in season 2018 and any potential VL1 clubs invited to submit an application to gain PL status for 2019 will be required

to meet the criteria outlined below. All PL Clubs at the time (in season 2018) will be required to make an application to retain their PL status. If a club does not

meet the participation criteria in full, HV will assess the club’s participation trends since 2015, and may deem the club as meeting the criteria under the definition

of “Working Towards”, which is explained on page 9. From season 2019, all clubs in PL will be required to meet the participation criteria in full (or under the

definition of “Working Towards”) on an ongoing basis to remain in PL.

Please note that Masters Teams will not be considered towards the standards relating to Senior Teams.

FULL LEC PARTICIPATION STANDARDS

CATEGORY STANDARDS ASSESSMENT

COMMUNITY CLUB and UNIVERSITY/SCHOOL CLUB

with full participation pathway

Hookin2Hockey Participants - minimum 80 registered players Based on HockeyNet individual member registrations

Individual members under the age of 10- minimum 50 registered players Based on HockeyNet individual member registrations

Junior Teams U12 to U18- minimum of 12 junior teams (Full Field) Based on HV Competition Team Entries

Senior Teams (single gender) - minimum of 5 teams (Full Field) Based on HV Competition Team Entries

UNIVERSITY/SCHOOL CLUB with social participation programs

Social Members- minimum of 130 registered players Based on HockeyNet individual member registrations

Senior Teams (single gender) - minimum of 10 teams (Full Field) Based on HV Competition Team Entries

REGIONAL ASSOCIATION TEAM


Junior Teams U12 to U18- minimum of 36 junior teams (Full Field) Based on written evidence from the Association.

Senior Teams - minimum of 15 teams per gender (Full Field) Based on written evidence from the Association

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE TEAM


Junior Teams U12 to U18- minimum of 48 junior teams (Full Field) Based on written evidence from the Associations/Clubs.

Senior Teams - minimum of 16 teams per gender (Full Field) Based on written evidence from the Associations/Clubs.


Full LEC Participation Standards – Coaching and Officials The following table outlines the standards for Coaching and Officials, which will apply in full from the first year of implementation (Season 2017, assessed at end of

2016 season).

FULL LEC COACHING & OFFICIALS STANDARDS

CATEGORY STANDARDS ASSESSMENT

COACHING

Minimum of 2 x Level 2 Accredited Coach Based on HockeyEd database.

Minimum of 1 x Level 1 Trained Coach Assessor Based on HockeyEd database.

Minimum of 2 x Coaches participating in HV Coach Academy (14-18yo) Based on HV Umpire Academy Registration data

OFFICIALS

Minimum of 2 x Level 2 Accredited Umpire Based on HockeyEd database.

Minimum of 1 x Level 1 Trained Umpire Assessor Based on HockeyEd database.

Minimum of 2 x Umpires participating in HV Umpire Academy (14-18yo) Based on HV Umpire Academy Registration data

Minimum of 2 x Level 1 Technical Officials Based on HockeyEd database.


Full LEC Standards – Club Management

The Off Field LEC standards relating to Club Management will be split into two categories, and will apply in full from 2017 (with the exception of Facilities standards, which will only focus on pitch standards in the Interim LEC period):

- Governance - Facilities

The PLWC was unanimous in stressing the importance of meeting the full Club Management standards from the beginning, in particular relating to Governance. This element of the LEC was seen as one of the key pillars in the success of any club, and as such was given the same weight in the Interim and the Full LEC implementation stages. Essentially, the minimum Governance standards will be introduced from the season 2017 and will be applied in full from the first year of implementation. The Facilities standards will be gradually implemented, keeping in mind reliance on external factors. Only Pitch Surface standard will be implemented before the Full LEC is implemented at the end of 2018 season. The same set of Club Management standards will apply to all HV affiliates, regardless of their classification explained on page 7.

The following table outlines the minimum Club Management standards that will need to be met from the season 2017, and explains the assessment process which will be used to measure the standards. NOTE: The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016.


Governance Standards

GOVERNANCE

STANDARD EXPLANATION ASSESSMENT

CONSTITUTION

A club/affiliate is required to have an up to date Constitution. Currently, the department of Consumer Affairs Victoria deems sporting clubs must fully comply with the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (the Act). For sporting clubs, a club/affiliate’s constitution must address every item listed in Schedule 1 of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (the Act).

A copy of the Constitution (stating the year it was adopted by club membership) will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Non-submission of the Constitution will be deemed as not meeting the criteria. The Constitution should be available on the club/affiliate website. If required HV may ask for the Notice of Motion and Minutes of the Special General Meeting held to adopt the Constitution.

STRATEGIC PLAN

A club/affiliate is required to have a current Strategic Plan, outlining the key direction for the club/affiliate. The direction should be aligned towards meeting the LEC, in addition to any other club/affiliates specific direction.

A copy of the Strategic Plan will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Non-submission of the Strategic Plan will be deemed as not meeting the criteria. The Strategic Plan should be available on the club/affiliate website.

CLUB FINANCES

A club/affiliate is required to have the financial reports audited by an independent body. It is also an expectation that a club/affiliate will have a Finance Committee in place, a Sustainable Pitch Replacement Strategy, and appropriate financial policies in place (such as cash management, authorisation, etc).

A copy of the Annual Report, including the audited Financial Report, and a copy of the Sustainable Pitch Replacement Strategy will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Non- submission of the Annual Report will be deemed as not meeting the criteria.

POLICIES

A club/affiliate is expected to have the minimum standard policies as follows:

Social Media Policy

Member Protection Policy

Financial Management Policy (or similar policy)

Codes of Behaviour

Staff and Volunteers Policy

Copies of the Policies listed will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Non-submission of the Policies will be deemed as not meeting the criteria. All public Policies should be available on the club/affiliate website.

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

A club/affiliate is expected to have an adequate number of office bearers and volunteers in key positions to ensure continuity, succession and club sustainability. The key expectations are set out on the Club Sustainability section of HV website.

Key club personnel details will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Non-submission of key club personnel will be deemed as not meeting the criteria.


GOVERNANCE (continued)


COMMUNICATIONS

A club/affiliate is expected to have active and up to date website and a minimum of two active social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc). It is an expectation that a club/affiliate has a dedicated Media & Communications Officer (covered under the Organisational Structure).

Links to a club/affiliate website and social media platforms will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. The website will need to contain, as a minimum, the landing page, current news/posts, about the club/affiliate, policies and forms, fees & registrations information, section information, and contacts.

DIVERSITY

It is an expectation that a club/affiliate Board/Committee is gender diverse, with the gender minimum of 2 implemented. E.g. there must be a minimum of either 2 males or 2 females on the Board/Committee. A club/affiliate is expected to deliver one of the following:

Dedicated community program for people with disability

Dedicated community program for migrant or newly arrived communities

Dedicated social mid-week participation opportunities (e.g. mid-week mums competition)

HV will utilise the information submitted under the Organisational Structure to gauge the gender minimum status. A club/affiliate will be required to have the program approved by HV Community Hockey Team by 1 September each year. Failure to liaise with the HV Community Hockey will be deemed as not meeting this segment of the criteria.

SUPPORT OF HV INITIATIVES (and

relevant HA initiatives as required)

A club/affiliate is expected to support some key HV initiatives designed to support either the State of Federal Government programs. The key current initiatives are:

Fair Go Sport Round

Womens Round

Mens Health Round

A club/affiliate to electronically submit the evidence of the support towards the initiatives listed. The acceptable evidence may be: posters/flyers, photographic evidence, screen shots of website, articles, or similar.

HV will provide a more detailed assessment checklist against the Governance Standards in the first quarter of 2016. The checklist will be clear and concise, with the intention of providing objective and tangible standards for the purpose of assessments.


Facilities Standards

FACILITIES


PITCH SURFACE

To ensure player safety and consistency, a club/affiliate is required to have a minimum of one (1) Hybrid or Water based synthetic hockey pitch.

A copy of the pitch certificate will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Applicable from Season 2017.

PITCH LIGHTING

A club/affiliate is required to have a minimum of 300 lux lighting at the venue.

A copy of a formal independent lux reading will need to be provided to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Applicable from Season 2019.

CHANGE ROOMS

A club/affiliate is required to have a minimum of two fully functional change rooms per pitch, with adequate shower facilities.

A copy of the club room floor plan will need to be provided to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Applicable from Season 2019.

DUGOUTS & TECH BENCH

A club/affiliate is expected to have the minimum standards relating to dugouts and tech bench as follows:

Covered Dugouts for players and officials including seating space for minimum 5 persons.

Covered Tech Bench area with a seating space for 3 persons.

There may be other specifications, as issued by HV, which will need to be met (please refer to Technical Bench Checklist).

A photographic evidence will need to be submitted to HV electronically. The electronic submission process will be announced in early 2016. Applicable from Season 2019.

As part of the ongoing Facilities Audits process, HV may conduct its own on-site assessments as required. Clubs will be notified in advance if HV intends to conduct a facility audit.


Full On Field LEC Standards

Considering the long history of clubs entering and exiting the PL within one season (the ‘yoyo’ effect), from 2017 any new PL club will have a two year ‘grace’

period where the club will be ineligible for On Field Standards Assessments. This two year period will allow the new club to adjust to the PL on field standard, and

provide the club with the opportunity to remain sustainable in the PL long term.

From 2019 season onward, one of the trigger points for Off Field Standards assessment will be poor performance over the course of two seasons. Up to two clubs

with minimum aggregate points over the course of two season (e.g. 2018 and 2019) will be assessed against the Off Field Criteria. Please note that this excludes

any club with less than two years in PL.

Generally speaking, from 2019 a VL1 club will be eligible to apply for PL if they finish in the top 2 positions in VL1 (unless recommended otherwise by the PLWC).

The club’s eligibility for PL status will depend on meeting the Off Field Criteria and on the number of PL teams at the time (keeping the recommended ceiling of 20

PL teams in both Men’s and Women’s competition).


Application Process, Assessments & Recommendations The roles of each relevant party in the application, assessments and recommendations are explained below:

Role of Hockey Victoria Management will be to administer the whole process, from beginning to end, in a fair and transparent manner. This will include collection of all relevant data from clubs, initial assessment of data and finally making a recommendation to PLWC for their assessment.

Role of the Premier League Working Committee will be to assess HV Management’s recommendations and provide the group’s recommendations to HV Board.

Role of the Hockey Victoria Board will be to assess the PLWC recommendation and provide the final recommendations.

Please note that all areas of conflict of interest within the PLWC will be administered by HV Management. This will mean that a PLWC member with links to a club

will be excused from assessing his/her club or making any recommendations relating to his/her club.

The following table illustrates the assessment timeline for the next three years; who will be covered by assessments; and what standards will apply.

Generally speaking, post 2016 season, HV will be in a position to assess clubs on the majority of standards prior to 1 September each year. HV aims to streamline its own internal processes to capture the following information prior to 1 September: all club management related standards, participation related standards. By 1 September, the On Field performance will be known, and with the rest of the Off Field standards available by then, HV will be in a position to review and assess all clubs, and invite the relevant VL1 clubs to apply for PL status. In 2016, however, the process will need to be slightly adjusted. By the end of August 2016, HV will have the data necessary to assess the VL1 clubs (being the On Field Performance and Participation points) and invite the relevant clubs to apply for VL1 status. Once invited to apply, VL1 clubs will be required to demonstrate compliance with the Club Management standards in full to be able to qualify for a PL spot in 2017.

The table below lists the 2016 timeline and key actions:

Assessment Standards PL VL1

Sep-16 (for 2017 season)

Interim On Field Performance n/a √

Interim Off Field Standards- Participation n/a √

Off-Field Standards- Governance n/a √

Off-Field Standards- Facilities (Pitch Only) √ √


Interim On Field Performance √ √

Interim Off Field Standards- Participation √ √

Off-Field Standards- Governance √ √

Off-Field Standards- Facilities (Pitch Only) √ √


On Field Performance √ √

Off Field Standards- Participation √ √

Off Field Standards- Governance √ √

Off Field Standards- Facilities √ √


Month Action Note

July 2016 HV to assess all VL1 clubs on Interim Participation Standards HV to notify clubs meeting or exceeding the standards

July 2016 HV to identify potential invitees for PL application HV will start collating the Club Management related data, and PLWC members may work with identified clubs to assist in reaching all standards.

August 2016 Post GF- HV to identify up to 4 invitees for PL applications HV will write to each qualifying club and invite them to apply for PL status in 2017 (by 1 September).

September 2016 Assessment Period Clubs present to HV and PLWC to demonstrate their compliance with the Interim LEC (if required).

HV will assess all relevant documentation. PLWC to make their recommendations to HV Board. HV available to assist the clubs with preparation and collection of data.

October 2016 HV Board approves the new PL clubs (if any). New PL clubs are announced and HV commences the fixturing process

The following table suggest the key timeline and actions from 2017:

Month Action Note

by April HV to collect all Club Management related standards. e.g. via streamlined annual affiliation process

July HV to assess all relevant clubs on applicable Participation Standards.

HV to notify clubs of their status (meeting/not meeting)

August Post GF- HV to identify clubs based on applicable On Field Standards

HV will write to each qualifying club and invite them to apply for PL status in 2017 (by 1 September)

September Assessment Period. Clubs present to HV and PLWC to demonstrate their compliance with the applicable LEC (if required).

HV will assess all relevant documentation. PLWC to make their recommendations to HV Board. HV available to assist the clubs with preparation and collection of data.

October HV Board approves the PL clubs for the following season (if any)

New PL clubs are announced and HV commences the fixturing process

The assessment process will be designed to be conducted with regards to club/affiliate privacy and competition integrity. As such, HV Management will be the primary custodian of the assessment process, with PLWC members on hand to assist clubs with guidance on meeting specific standards.

By the end of February 2016, HV intends to develop a full application and assessment set of guidelines and documents. This documentation will be made available to all VL1 clubs (and PL) in advance of the 2016 Winter season.

Documents

PROPOSED LEAGUE ENTRY CRITERIA - SportsTG€¦ · PROPOSED LEAGUE ENTRY CRITERIA IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE 2016 - 2019 Released – December 2015