Ideas to move things forward.

Plan to move NE Dekstars forward in 2010

Following recent events I feel that changes need to be made with the “organisation”.
In order to make us more competitive as a team at the tournaments I feel the time has now come to introduce a more structured approach to the team.

This primarily would involve the creation of an A team and a B team.
The A team will be the team that we send to tournaments, if the B team also want to participate at any tournaments they will of course be more than entitled too, but this will depend upon willing numbers.

Initial A Team.
The initial A team would be voted for by the board of the Dekstars organisation and would consist of 1 net minder, 4 defensemen and 6 forwards.
In order to stay on the A team you must turn up to Sunday sessions at least twice a month, and in the lead up to any tournament would be required to attend a minimum of 4 of the 5 sessions prior to the tournament.
If the board feel that any member of the B team is out performing a member in the A team then they would be eligible to move up.
If any member of the A team did not attend the required number of sessions they would be moved to the B team and required to work their way back into the A team.
Sunday mornings would not become A versus B affairs. However we would be looking to get consistency certainly with defensive pairings.

The board.
This of course raises the issue of once again electing a board of people to take the club forward.
This needs to be done urgently so that decisions can be made. Anyone wishing to apply to serve on the board should do so via the thread that is posted specifically for this purpose.
Then a vote will be held with the 5 people having the most votes being elected to the board with immediate effect.

The board will meet bi-monthly to make decisions about the club and must be willing to give at least 1 hour of their time on a weekly basis to commit to club duties.
Once the board has formed, any new ideas to take the club forward need to be given to a member of the board to be discussed at the next meeting.
Any urgent request could be brought to the board members attention to deal with in a timelier manner.

Membership to the Dekstars organisation.

Being a member of the dekstars will become chargeable. The charge is yet to be decided but am thinking probably around £5 per month.
Members pay £2.50 per hour per game and non members £4.
Members will also be invited to a paid for meal once a year, with the possibility of other events.
Funds will be used as decided by the board but likely to include funding of taster sessions, transport costs to tourney, spare kit for taster sessions.

Sunday Sessions.
Sunday sessions will still be the norm and will hopefully develop into 2 hour sessions with the first 30 minutes being used to coach players wanting to improve technique etc (this will be run by members of the A-team on a voluntary basis) and then either a mini tourney with 3 teams (preferable) or a 4 period game with 2 teams.

These are all just ideas, but I feel the time has come to take this thing by the scruff of the neck and look to the future.



Please comment but we need to take action now while this tournament is still fresh in our minds, and those that played are still reeling.

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!!!!!!!!!

Wholeheartedly agree. Today's performance was simply not good enough and I feel that we have taken a step backwards from the last tourney. Whilst the first line didn't play great, the gulf between the first and second was massive compared to this time last year. I would imagine that everyone will agree with me, however if you disagree feel free to come and have a word. I wouldn't say anything behind people's backs that I wouldn't say to their face.

Whilst the performance was poor, the attitude of certain players was abysmal with heads dropping and tantrums thrown all over the place. The spare man didn't really work as with the short format of the game the second D line was sometimes only getting 1 shift a game but this was unavoidable without upsetting both D lines.

I think it's important that those players who do not make the A team are still involved in the run up to tournaments but this will be something we need to talk about once the board is elected.


I'm willing to put my name forward for the board.

Sounds like an unfortunate tournament for us. Perhaps we are missing Mr Cree's influence. He did seem rather hands on in the run up to the last tournament organising pairings and coaching the team to an extent.

I'd put myself forward to the board as well. Don't see myself making the A team any time soon, but happy to be involved in taking things forward off the court and giving an objective viewpoint on the players going up and down between the teams.

Now the tournament's out of the way and my destroyed ankle ligaments seem okay at last(thanks for that Warrior) I'll be back in action at next opportunity.

Good to see people already stepping up! I'm up for helping, being a newbie to the sport might go against me but have done similar for my old Floorball club and to a lesser degree national level, but as I said in a sport I know!

agree 100% we need to get this sorted.
Was chatting to Darren and thinking maybe we should meet up before our game on sunday either at lightfoot or somewhere near, then have session as normal. What do you think?

ladylynchio wrote:agree 100% we need to get this sorted.
Was chatting to Darren and thinking maybe we should meet up before our game on sunday either at lightfoot or somewhere near, then have session as normal. What do you think?

Seems like a plan. We'll need an agenda though and some points to agree for actions with deadlines where appropriate. If we just turn up for a freeform chat, nowt will come of it.

I have a rugby match on Saturday but would be able to meet up somewhere after that. Any suggestions for where?

Working this weekend but would like some input. After 5-30 pm Sat or Sun would be great for me, but just go with what's popular. Darren knows my views anyhow.

Robbo wrote:Working this weekend but would like some input. After 5-30 pm Sat or Sun would be great for me, but just go with what's popular. Darren knows my views anyhow.

Rugby doesn't finish till 5 I think so that would be do-able.

James will probably reply when he has finished celebrating Newcastle's promotion. Amanda has downloaded photos on James' facebook.

Can't be there this weekend but totally agree with the above, I'll pass on my ideas before the weekend if I think of anything worth saying

ladylynchio wrote:agree 100% we need to get this sorted.
Was chatting to Darren and thinking maybe we should meet up before our game on sunday either at lightfoot or somewhere near, then have session as normal. What do you think?

I'm up for this idea. Probably easier to discuss at Lightfoot on Sunday before we practice...

Initial A Team.
The initial A team would be voted for by the board of the Dekstars organisation and would consist of 1 net minder, 4 defensemen and 6 forwards.
In order to stay on the A team you must turn up to Sunday sessions at least twice a month, and in the lead up to any tournament would be required to attend a minimum of 4 of the 5 sessions prior to the tournament.
If the board feel that any member of the B team is out performing a member in the A team then they would be eligible to move up.
If any member of the A team did not attend the required number of sessions they would be moved to the B team and required to work their way back into the A team.
Sunday mornings would not become A versus B affairs. However we would be looking to get consistency certainly with defensive pairings.

surely thats the role of a manager not a 'board'

anyway to give my 2 pennorth as to the tournament,
its not as bad as you guys think it was when you consider the facts!

1. you were up against a West London team that comprised entirely of Canadiens! they were bloody good! and had they more than 5 players would have made a mockery of the tournament imo.

2. Wolves and Cubs play and stay together! they know each others game inside out and practise regularly!

3. The Sheffield team have improved beyond recognition, they have 2 outstanding players (hockey players) who dominated the flow of the games when they were on court.

4. all of these teams have been using a ball instead of a puck for a lot longer than you guys and therefore played to the differnet charactoristic of ball hockey.

5. changing lines, in the first game, the line of Leafy/Robbo/Blood played very well together and caused problems with some intelligent running and movement and good passing.
then the lines got changed and it all went tits up! all the other teams seemed to stick with their lines (Canadiens apart as they didn't have anyone to change with).

6. Expectations, now not sure what the guys thought they could/would achieve but as the tournament progressed it was very clear that heads went down and this was very evident in the play.

lastly i hear you guys are going to go back to just using a puck! well imo whats the point in that ? using a ball needs to become second nature and so that everyone is comfortable/competant etc its practise practise practise!

I know I've been MIA for quite a while now, but still read up on here and hope to be back regularly soon enough..

So to my tuppenth worth...

Foe me the formation of some kind of committee is a must, we need to have some kind of structure in place, we need to be constitutionalised and we need a bank account.
We need to move forward with regards to the club and with the impending move to NEIH we need to be looking more professional.

We need a lead person on the playing side, like Ali has done in the past, and like Grabs has been doing lately to organise us, to arrange training, to decide if it's balls or puck, to call the shots basically, but we as a team need to give this person the respect the position deserves.
This could be a rotation system whatever, but that is to decide later..

On the subject of how we move forward etc etc, for me the forming of a A and B team is part and parcel of our problems of late..

I am wholy against the forming of A and B as for me it creates a massive devide immediately within the team.
We are a team, a squad, a gathering, who all have other commitments, be it work, be it family, be it you want to dress as a gimp every other week..
So to slap a divide in there from the offset is not a good move for me..

What we should be doing is re-evaluating what we have got player wise, and when these tournaments crop up we should see who is able to play, and then allocate playing time evenly between everyone.
There are some people who would make us a much better team all around at a tournament, would, if they could, play at the tournament, but might not be able to make any training sessions.
They are still part of the team, and would be welcome to wear the Dekstars jersey at a tournament, but do we say they cannot because they simply can't make practice.
What I am getting at really is that if we are to keep the whole element of fun within the camp, then we need (in my opionion of course) is to manage the playing time of everyone more effectively, remembering it's all about the fun aspect, while trying to look more professional, more organised, and have a bloody laugh...

As to the monthly payment thing, I agree we need to fill the coffers a little, but a monthly payment for me is too much of a faf on, a bi-annual payment would be much easier for most, instead of the odd few quid every month.

Lynch, this is in no way a slight on your suggestions, as mine are only that, and I hope as a TEAM we can all agree on what is the best steps forward.

I have missed my sundays, and hope to be back sooner rather than later. I think we need to get back to basics and get back to having fun first and foremost.

Specifically with A+B teams, I think it's a good idea, I didn't at first tho. From what Freakshow said about us being a squad, imagine it more of the people performing best at the time (and have EARNED their spot on the A team) get the chance to play as an A team together.

If we have an A team which isn't specifically "we will have these players in it" type thing, it's going to create more competition for places, which means that we'll all try harder and as such improve our game to get to the A team, and if EVERYONE is doing so, we'll not have an A and a B team, more two A teams of people putting in a lot of effort and improving.

I agree with the missing training = dropping out of A team too. There are people who never miss a session if physically possible who lose out on court time at a tourney cos people come to the tourney but not training regularly. Of course work etc sometimes get's in the way, but if you want to be part of a successful team and achieve something then sacrifices need to be made, such as not getting rat arsed on Saturday nights etc.

I also like the idea of monthly subs. If we open a Dekstars bank account, it's piss easy to set up a £5 standing order each month - the money as mentioned above could reduce the cost of sessions, go towards transport to events, new kit etc etc. Hell we could even get registered as a not for profit organisation and do fund raisers!

I know I haven't been around that long in the scheme of things so if anything I've said is going over old ground etc I'm sorry, and to echo Freakshow, we need to come to an agreement as a TEAM if anything is to be done.

PS - Board idea is a great one to get us some direction.

I think if we want to compete with the likes of the the wolves and the like, we need to start thinking past just playing a game on a sunday morning, and maybe use a bit of the time to look at positional play, passing , shooting etc. The other teams like Arnold are always well drilled.

we got together initially to have a bit of fun and play a form of hockey that didn't involve skating.

If you want to start competing then maybe you need to spend so time working on positions and responsibilities within attacking and defensive situations, plays from face offs and the like

Just my 2 penneth

A bit OT, but the Wolves want to come up for a game this summer, and I think the Outlaws want to come too.

DON'T READ WHILE SLEEPY!

I'd like to start off by giving apologies in case anybody was offended by anything I could have said (shouted) from the bench when we were playing. As far as I'm aware I said nothing to upset anybody, as with most people I was in the moment and it wasn't a very fun moment at that! Overall for me, and a number of people I know of, it was a frustrating and embarrassing day for us as a team, which is something I don't want to have to be a part of again!

Now to move forward!

1. Having a 'Board' is a must. It's amazing that we've managed this long without one without completely imploding. There is some visible evidence of organisation every Sunday when we get together to play but that isn't enough. We do also need to specify roles for the board. We need to have at least two 'regulars' on there so that everything can be relayed to the rest of the squad, and any issues the squad have can be raised and brought to the board via the 'player representatives.' We also need someone on there that can take a good managerial/administrative role to keep everything running as smoothly as it can (personally think Kingy could bring something in that respect?). As with voting for the board members I think that we need to decide, as a squad, who we want to represent us in the on-court leadership roles (i.e captaincy, assistants). I've got tremendous respect for the people who have represented us in this respect as it takes balls to stand up and take responsibility for your team, but if we're having a shake-up from the top, we need a shake up everywhere.

I will be more than willing to be part of the board, subject to the vote of course.

2. On the membership front I'm a bit torn. I agree that we need more dosh available but for some people hoying in £5 a month on top of £2.50 per hour (potentially £20 per month) is a bit excessive. I don't think JobSeekers takes playing Dek Hockey into account for me unfortunately! That obviously may not be the case for other people but until I get myself into better (employed) circumstances I can't stump up that much every month.

3. If we are looking to progress as a squad we NEED to start getting back into the habit of 2 hour sessions. It's fine saying we could possibly do 1 hour mid-week on top of the 1 hour on Sunday, but by the time we get started up (usually at least 5mins past our start time) we'll lose valuable time. With a 2 hour session we have a bit more wiggle-room for getting un-faffed at the start and time to get some tactical practice in (not just taking slapshots at the boards, but a team warm up like, dare I say it, the Vipers) before getting into a game.

One minor point I'd like to raise for the immediate future is that we possibly revert back to 4-on-4. This gives more space for the players and brings us back to the basics; one thing that was obvious at the tourney was our passing and movement. We need to practice linking up with our team-mates with simple passes. It may not be pretty tic-tac-toe hockey but it will get the job done. (We lost to the Cubs 1-0, who tried to 'Ovechkin' it into the net from their own goal line; we were mullered by the Wolves and Canadians...who passed it around.)

4. The A/B Team.
I want to start this bit by saying that it may not be viable until we get more players joining or get more reliable (i.e turning up when you say you're going to). To progress as a team, and as individuals, we need to introduce some form of structure like an A-team and B-team. In my view it wouldn't put a divide down the squad, if it did then there would be bigger issues than we're facing at the minute. We are supposed to be a squad so we are working towards bettering ourselves as a team on the whole, not working towards our own agenda. If I was to be put on the B-team it would make me raise my game to get into a position to challenge the first team. At the same time, if i was on the A-team I would want to do all I could to help the rest of the players chasing my position. That's what a squad should be willing to work towards, and that's what we need to be doing.

This, for me, is the main point that needs a LOT of talking about, but in person with everybody present. The idea has kinks (like the need to attend a certain number of games to be eligible) but the basic premise is a major step towards working to something better for us all.


Thats all a bit long and I'm sure I'll think of lots of other things after I've clicked "SEND" but this is the point where we need to get serious about organising something. Playing Dek has become a big part of my life now and is something I look forward to every week. The things that happened down there on Monday infuriated/embarrassed/hurt me and I don't want it to EVER happen again, because once the fun is gone, it becomes a chore, and chores can be dropped.

hmm I know I only play every six months or so however.... having played a shed load of 5 a side, I would say you need to get used to playing as a team..... in this instance you are unable to play regular competitive matches so I would suggest playing your d pairings and forward lines together as much as possible on Sundays, it will increase communication and increase understanding between players. Learn to talk (shout) at each other ..this should start from the goalie he/she can see the whole rink, if there is a man not marked etc..then from the defenders communication is the key. I know it may be difficult due to numbers on a Sunday but really by playing together as units is the only way you will improve as a TEAM otherwise you are virtual strangers when you get to these tournaments..

As I say ignore if you like as I am not really involved but I have played a lot of 5 a side with some average teams and because we knew each others games we have done well it really does help a great deal.

Stephen

One minor point I'd like to raise for the immediate future is that we possibly revert back to 4-on-4. This gives more space for the players and brings us back to the basics; one thing that was obvious at the tourney was our passing and movement. We need to practice linking up with our team-mates with simple passes

you have kind of contradicted yourself mate going 4 on 4 leaves out a forward so practising passing and movement would be restricted with the 3rd forward not really aware of the gameplanetc.

Magpie wrote:

One minor point I'd like to raise for the immediate future is that we possibly revert back to 4-on-4. This gives more space for the players and brings us back to the basics; one thing that was obvious at the tourney was our passing and movement. We need to practice linking up with our team-mates with simple passes

you have kind of contradicted yourself mate going 4 on 4 leaves out a forward so practising passing and movement would be restricted with the 3rd forward not really aware of the gameplanetc.

When I say immediate future I literally just mean the next couple of weeks. I know we need to play 5-on-5 to develop chemistry with our potential line mates, but we need to clean up our basics. Next week or two only just to get an element of fun back into it and make sure that we all have the chance to work on our basics.

Only an idea as an option, if we play 5-on-5 that's fair do's too.

Leafy wrote:

Magpie wrote:

One minor point I'd like to raise for the immediate future is that we possibly revert back to 4-on-4. This gives more space for the players and brings us back to the basics; one thing that was obvious at the tourney was our passing and movement. We need to practice linking up with our team-mates with simple passes

you have kind of contradicted yourself mate going 4 on 4 leaves out a forward so practising passing and movement would be restricted with the 3rd forward not really aware of the gameplanetc.

When I say immediate future I literally just mean the next couple of weeks. I know we need to play 5-on-5 to develop chemistry with our potential line mates, but we need to clean up our basics. Next week or two only just to get an element of fun back into it and make sure that we all have the chance to work on our basics.

Only an idea as an option, if we play 5-on-5 that's fair do's too.

no problem mate at least your thinking forward!

Firstly competitiveness could be a bit iffy. I don't know if any of you noticed that the Outlaws had quite a lot of different players to the last time, as they tried to be more competitive lately and the people who'd started with them a while ago just left because it wasn't a fun Sunday morning knockabout anymore. We need to avoid that trap. Also, with these guidelines for making the A team, I'm wondering if we'd even wind up with enough players who'd be interested enough.

Secondly we need some proper coaching. Hopefully someone like Gaz Hellens who knows what he's doing; I'll be the first to admit although I watch hockey every week, and listen to everything Don Cherry has ever said, I'm no coach. Yelling "Jesus Christ that was shit, what the fuck are you doing" on every line change isn't productive. (And no, not aimed at you Leafy, in all honesty didn't hear you say anything, which may be another problem though)

Also, I'm with Leafy in that we need to think carefully if people can afford to spend 20 odd quid a month; I now have no sticks (I do love how cleanly that one broke in half on a face off on Monday, going back to avoiding composite sticks like the plague now) and the last thing I want to be thinking about is how I need to pay subs this month.

Although 4 on 4 is a good laugh it doesn't help us training. We had 3 on 2 rushes all day yesterday; great. We lost possession and the Centre sort of looked at them as they rushed 3 on 2 back against us. A Centre is a forward AND a D. The size of our court isn't great for 5 on 5 though, so we need to think about that.

Also if we have a Tournament up here I may be able to get it sponsored, but we'll have to see how everything else goes first

As much as I hate playing 5 on 5 due to the cramped court, I reckon it's the way forward. It will improve passing because of the limited space and allow people to develop proper movement and tactics. Playing 4 on 4 all year then switching at the last minute just isn't helping.

You could say the same about playing with a ball (and I know Dave did), though I'd have to acquire some kit for that, if a decision is made to go that way for sure, then I'll invest.