Competition Review
Hockey Victoria - Masters & Midweek Social Competition Information Guide
***MEMORANDUM***
TO: All Affiliates
FROM: Andrew Skillern, Operations Manager, Hockey Victoria
SUBJECT: Hockey Victoria - Masters & Midweek Social Competition Information Guide
DATE: Wednesday 26 September 2012
Dear Affiliates,
Hockey Victoria is committed to retaining its hockey community by providing competitions which enable both Men & Women regardless of age, gender or skill level with access to participate in a HV competition.
During the 2010/ 2011 season a senior competition review was carried out and it was clear from the data collected that more research was required to not only fully understand the most appropriate way of provide hockey competition for the Masters community, but also to research the reasons why participants were leaving our game.
In June 2012 Hockey Victoria conducted another round of Masters Surveys however on this occasion HV specifically surveyed the current 29-34 year olds (the next round of Masters Participants) as well as those aged 35+ who in 2012 were eligible to participate in HV hockey competitions during the week (Masters).
The survey was completed by 432 males and 315 females over the age of 35 years & 105 males and 113 females aged 29-34 (the next generation).
As part of the process Hockey Victoria also took into consideration the results from the 2012 Exit Survey which has provided additional information which has been taken into account for the new look Masters Competition in 2013.
Please find linked below a copy of the HV Masters & Midweek Social Competition Information Guide for 2013. To assist our affiliates with managing the changes with their own teams HV will be conducting an information session on Tuesday 9 October 2012.
For any further clarification on details in the Information Guide please contact the HV office on 8379 4288.
Kind Regards, 
Andrew Skillern
Operations Manager
Hockey Victoria
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION GUIDE_PDF
Hockey Victoria - Junior Competition Information Guide
***MEMORANDUM***
TO: All Affiliates
FROM: Andrew Skillern, Operations Manager, Hockey Victoria
SUBJECT: Hockey Victoria - Junior Competition Information Guide
DATE: Wednesday 26 September 2012
Dear Affiliates,
As you will all be aware Hockey Victoria have conducted a Junior Competition review in 2012. Through a variety of consultation processes and research with Deakin University Hockey Victoria are excited to announce some changes to the 2013 season which will improve the experience of current hockey players (community) and also provide competitions that are accessible to the wider community into the future.
As part of the consultation process Deakin University designed two surveys for the hockey community to contribute to the review of our current junior competition. The two surveys were:
- Players and Parents Survey
- Club or Association Administrators Survey
In addition to the surveys Deakin University researched the competition structures of other hockey associations within Australia and throughout Europe.
Hockey Victoria also conducted a series of Junior Competition Forums throughout 2011 and 2012 where open discussion was held in relation to the approaches to recruitment, advancements to the representative competition and improvements to the current experience of the domestic season.
Please find linked below the HV Junior Competition Information Guide for your information. Hockey Victoria encourages you to spend time with your junior committees and key members of the club in interpreting the changes to the junior competition and to contact Hockey Victoria if you have any further questions.
Kind Regards,
Andrew Skillern
Operations Manager
Hockey Victoria
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD INFORMATION GUIDE_PDF
Hockey Victoria facilitated an Information Session on Wednesday 17th August 2011 to discuss the changes to the Senior (Open-Age) and Veterans (Over-Age) competitions for 2013 as outlined in the Competition Structure Information Guide which was released to all affiliates on Monday 4th July 2011.
This was a great opportunity for affiliates to provide Hockey Victoria with feedback on the competition structure and to clarify any issues. In advance of the Information Session, Hockey Victoria received ten written submissions from affiliates.
At the Information Session, the Hockey Victoria Competitions Review Sub Committee agreed in good faith to consider the feedback and recommendations, discuss these with the HV Board and staff and provide an update to all affiliates.
The Hockey Victoria Board met on Tuesday 27th September 2011 where the feedback provided by affiliates on the Competition Structure was discussed.
To assist all affiliates in their understanding of the competition changes and to provide an update on the feedback received via the written submissions and discussions at the Information Session, the original Competition Information Guide has been updated to include any changes. For ease of identification, these changes have been highlighted in red text within the document.
Hockey Victoria encourages all affiliates to thoroughly review the updated Competition Structure Information Guide to note the changes that have been made.
Click here to view the Updated Competition Structure Information Guide
***MEMORANDUM***
TO: All Affiliates
FROM: Ben Hartung, Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Competition Structure Information Session
DATE: Wednesday 10th August 2011
Dear Affiliates,
As you are aware, the Board and Management of Hockey Victoria recently released the Information Guide for the new competition structure for 2013 and beyond.
An Information Session will be held at 6.00pm on Wednesday 17th August 2011 at the State Netball Hockey Centre and we would encourage a representative of your Club or Association to attend.
Thank you to those affiliates who have submitted queries in writing to our office and we will endeavour to address all of these queries and comments in the Information Session.
In developing the proposals set out in the competition review, HV engaged an external consultant to undertake analysis of competition options based on a research study. In helping affiliates analyse the proposals, we have made the research available. This research is set out in a report that can be found using the link below alongside a copy of the Competition Structure Information Guide which has already been provided. 
Research PDF
Competition Structure Information Guide PDF
Yours Sincerely,
Ben Hartung
Chief Executive Officer
***MEMORANDUM***
TO: All Affiliates
FROM: Rob Dalton (Chair), Adam Barty (Deputy Chair), Ben Hartung (Chief Executive Officer)
SUBJECT: Competition Structure Information Guide
DATE: Monday, July 4, 2011
Dear Affiliates,
Today, the Board and Management of Hockey Victoria have released the Information Guide for the new competition structure for 2013 and beyond.
This is a very important step in relation to the strategic direction of our sport and one that we are certain will facilitate the achievement of our clear objectives to:
Increase participation;
Improve player development and performance; and
Increase participant satisfaction.
Our objectives are clearly and strategically aligned with those of Hockey Australia and our State Government, and it is imperative, that in order to achieve the long term success of the sport we must be united and positive as we make improvements and developments in our sport. The sport, leisure and entertainment landscape in Australia is changing rapidly and there is now significantly increased competition for new participants. The AFL has recently announced an aggressive expansion plan to significantly increase the number of junior and senior womens football leagues across the country, and they have a sizeable war chest from the recently negotiated media rights to implement their plan.
Now that the senior competition review is completed we will immediately commence the review of the junior competition structure.
The new senior competition structure is the result of a collaborative process conducted from across the sport as well as looking at other successful sports both in Australia and around the world.
We look forward to all of our Affiliates supporting the Hockey Victoria office as we commence the implementation of the new senior competition structure. We also encourage positive and constructive comments with ideas on resolutions in relation to any areas that may give rise to implementation difficulties.
An Information Session will be held at 6.00pm on Wednesday 17th August 2011 at the State Netball Hockey Centre and we would encourage a representative of your Club or Association to attend. Any queries and comments submitted in writing by Club or Association Presidents prior to Monday 1st August 2011 will be addressed in this Information Session.
Yours Sincerely,
Rob Dalton
Chair
Adam Barty
Deputy Chair
Ben Hartung
Chief Executive Officer
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE COMPETITION STRUCTURE INFORMATION GUIDE PDFCLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE COMPETITION STRUCTURE INFORMATION GUIDE MEMO PDF - MONDAY, JULY, 4, 2011
***MEMORANDUM***
TO: All Affiliates
FROM: Ben Hartung, Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Competition Structure Review: Update
DATE: Monday 1st November 2010
Dear Affiliates,
As you are aware, over the last year the Board and staff of Hockey Victoria (HV) have been consulting with affiliates to ascertain their views on the current competition structure and identify options for improvement.
Various discussion forums have been conducted and many affiliates have submitted written recommendations for our consideration. A summary of the focus group recommendations was published in June.
In July of this year, we engaged Shape Research, a not-for-profit sports research company, to conduct a formal review of the current competition structure and evaluate these structures against those adopted in other sports and also across other hockey associations within Australia. A key component of this research project involved the construction of a survey which 1,200 people completed in August providing us with some extremely valuable research data.
The review aimed to investigate:
- How the structure of the competition can be improved to promote growth in participation numbers within the sport;
- How the structure of the competition can be improved to increase the standard of, and access to, the elite competition for all affiliates and reward clubs with strong junior participation programs by providing a clearer pathway to our elite competition;
- How the competition structures can be improved to lessen the impact of travel on those participants whose main motivation is a balance of quality competition with user-friendly access to the sport;
- How the competition can be structured to improve the ability to attract and retain umpires; and
- How the competition can be structured to make it more accessible to casual participants, taking into account the trend for individuals to have less time for social/sporting activities.
Shape Research presented the recommendations of the Competition Structure Review to the HV Board at a Board Meeting held on Tuesday 19th October 2010.
Following the presentation and discussion, the HV Board resolved to further consider the recommendations contained in the final report at the Board Meeting to be held on Tuesday 16th November 2010 once they had received a report and further information from management.
The final report from Shape Research, based on the research and feedback from the member survey, clearly identified that our competitions are not in need of an urgent radical restructure but the report does highlight that several opportunities exist to build on the growth, sport development outcomes, club and competition strength and engagement with our affiliates which will provide a more stable and sustainable competition better aligned with HVs wider strategic objectives. Potential changes recommended in the report are not been viewed as a necessity but rather as an opportunity.
Importantly for your planning for the 2011 season, the Board and management resolved that there would not be any significant changes to the HV competition structures for the 2011 season. Any recommended changes, once they have been endorsed by the Board, will only come into effect at the end of the 2012 season for commencement in the 2013 season.
Prior to the commencement of the 2011 season in April 2011, I will be releasing a Competition Structure Club Information Guide to all affiliates which will outline any recommended changes and affiliates will have access to the extensive professional research material that has been conducted by Shape Research so that they can see the rationale behind the recommendations.
As you would appreciate, there is still a considerable amount of work required to be completed in HVs evaluation of all of the recommendations and this is not a process that we will be rushing or compromising in any way. Long term sustainability, strength and growth in our competition structures are the fundamental objectives and these principles need to be met before any change can be confidently implemented.
On behalf of the Board and management, I appreciate your patience with this important project and I would like to take this opportunity to once again sincerely thank all of the affiliates who have contributed to this review with submissions and recommendations. Your input and proactive approach has been much appreciated.
Kind regards,
Ben Hartung
Chief Executive Officer
Late last year the Hockey Victoria board committed to completing a diligent and thorough competition review.
The review is being overseen by a sub-committee of the board with the assistance of HV staff.
This review seeks to investigate;
How the structure of the competition can be improved to promote growth in participation numbers within the sport, taking into account the increasing difficulty in travelling from one area of Melbourne to another;
How the structure of the competition can be improved to increase the standard of the elite competition and the flow of players from the domestic competitions into state teams and then national teams;
How the competition can be structured to improve the ability to attract and retain umpires; and
How the competition can be structured to make it more accessible to casual participants, taking into account the trend for individuals to have less time for social/sporting activities.
The review will:
Examine competition structures, seeking out proven examples of best practice in;
hockey in other states of Australia;
other sports within Australia;
hockey in other countries;
Consult with members, clubs, state coaches and interested stakeholders.
The review is due to conclude in October 2011 to allow consideration and adoption of any proposed changes by the Hockey Victoria board prior to planning for the 2012 season.
It is important to note that Hockey Victoria has no intention of rushing any proposed changes, and in the case of any significant re-structuring or other significant changes to the competition a program would be established to gradually phase in changes over a period of years.
Focus Groups
Prior to Christmas Hockey Victoria ran a series of four focus groups, with groups split into categories based on their type of involvement in the sport.
The groups were conducted in good spirit and despite differing opinions the end results have provided an excellent starting point for the competition review process.
Some ideas that have come out of the focus groups are;
Equalisation does not work - everyone should play each other twice
SL1 should not have 2 teams relegated - only 1
Play some Metro competitions mid-week
Grade Vets around experience
Ceiling of points or a playoff for promotion and relegation. Once you reach a certain number of points (eg. 18) in SL1 then you are safe
Promote/relegate a club's 2nds in lock step with their 1sts
Specific grades should always play on certain days
Create a mid week ladies competition during the day (similar to tennis) at the SNHC - offer a crθche service where the players can bring their children and then play in a social competition
No games at 6:30pm or later - make a rule that 5:00pm is the latest time slot that can be used
Zones for umpires - reduced travel times may lead to increased participation
Increase the number of teams in SL1 or Premier Division - start with 12 and increase to 16 teams over time
Expand grades into two separate geographic zone competitions of 10 teams with final series played between the top teams in each zone
More sharp short competitions for juniors - do we need 18 rounds in juniors?
Vets men and women should not be on same night (makes it hard when usually one partner is the babysitter)
Please click here to read a summary of suggestions from the focus groups.
Member Submissions
Following on from the pre-Christmas Focus Groups, Hockey Victoria has moved into the second phase of its wide ranging competition review and is seeking ideas and input from across the hockey community.
This process will occur in two parts, initially we are seeking submissions detailing concepts or ideas to be included for consideration.
Following on from the compilation and consideration of these submissions a detailed survey of the membership will be undertaken to gauge community response to a range of proposed initiatives.
So if you have an idea or proposal that you would like to see considered please put it in writing to us by email or post .
Submissions are due by Wednesday 14 of April.
Don't worry - if you don't have time to make a submission you will still have an opportunity to voice your opinion during the member survey.
