Welcome from the President

Transcription

1 Welcome from the President Well here we are already into the season, it is exciting how most clubs at this time of year are at different phases of their development and are looking forward to the rest of the season with anticipation. The Sunraysia Coaches Association (SCA) has again been working hard behind the scenes. We have 274 members at this stage of the year and these members will again receive a host of advantages through their membership to our Association. These include accreditation, regular newsletters and seminars, the option to use a number of resources which the SCA have available as well as invitations to attend a host of coaching nights and many other great value for money activities. There are a number of new coaches in all clubs this season and it was great to see a number of these at the recent Level 1 coaching course held on March 22nd at St Joseph s College. These coaches have all been performing very well over the course of the season with many doing great things at junior level. Going forward, the Sunraysia Coaches Association (SCA) are putting in place some coaching seminars for all our coaches to get along to. Just a small taste of what might be on in the next few weeks is a Seminar with Kangaroos Development/assistant Coach Darren Crocker. All information in regards to that will be sent out soon. Well here is hoping that all clubs, players and coaches get what they wish for out of this season. As I said earlier, every club is at a different phase of their development. There may only be one premiership in each of your clubs or none, but your "success" isn't always measured by a Premiership. Yours in football, Trevor Ryan Football Development Manager Sunraysia SCA Committee Members Trevor Ryan: Secretary Tony Hickey Anthony Parr Brendan Payne John Hollywood Brian Weightman Mark Alvey

2 Level One Coaching Course 2015 Thanks to all the speakers who presented in their field at the recent level 1 course where 38 coaches attended across the Junior, Youth and Senior grades. We will be also holding an extra level 1 Junior course in the coming weeks for any interested helpers at our junior clubs. Thanks to Brett Henderson the Pioneers head coach who travelled up from Bendigo to help with the course. We also had some fantastic local presenters in Tony Hickey, John Hollywood, Rod Simms and Shane Garraway. Here are some pics from the course. Sunraysia Coach of the Month After a great start to the year the Sunraysia Coaches Association coach of the month winner for April is Peter Johns, Merbein Football Club Senior coach. If Merbein Football Club is victorious in tomorrow s Round Four clash against South Mildura, it will have won more senior games than the past two seasons. Since falling to the hands of Mildura in Round One, the Magpies have claimed the scalps of Irymple and Wentworth to be sitting fourth on the ladder. Along with the key recruitment of former Essendon VFL captain and Merbein junior Ben Duscher, the Magpies turn of form can be put down to the reappointment of coach Peter Johns Peter, who coached the Magpies during the 1980s and 1990s, took over a club which had collected two successive wooden spoons. Recognized for Merbein s impressive start to the season, the 54-year-old was last Friday named Sunraysia Coaches Association Coach of the Month for April. It s a good honor, Peter said. The players deserve the credit for the application they have put in. Nominated by a seven-man committee, Sunraysia s AFL Victoria Football Development Manager Trevor Ryan said Peter was an obvious choice. He faced a challenge right from the start, Trevor said. Taking over a club that s obviously crying out for success, and to get two wins on the board out of three is a good start. After losing to Mildura by 102 points, Peter said the playing group held a feedback session, reiterating the team s goals. The players didn t understand what it was all about, he said. We sat down and had a chat afterwards, because it wasn t good enough and we needed to work on a few areas. We spoke about the game plan that we have got installed, and the guys have gone from there. Mildura were fantastic when we played them, they shut down all our main players. Responding in the best possible way, the Magpies beat Irymple by 50 points, and followed that with a one point

3 victory over Wentworth. The win against Irymple was great from the point of view that Merbein haven t won that way in some time, Peter said. The next game against Wentworth was a better win because we had to grind it out all day and come from behind. Possibly last year and the year before Merbein might have lost by 10 goals when they got four goals down, but to the players credit they were fantastic and fought back. Despite a two week break, Peter said his team is ready to continue their winning streak against South Mildura at Sarah Oval. Hopefully we will beat South by the way we have been playing the last couple of weeks, he said. South Mildura are very talented and are probably still trying to find their feet, but we think we have the players to match and better that. Regarded as one of Sunraysia s best footballers, Peter said the signature of Ben Duscher was a massive coup for the resurgent Magpies. Ben s been fantastic, he said. He s a seriously good footballer, and he, along with our leadership group, gives the boys a lot of confidence. Coach Education and Seminars: Sunraysia Junior coaching course - 27 th of May Junior/Youth coaching seminar with TAC Cup coach Bret Henderson June Coaching Seminar with Kangaroos Development Coach Darren Crocker (dates TBC ) Coaching Seminar with Carlton Assistant coach Robert Wiley ( dates TBC ) Sunraysia Young Talent Six of the best from Sunraysia under sixteens talent squads recently represented the Bendigo Pioneers in the regional Under 16s championships. Congratulations and well done to these 6 boys who represented there region and clubs with pride and all playing well over the three games. With 3 straight wins over the Murray Bushrangers, North Ballarat Rebels and Gippsland Power teams. Congratulations to Lochie O Brien and Inji Fyfe on their selection in the Vic Country U16 squad. From left- Inji Fyfe, Lewin Davies, Lochie O Brien, Blaide O Connor, Joseph Zappia and Tyson Whitford.

4 Victory over violence is needed Garry Lyon The Age August 29, 2009 IF ALCOHOL is seen as one of the major sources of street violence in our city, then an unhealthy focus on winning is a similar problem at junior-level football. Just as enjoying a beer or a glass of wine is fine, so too is hoping, and barracking, for your kids' team to win each time they play. But when that beer - or quest for victory - becomes the single-most important thing and it starts to impact negatively on your behavior, you need to reassess your attitude to it. The growing and abhorrent trend of violence at junior football matches needs to be acknowledged addressed and urgently eradicated. The mindless, ignorant and anti-social behavior of a minority group of people - chiefly associated with the year-old players - has overridden the philosophy that should underpin all junior sport, not just football. Coaching kids isn't easy. You are confronted with players whose skill levels vary greatly, but therein lies the great challenge for us all who have taken on the role. We need to re-define winning for everyone concerned, kids and adults alike, and reinforce, from the very first training session, that it doesn't always equate to what is happening on the scoreboard. And this is, in my opinion, where the heart of the problem lies. Not all coaches, and parents, are able to equate victory with anything other than who is in front at the end of the game, and as a result their behavior is inextricably linked to that. Their frustrations are then directed to umpires, players, opposition supporters and coaches, and in the most extreme cases, that frustration and inability to control emotion leads to violence.i have coached junior football for the past three years and some of our greatest victories have had nothing to do with the scoreboard. One of my proudest moments in that time involved one of my players whose knowledge of the game and physical ability was very low. He started the year not knowing where to stand on the ground and, through his inexperience, was unable to get near the ball. In the last game of the year, with the support of team mates and coaches, he was standing in the goal square and managed to take a mark. The place erupted, his mates went crazy and all the parents cheered as if it were their own son. Without going overboard, it was as emotional a feeling as I have had in footy. If we all take the emphasis off the end result, to even a small degree, there will be an immediate improvement in coach, player and crowd behavior. I would like to see junior football clubs officially graded on their clubs' policies, their behavioral history and their willingness to deal, positively but unerringly, with those that don't comply. Where practical, those A-graded clubs need to be rewarded for their efforts by way of resources or AFL player visits. The future prosperity and strength of the AFL is inextricably linked to junior football. Without it, our game would wither and die. This is by no means a lost cause, and we can, and will, reverse recent trends. I watched games of junior football last weekend at Bulleen and Frankston, and went out to listen to the coaches at the quarter-time huddles. The messages given were positive and instructional, the win was important, as you would expect in finals, but not overriding, and the crowds were impeccably behaved. That is the standard we should aspire to. We will not tolerate thuggish behavior, nor do we want to see grand finals called off in the middle of the game due to fears

5 Drill of the Month from the Sunraysia Coaches association. Title: Forwards Movement Explanation: This Drill will teach forwards they do not always start a lead from being flat-footed in the goal square. Often forwards may be up the ground after chasing an opponent. The forwards must then charge back towards their own goal to be in the best position to be an option for their team. 1. Coach rolls ball into Red who with no pressure, kicks to leading Red half-forward. This Red halfforward has Black defending him. 2. While this happen s the other Red forwards reposition themselves to either lead up at their teammate or for a long kick to their advantage. 3. Red half-forward looks inside 50 and kicks the ball to the best option. Red forwards should be leading at Red half-forwards, with one Red forward sliding back inside 50 as the longer option. Diagram: Variation: Add forwards and defenders at both ends. Defenders (black) can transition to offence if the ball is turned over (if they gain possession). They can then and move the ball to 1 of 2 free midfield players who can then kick to the best forward option. The drill continues until a score or a second turn-over of possession occurs. Same Drill as Drill 1, however on the turn-over the blacks

6 Teaching Points: Kicking to advantage & Marking skills a focus. Decision making, body positioning and timing of leads important. Team work required to free up space (movement). In variation, transition skills important. Forwards need to quick transition from offence to defence and apply pressure. SUPPORT OUR COACHES ASSOCIATION SPONSORS