Rough guide. All suggestions for improvements welcome!!

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Informing players which team they made after grading.

 

Always follow club policy in terms of grading (see grading doc). We grade and we don’t make exceptions and everyone who trials knows this. Act professionally regardless of player ‘talk’. We just need to communicate early (using the appropriate methods) and keep it matter of fact.

As a rudimentary club policy on how to let players know how they did at the trials? Here are some rough guidelines:
  • Players who made A Grade is easy – a simple email will do
  • Players who went up a grade is easy – a simple email will do.
  • Players who were wallabies last year and are still wallabies this year – again should not need anything other than a simple email
  • Players who were joeys last year and are still joeys this year – again should not need anything other than a simple email
  • New players to the club – again a simple letter is all that’s required regardless of which team they made

Only players who move down a grade need more. Do we tell them face to face, phone them up or do it in an email? Pros and cons of each are:

  • Face to face is good if done away from their peers as it is easier to convince a player it is in their interests to move to a lower grade (enjoy it more, be a key player, given more responsibility) and to stay at the club. It is time inefficient (and volunteer coaches may not have the opportunity or time to do this face to face) unless it can be done at training (but this could be hard for players who may have been dropped as it is done in front of the friends).
  • Phone calls get it done and at least a conversation can be had but to does remove the personal touch a little
  • Emails are too impersonal. Please do not do not do this if we have a duty of care towards the player.

We need to let these players know that

  • We are acting in their best interest
  • They will be continually watched and assessed to see if they deserve an opportunity at a higher grade, and that this opportunity is very likely to become available during the season
  • We hope they take the spot as we see them as valuable member of the club and hope that the take up the offer
  • We don’t want them to leave the club or the sport
  • Going to another club might not give them what they are looking for

In terms of timing it makes sense to get the

  • ‘A’s sorted first and ASAP and talk to any players moving down to wallabies and keep them on board
  • Then sort the wallabies (plan for a bigger squad just in case some players crack it and leave)
  • Then sort the Joeys (plan for a bigger squad just in case some players crack it and leave)

This whole domino process needs to happen very quickly

Miniroos

  • Maybe send an email to players who have moved down a grade just saying that the decision is in the best interests of the player.
  • Generally I think just send out team lists and leave it at that, and let parents parent if a decision hasn’t gone their way