Message from West District President Keith Joss.
When West District hockey returned from Covid I was pleased to hear weekly reports of the way that clubs, players and officials were working together and enjoying being back on the pitch. Unfortunately, the start of this season has by some accounts seen standards slip and I therefore write to implore all participants to show greater levels of compassion and understanding to each other. There is no need to ’trash-talk’; threaten an opponent; hit someone ‘off the ball’; get in the face of a player or umpire; shout at spectators; or do some of the other actions that have been reported.
Attached is an updated version of our RESPECT flyer, first issued in 2017, which outlines our collective position. I ask clubs to issue a copy of this to all participants (players, umpires, officials, spectators, parents and anyone else who happens to be pitch side). In addition to this, best practice will be for captains to talk with their team before matches and ensure that everyone understands their responsibilities. Clubs should monitor the behaviour of their members and have support where they wish to sanction individuals under their own disciplinary rules.
The flyer will appear on our website and social media channels in the coming days. I hope that this visibility will help everyone to understand expectations and ensure a welcoming and safe environment. In particular, West District has a strong tradition of the way that young players are integrated into and support adult competitions. We need to ensure that this continues to be the case and I believe that following the principles of RESPECT will make that happen.
The words on a flyer cannot in themselves change the behaviour of individuals but I do hope that they make clear the standards and expectations of West District.
In anticipation of your support circulating and implementing this important message, ’Thank You’. Best of luck for your matches this weekend.
