Sunday, April 5, 2009

Getting The Hay In...NOW!


AA Varsity Football in BC is at a historic cross-roads. The league is finally not the entry point for new programs and it does not this yer, begin with programs who are languishing for whatever reason. Over the years there has been some justifiable complaints (and some not so justifiable)of the league being a bit of a second-class Rodney Dangerfield "no respect" citizen in BCSSFA.

Well, here we all are as programs on the eve of Spring Ball. What we do, what we begin to establish as a collective culture will have a lasting impact on how we are perceived and thus treated in the years to come.

One area where we can have a decisive and immediate impact is the administrative area. When our teams are properly registered on-line, photographs submitted, and as the season begins, our game video uploaded and stats entered, then we legitimize ourselves as a serious league and entity within the provincial culture. If we wait til the last second and then participate ad-hoc, then nothing has changed and our critics become well fed.

So here is the deal:

On-Line Registration

Everybody has the ability to register now. The codes are the same as last year.

Most programs have already conducted the bulk of their registration or are soon doing so. Coaches would be well served to get the bulk of their registration information posted ASAP. If as a coach, you don't have positions and jersey numbers figured out yet, you can enter "Open" and a generic number for your players. We used 0.

By simply getting this task done en-masse, we are in position to tidy it up as required and springboard into league play.

Team and Player Photos

Take your team, program and player photos the day before you play your spring game/jamboree. We have done this the past six years! It is hugely helpful as you can submit your team photo/roster for the BCSSFA playoff program in June; upload your player photos on to the net (as everyone has already had the bulk of their registration data posted!!); distribute your team and player photos to each respective participant and his family; and you have current photos for media distribution, game day programs, sponsors etc. Again, stuff you do in June is stuff you don't have to do in September.

Think about it, June, July and early August is when you have time to mess around with such logistical housekeeping. You certainly will not once 24 August rolls around. Again, having this data up and sent out far in advance is not only professional, it is massively helpful to have it off of your plate come Fall. Wouldn't you rather be working out a game plan with your coaches and team than being a clerk?

Lastly, there is your responsibility to the collective. AA ball is a stakeholder in the big mix. If we seek to advance an idea at the provincial table, we will be far better served to have our collective act in order. To be taken seriously, we first need to take ourselves seriously. Beyond this principle, things are a whole lot more fun and productive when they are organized and universally participated in. As well, our league executive does yeomen's work and they sure as hec can spend their time better than chasing around the sick-lame and lazy who won't "get with the program" as they should.

Coaches, you are pioneers this year. Lets get it right from the git-go.

Get that registration up ASAP.

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