2009 Secretary’s Report incl. Colts

All in all, 2009 was a quiet year from an administrative point of view.  I feel that everything passed by smoothly and for this reason, just as this time last year, I’ve little to report as such.

However, in case anyone wonders just what the Club Secretary actually does do - should anyone hear the call in twelve months time and feel the urge to answer it! - things I’ve been involved in since the last AGM  include:

·         Contacting all players, young and old, soon after the AGM to confirm the subs due for the new season and setting out the payment methods available;

·         Managing the kit orders and ordering process;

·         Compiling and arranging for the printing of our fixture cards;

·         As you’ll all know based on recent correspondence, giving notice of and preparing for the AGM;

·         Compiling and distributing the Committee’s monthly meeting Minutes;

·         Dealing with most day to day correspondence, arranging the Club’s insurance, PRS licence, liaising with the respective leagues;

·         Registration of players;

·         Compiling and submitting to the EKG our weekly match reports;

·         Presentation Night preparation, choosing and ordering (although not selecting the winners of) the trophies;

·         Being available as far as possible to offer support to the Chairman and other Committee members.

That said, I would like to thank everyone for their support throughout the year in helping me to carry out this function.

COLTS

Once again, I won’t try to name all those who helped with the colts during 2009 – whether umpiring, scoring, coaching, collecting subs, preparing the ground, providing bacon rolls or simply “being there” on Fridays and match days – but those who were involved know who they are and can be sure that their help and support really was appreciated.

We began the year by once again arranging indoor training and nets, this time at Fulston Manor School, an improvement on the Swallows facilities we’d used in early 2008.  All in all, I’d like to think that these sessions were a success and offered good reason for us to look positively towards the new season.

Outdoor training began as usual in April with “signing on” evening when the vast majority of players parted with their annual subs on day one.  Thereafter, the weekly training fees were collected religiously throughout the summer.  More importantly, the young players – in particularly, it must be said, the very youngest players - appeared to have fun!

On the field, the Under 11s performed brilliantly throughout the season given the fact that we couldn’t be certain that we’d even have eight players a week or two before the season started.  Pulling out of the league was a genuine possibility at that stage.  For a number of the boys, their first exposure to hard ball cricket didn’t come until the first league match and then, with their first four or five games being on Friday evenings, they didn’t really have any chance to practice either.  On top of all this, all bar two of the 10 man squad were “playing up a year” or two years in several cases!

However, they bonded well as a squad, always played with a smile, had lots of fun and to a player, improved game by game.  Three of the squad are now in the District Under 10s squad for the 2010 season the next year or two looks bright for that age group.

In truth, the Under 13s had a disappointing season with only two wins to their name.  However, they did play excellently at times, often competitively and always in the right spirit.  As during the previous season, we tended to bowl and field better than we batted, one or two players excepted.  Something for the coaches to work on as half the squad move up to Under 15s for 2010.

The Under 15s, especially those who have now played their last Colts game, will probably feel that 2009 was an opportunity missed.  There’s no doubt that Rodmersham had as strong a team as any other, but good fortune failed them at crucial times and they had to be content with third place once again.  A rearranged school fixture could be blamed for one defeat, bad light and rain for two more and Sheppey away was, well, just one of those freak results that sport throws up now and again.  The most pleasing aspect of the season though was the way in which the team appeared to enjoy themselves.

Finally, as you all know, I will be stepping down from my Colts responsibilities after the AGM.  However, the Colts section will manage without me, that’s for sure.  Within the next few weeks we will have six new coaches giving us ten in total who will share the duties.  That said, I’m sure they will be glad of support from the Club as a whole – I’ll continue to be available as support too – so please don’t be too shy to come forward!