OUSE VALLEY EAGLES AMERICAN FOOTBALL CLUB Annual General Meeting 2015.

OUSE VALLEY EAGLESAMERICAN FOOTBALL CLUB

Annual General Meeting

2015

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Level 2 Qualifications BAFCA Convention

In August this year, Coach McMaster spent 2 weeks as an Assistant OL Coach at The University of LaVerne in California. Coach McMaster took part in practice planning, player evaluation and was in charge of various sessions throughout the two weeks. This is experience that will be of great use to the club.

Developing our coaching staff

Did you know? We have coaches and players in the Great Britain squad for the European Championships in 2016.

Developing our coaching staff is something we place a great deal of importance on. We recognise the long term value in investing in their continuing education. After putting 4 players through the Level 1 in 2014, we have a further 3 coaches who have gained accreditation this year, and another gaining Level 2 accreditation. Congratulations to Darren Hill, Jack Judge, Jake Halliday and Martin Day, well done guys!

Eagles have one of the most qualified staffs in the country, with Head Coach Will White completing his at the next available opportunity. We will now look to our positional coaches to continue their development and complete the Level 2 in the next few years.

In addition to the Level 2 qualification, Coach Hill will also be involved in a specialist camp in January with Coach Greg Vandagriff and Coach Darin Slack, the second time he will have been involved with such a camp, to further his knowledge.

NCAA Experience

We encourage attendance at all major coaching events throughout the year, and in continual development of knowledge. This year, defensive Co-Ordinator Darren Hill passed his Level 2 BAFCA coaching certificate. This is a tremendous achievement, and means the

This year the Eagles had 4 representatives at the BAFCA Convention, Offensive Coordinator Neale McMaster, Defensive Coordinator Darren Hill, Special Team Coordinator Gary

Villiers and Gareth Pullen. The main speakers this year were longtime NFL coach Al Saunders (now with Miami Dolphins) and NCAA Defensive Coordinator Geoff Collins, who coaches with the Florida Gators. The BAFCAconvention is not only a great learning opportunity, but an excellent networking opportunity for our coaches and we will be working to ensure a 100% attendance rate in the future.

Ouse Valley Eagles Annual Review 2015

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The Plan

Joining the League

Youth Football

The Blackhawks Youth Team will be joining the league for the 2016 season. Currently 5v5 works on a tournament basis, with each team hosting one tournament day, consisting of 4 or 5 teams who play each other in a round robin tournament. Each counts towards an overall points table, with the top teams competing in a National Finals tournament against top teams like Highland Wildcats and Buckingham Wolves.

The team will in turn need to travel to several other tournaments throughout the season to complete all there games. We’re looking for our Senior teams support during our home and away tournaments, as youth players look up to the senior players as role models.

Supporting the other teams in our group is part of your duty as a player/coach/staff member, and we look forward to seeing everyone on the sidelines for the upcoming games.

When the club started in 2013, we set out with a focus on developing youth teams in our immediate recruiting area. Since then, that plan has developed, with a much clearer forward plan. Our aim, is to have 4 regional teams in Bedford, Milton

In 2014 we started our first youth team, and after a year of getting used to playing football, and the use of some Kickstart kit, have applied for membership into the league in 2015. We have also recently got involved with some schools to deliver flag football sessions, with the aim of developing satellite club(s) in the near future.

Our rookie try-outs showed that the sport is continuing to grow, with interest from all over the region.

‘Come and Try’ tour

We continued to host multiple rookie days, across our recruitment area, throughout October attracting around 10 brand new youth players to the sport. Most of whom are very keen on joining for the 2016 season. Great numbers.


Keynes, Luton and St.Neots/Northampton, which will all feed into a Ouse Valley Junior team, then ultimately into Senior football.

Each region will have it’s own identity, all bird themed and falling under the Ouse Valley Football banner. Bedford, the first of these franchises to be set up will be the Blackhawks, with names for the other regional teams to be revealed as and when they are developed.

This will ensure we are able to provide local youth football across our recruiting area, whilst also ensuring that we have a steady stream of players coming into the Junior and Senior ranks, with experience of playing the sport.

This is also a model which is easily transferable across other forms of the sport, including flag and women's teams should we be able to include these in the future.

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Flag Football

Flag Football

Flag football is the fastest growing format of the game in Great Britain, encompassing schools, colleges, universities and community football. Flag is non-contact version of American Football where tackles are made by pulling a flag off an opposing player. The game retains the

Starting today, we now have our very own flag team, with the newly formed Bedfordshire Broncos joining the Eagles family, and will now be known as The Bedford Blackhawks Flag Team. This is one of hopefully many future deals that will continue to grow football in the Ouse Valley Area.

Flag Football is available to any member of the senior team, if they wish to try the sport. Our goal is simply to have more people in the sport, no matter the team.

School Programs

We are currently running after-school sessions at Buckingham School and will hopefully be in Sharnbrook Upper School and Bedford Free School in the next term, with other opportunities in MK, Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury. These sessions are being run with our partners American Football Development Ltd. who are able to provide

Moving Forward

The Blackhawks Flag Team will register with the league this year, and will be run from our current committee structure, with the addition of a Flag Football Representative role. Should more teams be added, we will revisit this structure.

same principles as the contact form, but in a 5v5 non-contact arena, with a maximum of 12 players per squad. A tremendous way to increase passing and catching fundamentals.

full time coaches for these sessions. Any players who wish to continue with American Football, will American Football, will fall back into the Blackhawks youth programme, with a satellite club being set up in the Buckingham / Milton Keynes area being a possibility. We are also in talks with BAFA’s Touchdown programme to get teachers trained to incorporate Flag Football into their lesson plans, with the aim being to have four schools in our local vicinity all playing flag football from Years 7 – 11.


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We’re investing in new equipment for the team We got promoted, and still made the playoffs!

And in other news…

Although losing to Solent in the semi-finals in Overtime wasn’t the way we wanted to end the season, we have developed well. The level of competition faced in 2015 far exceeded that of 2014, and we still went 7-3. An incredible platform to build on for the 2016 season, with the aim of an Oak Bowl appearance.

As a non-profit organisation, we must use any surplus money at the end of the season to benefit the organisation in some way. Our aim is to have approximately £3k surplus every year. This will allow us to purchase new strips, equipment to be used and training aids. This year, we are aiming to invest in:

• 2-Man Crowther Z-Lev Sled • DSLR Camera for filming games• Tackling Ring• Small Diesel Generator

In addition to this players have came forward to say they can help donate/build some extra items, such as:

• Helmet/Pad Racks• Large PA System

These items will allow us to get better on the field and off it, developing our game day experience, hopefully having music at practices and games, and providing better quality film.

There were many other notable moments and successes for the Eagles in 2015. Here’s a small selection…

Continuing to invest in film

In 2014 we invested in HUDL, leading software used by college and NFL programmes across the US, so that all our senior players could have access to training and game film to review their progress and receive feedback from coaches. HUDL is also available as an app so that our players can review film on their phones and tablets too.

Our Eagles are producing Lions!

In recent months, some Eagles players and coaches have been selected to the GB squad for the Group B European Championships in 2016. Congratulations the Chris Parr, Andy Larwill, Paul Settle, Ross Hubbard and Coach McMaster.


In 2015, we are investing more, with the purchase of HUDL Playbook and a DSLR Camera. The camera will allow us to have better quality footage of games and practices, which enables better review and teaching.

HUDL Playbook is a tool that allows us to put our playbook online, on HUDL, attach videos to each play, and allows coaches to track who is reading the playbook, ensuring we are as prepared as possible for each game and practice in 2016.

Page | 6Ouse Valley Eagles Annual Review 2015

End of Season SurveyFor the second time in club history, we put together an online survey, to get your thoughts and opinions on how the season went, how the club was run, and how the coaches performed. We cant get better without feedback, so lets take this opportunity to go through some of the key facts and figures.

Who took part in the Survey

Before looking at the answers, let’s analyse the data we collected. First up, did a representative amount of people take part?

Is there a breakdown of who completed it?

Of the 62% that took part, were they offense or defense? What does this show?

We’ve increased our the amount of players taking part in the survey from 56% to 62%, which would seem to follow the increased commitment from players early in the season, although still isn’t anywhere near the response percentage we were aiming for (90%)

Of the 33 players that took part, only 23 actually completed the full questionnaire, which shows a genuine lack of effort.

Chart TitleDidn’t take part – 38%

Took part – 62%

Offense– 48%

Defense – 52%

* Defensive Line were asked to re-submit, so figures may be wrong

OL

RB

TE

WRDL

LB

DB

* No QB’s filled in the questionnaire.


End of Season SurveyDid you feel practice was progressive? Some Feedback

Did you feel you were prepared to play all roles?

• Not consistently, most benefit came from scrimmages

• Couldn’t commit as much time as needed to the team but everyone did all they could to help me learn!

How has this changed from last year?

Only 74% of players thought practice was progressive this year in comparison to 86% last year. However there were more comments about how we can improve it last year.

91% felt they were prepared to play all roles this year compared to only 78% last season. We feel this improvement is a result of changes to the coaching staff that were brought about by last years survey, and the introduction of a Special teams Coordinator, with a focus on special teams and ensuring that all roles were covered and taught.

What will we do?

Having drastically changed the practice schedule for this season, our aim will be to make practice more progressive. Both the offense and defense will be installed over several camps, providing a constant challenge, with opportunities to get better.


End of Season SurveyDid you feel you were prepared for the opposition you faced?

What do you feel the coaches did that benefitted you or the team most this season?

• As a rookie they helped a lot, I need to improve more to thank them for the time and effort they put into me

• HUDL was great and the encouragement I received

• Scouting on HUDL and approachable coaching staff

• They kept positive, and upbeat and never allowed our heads to drop.

• Great commitment including Wednesday sessions which helped my fitness.

• Supplying game tape on the team we faced

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

• Imported a great playbook on the D

• Planning was good, I think the playbook could have been a little simpler, as it was a little difficult for rookies that don't know how to read the game yet.

• Good contact drills early pre-season. Positive attitudes throughout.

• Plenty of chances to get reps in O v D practice - not much standing around which was good!

• I thought the scouting of the opposition was great

• HUDL review in pre season

• Communication and involvement in planning

• Training was more organised from start to finish


Number of players who felt prepared has increased from 74% in 2014 to 96% in 2015. We feel this is in part due to the unique way in which we distribute our scout reports and disseminate information to the players.

Video scouting reports are something that we will continue to hone and use over the coming years, we will also only be uploading them to HUDL from now on, so we can track who is using this facility.


End of Season SurveyWhat else can the coaches do to improve you as a player?

• Same as last year!

• Keep teaching me as you are

• Feedback could be done on HUDL so I knew what I did was right or wrong and on game day although mistakes were made I wasn't allowed to make up for them.

• More basic skills based activity at training, tackling/shedding blocks etc... .

• Did a lot of one on one training with me!

• Be kind enough to give me more season game time. 7 on 7's in training etc

• More specific feedback on a regular basis after every game... Just a few points in writing rather than during after a game when it's hard to absorb the feedback.

• More diverse training with better equipment.

• More indies which focus on refining techniques relevant to upcoming games. Get everyone on the same mental level, understand route concepts, play reads, angles.....etc

• I would appreciate more feedback after games and trainings

• Game time (Maybe more of a chance to prove myself in games)

• More skill specific training drills

• Get a greater number of players to practice and retain more rookies.

• It will be hard with the number of coaches but more individual training

• Team full scrimmage

• More game specific drills - a lot of our RB drills had no defenders, I think doing drills against real opposition rather than bags would be good

• Exposure to other positions, help in reading the game as a whole. Why has the defence lined up like that, so what options are open to the offence. If the offence has lined up as formation X then the defence should key on blah

What will we do?

HUDL is a great tool, but it also extremely time consuming to input data and clips on, especially for every position. Instead it is easier to create playlists of mistakes for each individual group, and have the players view that, these can then be discussed over the phone, or as a unit should that be required.

Game time and team full scrimmages are not learning scenario’s, they are purely for evaluation purposes only, as such, they aren’t required as often as individual practices. You must perform during practices to be allowed to play, we will not put you in game scenario’s we have not practised.


End of Season SurveyDo you feel you improved as a player this year?

Were you given feedback on your performance as a player?

How satisfied were you with your game time this year?

The number of players who feel they have improved this season has increased from 63% in 2014 to 74% in 2015. This is due to the increased focus on fundamentals from our coaching staff this season, and continual coach and player development.

Feedback was measured differently this year, so cannot be exactly compared, but in general the feedback is getting better and more frequent. This is something that will continue to be a focus for the coaches.

Most people were satisfied or better with their game time this season. Again, it’s important to note that almost no positions on the field play every snap, and how many snaps each individual gets will be governed by the practice performance.



End of Season SurveyHow would you rate our gameday venue?

Did you feel you got value for money?

• More players turning up and showing the same effort the coaches do!

• More fans

Our venue rating system has changed, so we cant compare results, but the general impression is that we are happy here at BIAS. The committee would echo that sentiment. Our next step is to develop the field into a proper facility we can use year round, with meeting space, changing and toilet facilities etc. This a long term goal, but something we would be hopeful of achieving.

Value for Money is a big part of our ethos as a club. Whether we are the cheapest in the UK or the most expensive is irrelevant, we want to provide Value for Money and develop the club for current and future players.

Venue

• Comments above about attendance to game time ratio would improve my experience.

• Cheer leaders!

• More people watching

• Shelter for inclement weather

• All players travel together standard.

• Increased post game participation from team, going for a drink after the game as a team



End of Season SurveyCommittee Leadership

Committee Decision Making

Committee Approachability

Committee Listening to your ideas

Committee Running the team

Committee Keeping you Informed

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Excellent

Good

Average

Poor

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18


End of Season SurveyComments for the Committee

• Very impressed with the committee

• I'd like to see better training apparatus. The kit we have are a bit dated.

• Enough f*****g smoke and mirrors, just let us know what's going on.

• Great job

• A really friendly group that has made joining very welcoming and easy.

• Would have liked to be informed of a few more things that were going on this year, a lot of what we heard was hear say, also there were a few things suggested by some players that we were told was going to be implemented but nothing was heard of after.

• Thought the bus was good for away games, everything appeared to run smoothly throughout the year, so if that is the case then the performance was great.

Areas for improvement

• I think there should be a score board at BIAS, I had a few friends come to watch and although they don't know everything about how the game works, a scoreboard would have helped them at least know who's winning. The sign outside BIAS says Blue Raiders this could be changed. Although the new kit was obviously expensive the belts were very cheap and lack of certain sizes in game pants was an issue. Lack of helmet decals was disappointing.

• Training was very thorough I was happy with what I was being taught as a player

• Get more players who actually make the trainings and give more playing time to the guys who work their ass off at training not the players who just turn up on gameday

• Motivating everyone to come training! Away games everyone travel together

• Retaining rookies. From the rookie days to actual training I felt more information would make people feel more confident about joining in.

• Practice time should be reduced - too much available time reduced the quality of training. Reduce the training to two hours and make it full on. Penalties should be applied for missing training.

• Recruitment, is a big thing for any club especially as there are a fair few players retiring this year, that were key players in this clubs short history. I think we need more rookie days in the local big towns such as MK, Bedford and Northampton.


End of Season SurveyHow well do we live up to being an Eagles family?

• Very well always felt part of the family

• I think it has improved with each season, the players play a big part and getting everybody to commit to turning up is hard to do

• Very well when things are going well on game day, not always so well if things aren't going how people want or at training.

• I think we definitely have the heart but we need more commitment from our player's. Injuries or not support the team.

• Getting there, still not quite a team. Pockets of mates and some close units but not a family yet

• We don't.

• As a whole I think the team is pretty good and get on as a pretty well, however you are always going to have disagreements with 40 guys.

• Very well, closest group of people I have played a sport with

Why do you play for the Eagles?

• To improve, to make new friends, enjoy and learn the game more

• I believe we are the most professional team in the league

• I wanted to return to football and thought about the Blue Raiders as I had friends who had played there, the merge happened and so I joined the Eagles, Simple as that. I could have easily have gone to the Cheetahs but I made the right choice. I admire the present and future commitments that the club has, I only wish I was 21 again to relish in it.

• Local team with great potential and the kit is looks amazing (aside from game pants)

• The coaching staff and the future plans are very good at this team so it worth me to travel more than hour for trainings

• I play for the eagles as the most professional as well as welcoming team I've played for.

• Excellent coaching and fantastic team mates.

• Really well set up team

• Love playing the game, the coaching staff are approachable and encouraging, the team has great banter and are great bunch of lads and its local to me.


2015 Goals – How did we do?Youth Get the team up and running,

and registered to compete in 2015

Recruit throughout schools across the region

Recruit at least 1 brand new coach for the season.

Adult Make the Playoffs

Win the League

Continue to recruit and invest in player development.

Produce the best players and coaches in the UK

Youth Team is set up and running, but wasn’t ready to be

registered for the league. Aim is to play games in the off-season, and register this year.

Have schools programme in 1 school in Buckingham, with 2 more in Bedford planned for next term.

No new coaches to the team at all.

Adult Made the semi-finals as the 3rd ranked team and

went undefeated in SFC1 North Division.

Beaten in OT in semi-final

Ended 2015 season with 26 rookie / first year players on Active Roster or IR.

4 players invited to tryouts, and 1 coach on Team GB


2015 Goals – How did we do?Adult

EPP not yet been set up, but working towards it.

Roster numbers shown on next slide, varied and dropped below 50 in last few weeks of season

Purchased, along with game pants.

Not possible in our region as yet

Completed, SFC 1 North Championships 2015

Still a possibility, however unlikely this season

This our goal for this season.

Club

Have a formalised Child Protection Policy, coaches code of conduct, youth and junior players code of conduct, and a club Welfare Officer. Youth team coaches are undertaking DBS checks.

4 players selected, and 12 players highlights submitted.

No work has progressed on this

We are continually working to develop our professionalism and sustainability as a club.

Acquisition of Bedfordshire Broncos flag team allows non-contact version of the sport.

Club

Further develop and professionalise our approach to welfare and working with under 18s

Help all our players work towards National Programme selection

Obtain Sport England’s Club Mark

Further develop our professionalism on and off the field

Continue to sustainably grow club, and ensure our future

Adult

Set up an Elite Performance Program

Increase number of active players on our roster from 50 to 70.

Buy our game shirts

Move to indoor winter training as standard

Win our 1st Conference champions title

Secure a European friendly

Become National Champions and compete in the Premier Division

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS

Page | 17East Kilbride Pirates Annual Review 2013

Constitutional Amendments


2.3 – Added Huntingdonshire to better reflect our recruitment area. Now reads “To promote the sport of American Football within Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Huntingdonshire and Northamptonshire.”

6 – Added in the Child Protection Policy. Now Reads “The Club is fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children in its care. It recognises the responsibility to promote safe practice and to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation, and has developed a Child Protection Policy that is administered by the Clubs’ Safeguarding Officer. Staff and volunteers will work together to embrace difference and diversity and respect the rights of children and young people.”

7.1 – Added in a Media Manager role to committee structure. Now reads “The Committee shall consist of no less than 5, and no more than 9 members (hereinafter referred to as "Committee Members"). The Committee shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Treasurer, a Gameday Manager, a Secretary, a Media Manager and 3 other members (hereinafter referred to as "Ordinary Members").” These roles will be defined at the first committee meeting, as per 7.2.4 of the constitution.

COMMITTEE ELECTIONS

Page | 19East Kilbride Pirates Annual Review 2013

Committee Elections


The following people have expressed an interest in running for the following vacant positions on the committee:

• Vice-Chairman (2 Year Role) – Mark Chilton

Proposed – Neale McMaster, Seconded – Darren Hill

• Treasurer (2 Year Role) – Nick Chapman (P – Neale McMaster, S – Michael Dilley)

• Gameday Manager – Paul Smyth (P – Mark Chilton, S – Gareth Pullen)

• Secretary – Jenny Chilton (P – Mark Chilton, S – Neale McMaster)

• Ordinary Member #1 (to be Media Manager) – Michael Dilley (P – Neale McMaster, S – Nick Chapman)

• Ordinary Member #2 – Gareth Pullen (P – Paul Smyth, S – Michael Dilley)

• Ordinary Member #3 – Jack Judge (P – Neale McMaster, S – Gareth Pullen)

• Ordinary Member #4 – Jake Cooper (Vote was not taken due to lack of attendance, EGM will be called in near future to ensure constitution is adhered to)

2016 Season – What do we know?


Pre-Season No games/scrimmages

scheduled as yet, but we are talking with Tamworth and other clubs about pre-season games.

4 Training Camps at BIAS, with 4 practices in each. Along with weekly lifting sessions at Gold’s Gym, Bedford.

Catch-Up sessions for players outside of camps, not compulsory.

Costs Club fees for the Adult team

are £225, to be paid up front, or by Standing Order

Youth team fees will be collected weekly, and are set at £2 per week.

League Registration fees and Insurance haven’t been finalised yet, but should be been priced around:

Coaches - £57

Adult Contact - £33.50

Adult Flag - £24.50

U17 Contact - £18.50

With team prices roughly being:

Adult Contact Team - £100

Adult Flag Team - £50

U17 Contact Team - £25

Possibilities Division 1 restructure is

a possibility, we don't know anything as yet

Schedule should be set this year, giving you more time to plan holidays etc around games

10 games in 12-16 weeks is something that has been pushed very hard previously, strong possibility we see a condensed season.

Club Kits


Seniors Helmets

Must be White, with a grey facecage

Club is unlikely to be able to provide you with one

Shoulder Pads

Club has a lot of spare sets, should be able to provide for you.

Other Pads

You will need knee/hip/thigh/tail pads. Very cheap to buy.

Accessories

Make sure they are team colours, White/Grey/ Purple

Cleats

Any colour allowed

Youth Helmets

Grant money will provide these for you. Will be White with grey facecages.

Shoulder Pads

Grant money will provide these.

Other Pads

Grant money will provide these

Accessories

Make sure they are team colours, Black/Grey/Purple

FlagTBC at committee level, but likely to be similar to:

• Purple Team Shorts

• Black / Grey Flag Jersey

• White Flag Belts

OUSE VALLEY EAGLES AMERICAN FOOTBALL CLUB Annual General Meeting 2015.

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Transcript of OUSE VALLEY EAGLES AMERICAN FOOTBALL CLUB Annual General Meeting 2015.