24 January 2014

Gents here is the first of your weekly updates. Please ensure you pass on to your various clubs in your region.

Tournament Dates 2014 – I have had a lot of requests for dates – they are:

• Wed 19th March  – Welcoming Event / AGM / Registration / Meet and Greet – 6.30pm or 7pm to be confirmed @ Hillcrest Wine Farm.
• Thur 20th – Sat 22nd – Tournament Runs
• Games Start 8am Thurs 20th – if you fly in Thurs morning make sure it is the 4am flight…
• Costs will be R550.00 per player only – no max or min. Includes 3 x suppers / goodie bags / T-shirt / etc.
• Registration will close 28th Feb 2014 to allow fixtures to be posted
• REMEMBER – the age groups have changed – please see masters website for details
• This is available on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CapeTownWaterpoloMasters
• The SA Masters Web Page https://www.samasterswaterpolo.co.za/ and as soon as the new Service Provider has made the changes on the Cape Town Masters Web Page http://www.capetownmasterspolo.co.za/Default.aspx

REFS

• There are 3 other events happening over this weekend and the following weekend so this will limit the number of refs available. The Masters teams will now have to provide the majority of the refs.
  • FINA Refs School in JHB
  • SA Training Camp in CT
  • A schools event is also happening
• So we will need EACH team to provide 2 (TWO) competent refs per team to be available to ref. Remember – GIGO – Garbage in Garbage out when providing refs.
• You will ref the game 2 games BEFORE your game – this gives you time to warm up with your team.
• Tournament Rules – this is to help protect the few refs we have:
  • Exclusion for Disrespect – RED CARD – with replacement (Rolled and you get 3 majors and your team are allowed a replacement) will result in an MANDATORY 1 match ban – no exceptions!
  • If you then decide to carry on and make matters worse AFTER the Red Card, the DC has the ability to add to that Mandatory ban.
  • We have to make reffing enjoyable and if everyone is shouting at the ref it is NOT fun for him, so we need consequences to retain refs.
  • Where possible we will try to organise competent local refs to assist and are actively recruiting those that are available.

Cheers

Brett Redelinghuys

24 January 2014
Gentlemen

Please see below for answers. The delay has been in trying to tone down the response as if I had replied immediately there would be far fewer friends around.

Brett Redelinghuys

Hi Brett & Neville

The lack of communication from the local organising committee for the 2014 SA Masters Waterpolo Tournament in Cape Town is not acceptable.

I will copy the mails I have sent out and please read and pass them on. There is info going out – we made a conscious decision NOT to spam people as they then don’t read the important stuff. (proof is evident in that they would have known the answers to these questions already)

With the tournament just two (2) months away, there has been no communication to the provincial representatives or any updates on the website. See above. There has only been ONE masters in the 7 or 8 I that I have attended where 2 months before the event ALL of these questions have been answered. But I understand that by us having an Active Web site, Face Book page etc. last year we have set the bar higher and now the “demands” are higher.

As WP representatives we require an update from you on the following items as a matter of urgency:

* status and planning of the event – as stated previously we are 100% ready for this tournament and are busy each week getting more done – not going to bore you with details.

* addressing the concerns with the “Quarry” and the 2013 event as expressed by the various provincial representatives – This is a DEAD point guys – we firstly addressed these “concerns” when we were sent the e-mail. When that was not enough we then did a survey and we sent those results out – this PROVED beyond any doubt that there were only a few MINOR issues (and not very different to any other tournament) and that we would fix these. It also proved that the few so called “Big Issues” that were raised by the delegates were by a very small MINORITY of teams and players and therefore needed to be weighted accordingly and kept in context. This does not mean that we do not take these seriously – but they also needed to be put in context with the views from the MAJORITY.

I must however now draw the line under this “complaints” issue as it cannot be allowed to drag on. Already it has reduced the moral of the organising committee to a breaking point.

There are 2 very simple choices that need to be made here.

1.       If the Board (provincial delegates) are still unhappy and do not feel that the tournament can be run at the venue etc. – then please vote and confirm this and send me your final decision – please send this result by this Monday 27^th Jan so we can make a call not to spend more time effort and money on this event. No use trying to do something that people don’t want.

a.       Please understand that the board then must be responsible to those that have booked and paid.

2.       If the Board is satisfied that the event can be run successfully (as per last year – see survey results), then they need to inform that minority of players or clubs who are still unhappy and offer them option to withdraw and not attend – This is not a compulsory event – if you don’t like Cape Town at the Quarry and they are not going to move the event – then stay at home.

Please I have to hammer home this point – We have to draw a line under this and move on and do so quickly.

* costs per individual / team for the 2014 event – As per the mail dated 23/10/2013 – Costs are R550 per person – no minimum or maximum – i.e. if you send 7 players 7 x 550, if you send 14 then 14 x R550.

 

* deadline dates for team submissions – This was NOT send out – but will be the same as last year – 28^th Feb 2014

* progress as to updating the CT website update – We are busy moving the site to a new service provider. This will allow us to process the registrations of teams / players online. It will allow us to also accept payment online to stop the EFT ’s and recons of accounts. i.e. if you submit 10 names you will be giving and invoice of 10 x R550 and will pay that bill – until it is paid you are not registered.

So have some patience please on this – clearly by having a decent website for 2013 it has got everyone a bit spoilt and now we are expecting more and more.

P.S. Note the Facebook page has had this info for over 6 months now.

P.P.S. The SA Masters page has also had the dates etc. from the last AGM

P.P.P.S. By the 20 or so mails I have received and responded to from individual teams tells me that this info is not getting passed out.