By Russell Bennett
The future of the West Gippsland Cricket Association has been a hot topic in local cricketing circles for quite some time now, and key stakeholders are working on a plan for the future direction of the competition.
The WGCA has been working in conjunction with the Cardinia Shire, Cricket Victoria, and GippSport – the Gippsland Regional Sports Assembly – over recent months to review its strategic direction.
As part of that process, the WGCA’s clubs were approached by association executives to gauge their opinions, and an online survey was established.
The clubs’ responses to that survey are being reviewed independently by GippSport.
In the survey, clubs were asked to rank – from least to most important – the following factors when considering the WGCA’s future success: financial sustainability, strong governance and decision-making, an increase in participation, clear policies and procedures, attendance from all clubs at meetings, the standard of the competition, effective communication, and a positive club and/or association culture.
The option of changing the name of the competition to better reflect where its member clubs are located, geographically, was even floated.
Many of the WGCA’s current clubs are in the City of Casey, for example.
A range of options for effective communication between clubs and the association was also tabled – everything from phone calls, to emails, to regular meetings, to social media (Facebook) messages and posts.
The survey also asked clubs about the ways in which the WGCA could better support clubs in their efforts to increase participation numbers and improve player retention – seen as the biggest issue currently facing clubs, not only across the competition but right across the country.
Among the options floated in the survey were: funding or discounts for clubs to reduce costs, clinics or camps for player skill development, coaching education or mentoring programs, promotion of the game in the region, the capping of player payments, and even a paid administration service to reduce the workload of club volunteers.
Crucially, clubs were also asked about their stance on the current divisional structure within the WGCA, and if it’s working effectively for seniors and juniors.
Questions on how the WGCA can improve its decision-making as an association, and also what should be prioritised should Covid-19 impact the 2020/21 season, were also asked.
No doubt the survey and improved dialogue between the clubs and association is the first step on a long path for the association to improve.
It’s understood that there’s a real desire to attract a wider range of administrators throughout the WGCA who could help in better sharing the decision-making load. In turn, a wider range of voices would play a part in the association thinking outside the square.
Some clubs have already begun to formulate their own ideas for consideration, and the Gazette will report on some of those in the coming weeks.
