Menu

    Login:

    Update From Your Committee

    Dear County Member

    As we enter our fourth week of the lock down the Committee would like to wish you all well and hope that you, your family and friends are all safe and will remain so in the weeks ahead.  I am sure for many of you this is a difficult time, physically, emotionally and financially.  Some of you may have suffered loss of loved ones either from this virus or other causes and possibly unable to attend funerals in person.  I have had experience of it this week when my Dad's 94 year old sister in the US died last weekend.  For us her passing was not a huge surprise as she had been ill for many years so I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like for others, around the world and possibly in our local squash community, to suffer the sudden loss of a loved one from this virus.

    It is anticipated we will receive further guidance from the Government later this week after they conduct their review.  This is certainly a different world we are all living in and while we are all hoping normality will return soon, I am not sure anyone can predict when that might be.   

    With that in mind I am writing to outline some of the decisions that Committee made in its monthly meeting last week.

    We have decided that the following events will be postponed and possibly cancelled completely for this year:

    • April – June – Avon County Junior Boxes
    • May - BaD League Playoffs and End of Season Awards
    • 3 May - Junior Girls County Match vs Gloucester County
    • 2-3 May 2020 – England Squash Level 2 Coaching Course
    • 16-17 May 2020 – The Avon County Racketball Closed Tournament
    • 20 May 2020 – The Avon County AGM and BadAss Meeting
    • May – July 2020 – The Summer League
    • 19-21 June 2020 – The Avon County Doubles Tournament
    • August 2020 – The Doubles League
    • September – England Squash Level 1 Coaching Course
    • 27 September – The Avon County Closed Junior Squash Tournament
    • 9 – 11 October – The Avon County Open Senior Squash Tournament

    If anyone has already made any payment for any of these events, then please contact Duncan ([email protected]) to arrange a refund.

    Coaching courses will be rescheduled when England Squash give the go ahead that this can be done.

    With regard to the various tournaments a lot of planning is required to put them on. We felt that it was pointless putting all that effort in only to have to postpone it closer to the time.  We await further guidance from the Government about the lockdown and more importantly what will happen after it has been eased or lifted.  Until then we will hold off proposing any new dates until we have some certainty about the future.

    We are discussing alternate ways that the AGM can take place.  The two most important parts of this are the opportunity for any questions to be asked and also the election of Officers for the coming year.  All current members of the Committee are prepared to stand again. 

    At the AGM last year, I had indicated my intention to stand down.  A number of new people have joined this year as heads of various functions and also as general volunteers, although a number of positions are still vacant.  We are all learning how to work together as a group of unpaid volunteers to implement the development strategy we put in place last year.  In light of that, the Committee have asked me to reconsider my position to assist them this period of transition by making myself available for re-election this year.  I have spent a lot of time considering this request.  In light of where the team is in its evolution and the current circumstances, I have decided to make myself available for re-election. 

    We will be announcing a process for nominations and election of Officers in the next few weeks.

    We are also looking at ways that we can conduct League business during the summer.  For the past three years we have made use of working parties to look at proposed rule changes that are then put forward for voting via surveys.  We think this type of engagement is entirely possible during the summer.  In the next few weeks we will be announcing a process by which this can be achieved.

    We realise that many of you are missing your weekly league fix.  We are still planning to restart the leagues in the Autumn but the feasibility and timing of that is entirely dependent on what the Government states is possible and allowable.  We know that many of you have questions about promotion, relegation etc as a result of the Spring league having been cancelled.  Richard, Mike and Wendy will discuss this during the coming weeks.  They will propose some options that the Committee will discuss before wider consultation with Captains.  Whatever the outcome is of that process it must result in a fair outcome for all teams throughout the divisions of all leagues.

    At some point squash will resume and undoubtedly there will probably be a number of parties in clubs to celebrate.  England Squash have announced funding for resuming activities and support for coaches.  Sport England have also announced a funding programme. We will be publishing information about both programmes shortly after this message. 

    At a County level the Committee will also look at what we can do to support the resumption of our sport and further information on that will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.  Like everyone else we are unable to get on court, but rest assured we continue to work on your behalf.

    If you have any questions or comments, please do email us at [email protected]

    Finally, may I wish you all well during the coming weeks and months.  Stay safe and healthy. Look after yourselves and your loved ones.  Keep dreaming of those cross court volley nicks.  For those of you who eat them for breakfast dream of something more spectacular!

    Best wishes.

    Seamus Singh

    Chairman

    For and on behalf of

    The Avon County Squash and Racketball Committee