Concerns from Connacht An article from Edward Ditchburn
I have been following with interest the ongoing discussion regarding the performance of the Irish teams at the European Youth Championships, and in a wider sense the future of the 'performance' aspect of the ITTA, and I have been asked by the webmaster to forward my thoughts on what is going on.
This brings me to the comments of Mr. Gilbert Graham, ITTA Performance Director. Mr. Graham is an administrator of some skill, and his influence on the development of structures in Ulster is testament to his ability. However, I feel that his response to Mr. Kelly's comment piece was ill judged. To somehow imply that the recent introduction of the strategic plan is the reason why our teams are under-performing is disingenuous. The National Coach has been in place for three years. Other members of the Performance Committee have been in the identical roles for many years longer. To try and sell the notion that this is a new broom and everyone is settling in is a bit rich - results at this event cannot be dismissed by claiming the process is at an early stage. Equally, we cannot shoot the messenger because things are said which we may find unpalatable. To declare an intention to discontinue further communication because you don't like what's being pointed out is a luxury that could be indulged if indeed there was an excess of misplaced criticism being displayed, but in this situation is an abrogation of responsibility. Where serious issues are being raised in a serious way, the members of the Association deserve better.
Specifically, as regards performance issues, I can comment on the Junior Boys team, a team with which I was involved for three years. The Junior Boys team which we sent to the European Youth Championships this year was as strong as, and perhaps stronger than, any we have sent to this event in the last 5-6 years. Yet the team had their worst performance in many years. It is an insult to the ability and experience of this team to blame their poor performance on a Strategic Plan. The Junior Boys team for this event was let down by poor planning and poor administration. While our national colleagues in the British Isles, and all over Europe, prepare their teams through participation in Youth Opens and serious events, we have prepared our teams with a schools tournament and a couple of dodgy training camps. This year was perhaps the most ill prepared team that I have seen, as there was no programme put in place for the team until late in the season. We went from a situation in the 2002/03 season where 9 Junior Boys between them travelled to 11 different events to a situation this year where 3 Junior Boys between them travelled to 5 different events. Among other regressive changes, we took the step of holding provincial training camps instead of national training camps. By any standards, and especially as we look at results, these are failures and represent a deteriorating situation. Despite the best efforts of individuals at the ITTA AGM this year to dismiss these statements as 'matters of opinion', unfortunately these are matters of fact. This has had an impact both on the players who have been sent to events, as they are not getting access to enough events, and also has an impact on the morale of other juniors - why bother playing if only 3 players are in the picture? It seems we learn no lessons from year to year, and as such the recommendations in the NPCs report from the Europeans in 2003 were completely disregarded for 2004. We sent a team to this event, an extremely stressful, long and tiring event, insufficiently resourced as regards players, ill prepared as regards any semblance of suitable preparation, with no sports science support and with inexperienced coaching. In all fairness, how could we expect any other result? If another team or country did the same, we would dismiss them as jokers.
However, if we have any aspiration to move forward, we must hold officeholders and employees within the Association accountable for their actions, or more importantly for their inactions. This is the crux of the issue. We are now paying a significant amount of money for a National Coach to do a professional job. I've seen the money being paid, however I have yet to see any other evidence of professionalism. One might almost come to the conclusion that one is more important than the other to the National Coach. In any professionally run organisation, from a sports governing body to a business, all achievements, performances and objectives must be considered in the harsh light of reality, rather than through rose tinted spectacles. In any other sports organisation, with results such as these, that is exactly what would be happening. We do things differently in the ITTA. Any attempt to query even broad policy issues relating to selection and performance are referred back to the performance committee. It begs the question - who guards the guards themselves? This is not acceptable. The Board has responsibility for table tennis in Ireland; however, the problem is that the Board has moved from being a decision making body to a rubber-stamping body. To all intents and purposes, the Board has given up responsibility in this area, and is not in charge any more. The ITTA has a right, and a responsibility, to demand certain things of the employees of the Association. In any similar situation, given the complete farce that has existed this past season in the area of performance and selection, those responsible would be held accountable and heads would roll. Where inactivity, un-professionalism, bad decisions and bad judgment were identified, again heads would roll. Yet the Board does nothing. To say that the Association is overcome with inertia would be to imply a far higher level of organisational energy than currently exists. Once again, we are far more interested in rearranging deckchairs on the deck of the Titanic than taking action on what is a clear problem. The ship is sinking, but by God, those deckchairs are going to look pretty.
So, where are we now? Well we've reached a situation where we have created and promoted a cult of personality within the Association, where many coaches, players and parents clamour and manoeuvre desperately to curry favour with the National Coach. A situation where many of these same coaches, parents and players at best have lingering doubts over the National Coach, at worst actually feel antipathy towards him, which they cover with fawning ingratiation. A situation where players can go for months at a time without a conversation or word of encouragement from an NPC. A situation where no squads are named formally and no squad programmes are issued. A situation where criticism, disagreement and different opinions are frowned upon, and few stand up for what they believe. A situation where we are paying a player to compete for Ireland, while others on the team pay levies. A situation where only the few are in the picture, while the many are disregarded. A situation where we have sold a myth to the Irish Sports Council that the appointment of this National Coach is the panacea to all our ills; and having made that assertion, the Board cannot or will not change or admit any error or reservation, publicly, in order to save face. A situation where the decisions regarding this, and regarding all aspects of Irish table tennis are being made by a 12 person board, at least half of whom are simply unable or unwilling to do the job that Irish table tennis needs, and embrace the need for the energy, vision, decision making and determination which is required. A situation where communication in the Association has reached its nadir, with players not being informed of programmes, selections or training camps, in many cases until the night before, and in at least one case by a tournament organiser in another country! It's the stuff of a Laurel & Hardy film, although to be honest they'd probably make a better fist of it. If we were to make a film out of it, it would probably be unsuccessful as it would stretch credulity to breaking point.
Finally, where to next? I can probably expect vitriolic attacks from people within the Association, following the lines of what we have already witnessed, vilifying me for daring to point out that the emperor has no clothes, accusing me of ulterior motives, underhandedness, and a wide array of other terrible crimes. There's a certain brilliance in this approach - never mind the substance, feel the innuendo - a belief that whoever is first to adopt the high moral ground, sling some mud at the accuser and attempt to emotively invoke the rights of children will muddy the waters enough that the original point will be lost and you won't have to answer it. If we work hard enough, I could probably be implicated in the Kennedy assassination - not being born at the time would be a mere detail with some of our blame-apportioning experts. So I am prepared for the mud slinging and accusations that will no doubt be flung in my direction. So be it. Do not, however, let it detract from the substance of the points made. All I can say is that at all times I have been happy to tell it like it is, without fear or favour to any individual or any group, happy to say with a certainty that during my time in the ITTA I made a difference for the better. There is no other motivation, other than perhaps a last throw of the dice, to try and once more make a difference, to break through the fear that people have in raising their heads above the parapet, the fear of standing up for what is right because of the potential consequences. Despite everything, this is a great sport; and despite some of our more recent decisions and inactions, there are still players, coaches, parents and volunteers of great talent working within the confines of a system that is organisationally and professionally challenged. The time has come, however, for those few individuals of competence that we have left to stand up and be counted, to stop rolling over, to stop choosing the path of least resistance. Failure to do so now will mean that your legacy will be to have presided over the complete demise of our sport. Like the child who can pick up their football and go home when they're losing, we are surrounded by individuals who are satisfied that the ball, whatever it's condition, belongs to them, and as long as they own the ball, or in some cases make money from it, decisions about who plays with it are up to them. I would encourage those players, coaches and parents who do have opinions and who can see what's going on to stand up and be heard. Things are getting worse, and no one is shouting stop. Look around you. Are you making a difference? Could you change things for the better? When did you last have an original thought, initiate change, progress? Or are you just part of the problem, sitting on a committee uselessly, milking the Association for a fast buck, sulking and indulging in temper tantrums when you don't get your own way, unable to argue your corner professionally or with any degree of lucidity or just trying to make things better for your own province? To those who are making things worse, at all levels in the Association, who aren't part of the solution, who aren't suited to their job or position, who are more interested in the money than the love of the sport or developing & improving opportunities for players - I call on you to wake up and realise your failings, your shortcomings, the panderings of the many spineless around you, and your failure to contribute in a meaningful way - and take the only course of honour open to you.
Hi Owen,
I was wondering if you could look at the attachment to this email and put it on your website.
Attachment Picture
Along with this reply.
In response to the email I would like to clarify the truth about table tennis in Connacht, when I Mr Edward Ditchburn set up my first table tennis club in Kilmovee, County Mayo. I was unable to get any help from anyone within Connacht who was connected with the sport. There was no information on the I.T.T.A. official website for the province of Connacht. It was only after months of struggle that I found a website for Celtic Table Tennis. Where I spoke to Mr Ted Bollard. I ordered some table tennis equipment from him. He then called me a few weeks later and informed me that he was speaking to a Mr Eamon Nealon from Ballina. And gave me his contact number.
I called Mr Nealon and he gave me support and said that he would help me to get established if I wanted his help, and he also gave me Terry Dolans number, I contacted Mr Dolan, who informed me that he lived in Galway and was chairman of the Connacht Branch of Irish Table Tennis. He invited me to Galway for a meeting along with the rest of the people who were involved with table tennis. At this meeting I was told that there were no leagues for children to play table tennis and that the committee were struggling to keep the branch going. Also that Mr Dolan ran the Connacht schools match. He also said that he would support me in anything that we did for table tennis within the province. I left that meeting with hope that kids would be able to play table tennis with-in the province without having to travel the length and breadth of the country.
I then found out through Mr Eamon Nealon that St. Pat's Boys' school in Castlebar played table tennis I contacted the school and spoke to Mr Adrian Keanna. He invited my club down to play his school in a friendly match. We took 18 kids there, with an even mix of both boys and girls, it was an enjoyable night, a few weeks later Mr Keanna repaid the favour and brought down 20 kids to my club in Kilmovee for a rematch.
I then got emails from the secretary of the Connacht branch inviting us down to Galway for the Connacht schools matches, which we did, along with other people. All in all I travelled to Galway on six separate occasions this year 2008, with both boys and girls, Castlebar Ballina, Dublin {5 times} Belfast. Mayo Abbey were also visited by my club and players both boys and girls alike, Mr Eamon Nealon came to my club with players and spent four hours there introducing table tennis to my club players. And Mr Kevin Devaney also came to my club in Kilmovee.
I asked the Connacht Branch if I could hold a tournament in my club Kilmovee Mayo, they said yes it is okay as long as it was an open event, so we did, and I invited everyone from Connacht. Mr Terry Dolan said he would not be able to bring any kids along as he would be too busy, so I changed the date I gave Mr Dolan a choice of three different dates and the answer was still the same, "No I cannot bring any players."
So we ran the tournament and had players from all over Mayo and Roscommon attend but no-one from Galway. So we had no support from Mr Terry Dolan at all, and after he had promised me he would support me. So we had no help from the so called Connacht Branch. And no support so who is promoting the game in Connacht?
As a result from the lack of support from the Connacht Branch I have now set up a further two clubs one in Ballinameena Roscommon and one in Carracastle on the border of Mayo and Sligo.
Also along with Mr Eamon Nealon, his daughters Susan, and Chloe, Mr Rupert Davies, Mrs Bernadette Nealon, Mrs Patricia Ditchburn, Mr Kevin Devaney. We have set up the Mayo Association of Table Tennis and The Mayo Academy of Table Tennis. All without the help or support of the Connacht branch of the I.T.T.A.
In April 2008 I was invited to attend a meeting in Galway with the Connacht committee and members of the I.T.T.A. Committee. There I was asked how I got involved in table tennis after explaining for several minutes a hand went up and I was informed that from now on "Do not pay for anything out of your own pocket if you need equipment then come to us." Also at the meeting the Connacht Branch committee along with the ITTA tried to pass over the running of the branch to myself and Mr Davies, to which I replied no, I would not take over the running of the branch until a proper meeting was arranged and everything discussed correctly including a correct financial report. That was agreed upon and the meeting was adjourned.
On the 26th May 2008 a meeting was called for the Connacht branch along with the outgoing committee there was Mr Davies and myself present along with a few others from the province. Both the chairman and the secretary officially stepped down, and a financial report was shown to us, after a while it was raised that was anyone present willing to take over the running of the Connacht Branch. I asked if we could take a ten minute recess so I could discuss it with my colleague Mr Davis. After talking it over we went back to the meeting and told them that under the circumstances we would not be willing to take over the branch. At which the outgoing chairman stood up and started using foul and abusive language and stormed out of the meeting. This was no way for anyone to re-act; again the actions of the Connacht Branch are somewhat unhelpful. Again I ask who has the interest of the game at heart?
I sent an email to the ITTA about what was said to me at the meeting regarding equipment, I was contacted and told to call them, so I did and much to my dismay what was said to me was re-tracted and I was told that there would be no support as everything comes through the Capital Aid Grant. And it was too late this year. Then I was told that if I put my request to them it would be read out at the I.T.T.A's A.G.M. I was informed that we might be able to get four tables but nothing was certain. So I did and I sent an email in.
As the Connacht Branch was closed there was an emergency meeting called with the I.T.T.A. in July 2008 in Galway again I and Mr Davis went.
At the meeting nothing could be resolved and the outcome was that the I.T.T.A. were leaving and on a final note it was put to Mr Davis and me. If you take over the running of the branch you get your tables, if you don't you get no tables. So basically we were being held to take the branch on.
On the 23rd July 2008 a meeting was held in the Dalton Inn in Claremorris to discuss the province committee. The outcome was that I and Mr Davis would take on the role of the branch committee, we informed the I.T.T.A. of the outcome, and they said.
Dear Rupert,
Thank you for advising the Chairman and myself of the outcome of the meeting held in Claremorris. It is good to hear of this progress. May I pass our congratulations and best wishes to all on being elected to their new posts.
I have a few initial queries/observations:
Can you advise us of the names and contact addresses of the new committee. Is Kareem Sabir still Treasurer? All officers and committee members are required to be affiliated members of the ITTA. I attach a copy of the ITTA affiliation form which all who are not affiliated already should complete and return to me as soon as possible with the required fee. My address is "Dar- Neil", 29 Knockgreenan Avenue, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT79 0EB.
The ITTA will seek to provide 4 tables with nets, as discussed at our meeting, within the timescale requested by you. Are all being located in Kilmovee? Please let me have the full address of Kilmovee or wherever delivery is required.
Can you please forward a copy of new Connacht Branch constitution for ITTA approval? What is the position with the former constitution? Has it been repealed?
re the Connacht Open, this could be a source of funding for the Branch if sponsorship could be obtained and a large entry received. Can you please advise the position with the event as soon as this has clarified?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Kenneth Strong
ITTA Secretary
BUT GUESS WHAT The I.T.T.A. then set different parameters as to the help we would receive. Here is their response.
Dear Rupert,
Thank you for your email.
I note your position re the Connacht Open and agree with your comments. It is late in the day to source sponsors of a substantial nature and you are only a new committee. Perhaps it is best to leave it for this year.
Regarding the membership of the new committee can you please let me have the names with affiliation forms and fees after your next meeting on 21 August. I have already given you my address for sending the affiliation forms and fees. The ITTA also requires a copy of the new constitution for approval. Will the existing constitution be repealed?
Tables have been identified and these will be available for collection when affiliation forms and fees are received
as well as The Branch will have to agree that these will be returned to the ITTA should the Branch and/or the club
cease to exist. All the table tennis members at Kilmovee Club will also require to be affiliated.
Can I enquire if you have been able to progress the proposal to run a coaches course in Claremorris? I look forward to an update.
Regards,
Ken
Ken Strong
ITTA Secretary
THE BIT WE HAD A PROBLEM WITH IS HIGHLIGHTED IN RED. So now it was a case of all your players must be affiliated or you get no tables
This was my response the bit in red in brackets is the .I.T.T.A. The rest was my response to the .I.T.T.A.
KEN:
[Tables have been identified and these will be available for collection when affiliation forms and fees are received as well as The Branch will have to agree that these will be returned to the ITTA should the Branch and/or the club cease to exist. All the table tennis members at Kilmovee Club will also require to be affiliated. ]
Firstly you have to remember the Connacht branch and the I.T.T.A. came to me and asked me to take over the branch, not I to you requesting to take it on, so how can I put this: how dare you try to use my club as a requirement for taking over the Connacht branch of the I.T.T.A. the Connacht branch was poorly run and in a sad state of affairs, and getting worse. there were no proper records or receipts available to us and no commitment from the people who were running it, to promote the game province wide or locally, for people to say all outlets to play table tennis in an area as fully booked are only kidding themselves, as they did not want to promote it..
In less than eighteen months I have opened three table tennis clubs. Kilmovee Ballinameena Roscommon Carracastle and I am also in the process of opening another one in Kilkelly, Mayo.
And also with the help of others we have opened the Mayo Academy of Table Tennis and the Mayo Association of Table Tennis.
If you cared to look at your records all my players from my club are already affiliated with the I.T.T.A.as individual members.
Secondly my club was set up with my own money and without any help or funding from the Connacht branch or the I.T.T.A. so you have no right trying to dictate sanctions to me or my players, which we find very degrading. After all we live in a democratic society were choice is the normal way of doing things.
I run a very successful club. Bearing in mind it is located in a rural village, in a deprived area for sports and leisure. I have players from Kilmovee, Swinford, Roscommon, Congshrule, Mayo Abbey and Midfield attending, and I have both male and female players not like others who are safely coaching a captive audience in a school were only boys can play and no one from the local community can get in unless they attend the school. So don't dictate conditions to me. I have worked hard to build my club up to what it is and I will not let anyone damage it in any way what-so -ever. So do not try and use my club and players as an excuse.
So you can keep your Connacht branch and I will continue to promote my club and the Mayo Association and Mayo Academy and we will source out our own funding and tables and equipment as we have done so far. Our Academy have their own uniform tops shorts tracksuits all branded and paid for out of our own funds. And we will continue to promote the game to everyone we can.
And we will continue to affiliate our players should they want to be in the I.T.T.A. after all they are the most important ones in all of this.
On a final note KILMOVEE TABLE TENNIS CLUB will never cease to exist as we are a developing club and we include as many people from the community as possible from the local priest to the parents and most of all the kids.
Kind regards Edward.
And this is the reason why I and Mr DAVIS stepped down from taking over the Connacht branch of the .I.T.T.A.
I have in the eighteen months prior to this email set up three table tennis clubs [ myself] an association in Mayo and an Academy in MAYO with Mr Eamon Nealon and others. we are all volunteers as we all love the game and believe it should be available to all both male and female, so who is promoting the game in the west as it doesn't seem to be promoted in Galway. We have players from Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, and wait for it EAST GALWAY coming to our academy in BALLINA,
We have kids making 80mile round trips to play in our clubs and academy, as there is nowhere to play in Galway unless you go to the school where it is.
This year we have sent players from Mayo to DUBLIN, and BELFAST, AND no-one from Connacht has bothered to turn up WHY? So again I ask who is promoting the game of Table tennis in the WEST.
THE Lady who sent the email to the secretary of the I.T.T.A. was concerned about her child not being able to join a table tennis club as there are none near to her. She travels an average 60 mile round trip to my club in Kilmovee, as they are no clubs available in Galway, and I take her son and others to the tournaments around the country at great expense to myself. So again I ask who is really promoting the sport in the WEST, IS IT GALWAY OR MAYO.
Also on another note the so called Connacht branch received three new tables from the I.T.T.A. AND guess where they ended up two in Galway and one in an army barracks in Athlone, nothing came the way of the west, also the Connacht branch received a grant from women in sport {the sports council } of around €7,000. Again it was not discussed throughout the province of Connacht, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo were not involved in the process of this so who gets the money? Again it stays in Galway. So what is going on? Whose really promoting the game, in Mayo we have both boys and girls ranging from 6 years of age up to 17 years of age playing table tennis,
This is the reason why we never wanted to get involved with the running of the Connacht Branch. I have set up three clubs at great expense to myself, and I am only employed as a F.A.S. worker, I have had no help from the Connacht Branch or the I.T.T.A. I am very disillusioned with the I.T.T.A. but I will continue as long as there is one child wanting to play table tennis in Mayo, and as long as there is people like Mr Eamon Nealon and Mr Davis who have supported me greatly, not like Galway who promise to support you and then do not.
WHEN you look at what I have done in the last 18 months and what other people have done in years WHO IS REALLY SUPPORTING AND PROMOTING TABLETENNIS IN THE WEST OF IRELAND. Mayo or Galway?
On a final note I would be grateful if you could put up a notice asking people do they have any second-hand tables bats nets or balls so we can continue to promote the game of table tennis,
People can contact me at my email address,
Thank you and kind regards
Edward Ditchburn
P.S I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR+MRS NEALON, SUSAN AND CHLOE NEALON, MR DAVIS, MR DEVANEY FOR THERE SUPPORT.
A Full time National Coach? by Owen Kelly
So far only dribs and drabs of information concerning the ITTA AGM have squeezed their way this far South. Congratulations to all the award winners, it is great to see some people getting some kind of recognition for their contribution to table tennis in Ireland and to see the ITTA relying on the membership proposing the various nominees is a welcome change in direction. However I do think the board should take the final responsibility if the membership unintentionally omit one of the positions.
I will eagerly await a more comprehensive report on the AGM and I hope I don't have to wait for a Munster Branch meeting to be told what else went on. One area specifically interests me and that is the report on how the National Strategy is progressing and any information on the review procedure which by my reckoning must be well on its way by now.
The rumour mill is rife at the moment and I presume that there was a full and open discussion about the proposed "modernisation" of Irish table tennis at the AGM or at least at the forum. If we are to believe what we are hearing then the ITTA is in for one of its most significant developments in its history.
As I understand it the current National Strategy provides for appointing a National Coaching and Development Officer and the Board appointed Colum Slevin to that position. As a part time member of staff Colum has made some in roads into the National Coaching position but with limited resources and only a few weeks per year his "Development Officer" side of things has not really been fulfilled. If we are to move into the world of a full-time position then maybe the general development of the sport may actually get off the ground.
If this is to be accompanied by a full time Business Manager as well then we are moving well beyond the old strategy and I expect this will be the pivotal position that will enable the ITTA to move forward. I hear a decision is to made on this before the end of June! I appreciate that the current strategy is flawed, this was pointed out by TTIreland and a number of contributors, before the plan was even launched, the lack of real debate and qualified volunteers being sited as the main reasons.
As I didn't manage to attend the AGM or the forum I can't at this moment give any more detail on the subject but if there is anyone out there who knows more about what's going on maybe you could drop me a line. Can we afford it? What will be the stipulations over the funding from the sports councils? What qualifications are needed for these various positions? Really all I want to know is how will it effect me, my clubs, my region and my province? Answers on a postcard to owen@ttireland.com let some kind of debate begin!
Goundhog Day by Ritchard Butler
We don't have a lot…….at least I'm sure of all the things we've got………..
In the film 'Groundhog Day' starring Bill Murray, in a twist of fate the lead character is doomed to live out one day of his life over, and over, and over again…..
I read with interest the comments by Owen Kelly regarding the selection of the squad for the Six Nations Championships. Once again, another row brews up in Irish table tennis, and once again it is a row entirely of the making of the 'Performance' Committee, and the Board of Directors.
Firstly however, I will defend the position that selectors often find themselves in. As a former Selector, I can confirm that it is often possible to pick a team or a squad that doesn't keep everyone happy. Usually, there's a clear one or two names that everyone will agree on, but just as often there's one or two names, included or omitted, that raise eyebrows. That's the lot of the Selector, and it is their job to apply a vast amount of criteria to each selection, not least of which is their absolute knowledge, based on their experience at international level that is shared by very few people in this country, that a player may not have what it takes. Sometimes, you just know that a player is wrong for a particular selection, based on fitness or technique or attitude, and as such you must apply that knowledge.
I will also defend the right of the Selectors to operate other than off the ranking list. I know this is always a difficult one, but for me a ranking list was only ever useful as a guideline, rather than being anything definitive. I always felt that the relevance of whether or not one player was successful at a domestic level was overstated. A players ability to win in the IWA Hall in Clontarf, in a very small pool of players, cannot be taken as any real indicator of their ability to perform abroad or at international level. In fact, for me, the more realistic indicator was how that player performs at the age-group above their own - as an example, if a cadet isn't making any significant impact on the players in the junior category, I can guarantee they're not going to win many matches at international level.
However, this is where my agreement with, and sympathy for, the Selectors finishes.
For three years now, a growing group of volunteers within the ITTA have been objecting to a number of matters. Perhaps the greatest number of objections have come in relation to the area of selection and performance, usually because this is the most emotive area. However, the problems in this area have been allowed to fester and grow, and have not been dealt with in any way by the Board.
The difficulties first began to arise with the decision by the Board to allow the National Coach pick his fellow selectors. Of the four junior selectors chosen by the National Coach 3 years ago, two were gone from their positions within less than a year. These have never been replaced. Squads have been unsettled since then, as responsibility and development have fallen by the wayside. Arguments that there aren't any suitably qualified candidates are untrue and misleading; it is simply that the National Coach has difficulty handling having people around him who disagree with him, mainly because he believes himself to be correct in everything he does. As such, although there are still some who dare question, by removing most of the pro-activity in this area from around him, by and large Colum s days are only disturbed by the occasional training camp, the occasional tournament, and the slightly more occasional trip to cash a cheque at the bank. These difficulties were then compounded by the superior, arrogant and uncommunicative manner in which the 'Performance' Committee carried on its business, with queries and complaints either disregarded or arrogantly dismissed.
While these problems were developing, the Board continued to believe that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, the appointment of Colum Slevin as the National Coach was the way forward. I'll take this opportunity to clarify what the issue with this appointment is. Colum is an excellent technical trainer, good in one-on-one situations with technically advanced players. However, Colum lacks experience in player development; in talent identification; in beginner/intermediate coaching; in administration; in person management; in communicating with people; in motivation; and in planning and development. I'm sure he's a great physiotherapist. He has been away from Ireland for so long, and is so divorced from ever dealing with young people, never having done a job as a coach, that he has no grasp of the subtleties necessary to be an efficient coach or motivator. In fact, his grasp of this area is so tenuous that, if anything, there are players, or rather ex-players, who would claim that, far from being a positive influence, that they actually became disaffected as a result of the manifest lack of comprehension and empathy shown towards them by the National Coach and his cohorts. Certainly, apart from the very few players who are currently in the 'golden circle' it is difficult to find anyone who has good things to say about Colum in his current role. Yet, the position of National Coach, and specifically the position of being a selector or an NPC needs all of these abilities, most of them to a high or advanced level. It is not good enough that Colum has been able to work reasonably efficiently with a half dozen players, because the job of National Coach or NPC must be so much more than that. As part of his appointment, Colum seems to have no interest in attending Irish ranking events, unless he's going to be paid extra for it. This is a major issue, for Colum and for all the NPCs. They cannot gain the confidence of players if they are never seen by players. For a coach/NPC/player relationship to work, there must be constant communication, constant dialogue and constant interest in the players development. This does not seem to be the case with the selectors as a group at the moment. I cannot remember when I last saw all the selectors present at one event; however, up to 2003, this was the norm rather than the exception. From personal experience, I know that many players still are not spoken to by the National Coach, or indeed by selectors, and even don't know who the National Coach is. Indeed, only some weeks ago, a top-5 player in Ireland in one under-age group had to be told who the National Coach was when he walked past them. Is this a failure on their part or on his?
Fundamentally, we've reached a situation where the money has become more important than a genuine interest in doing the job, or a genuine interest in seeing kids play and develop. Of course it's a professional sport, of course we're in a different day and age, however by insisting on payment to carry out basic scouting expeditions, which translates as basically for talking to the kids and players he's meant to have an interest in developing, Colum continues to insult all of us, and continues to be the wrong person in the wrong job. Technical trainer - yes; good one to one - yes; a nice guy - apparently; Senior Mens NPC - maybe… but National Coach, selector of the selectors themselves and motivator of young people - computer says no.
However, he is not alone. Currently, in my opinion, only two of the four selectors perform their tasks to any kind of acceptable level, one junior selector and one senior selector. The other two are more interested in finding ways and reasons why they aren't at tournaments, and how they're not able to make it 'on this occasion'. Of course, there is a question as to why there aren't four selectors for the junior categories, one each for Cadet Boys, Cadet Girls, Junior Boys and Junior Girls. Things are now so bad that parents and indeed the club coaches don't know who the selectors are, and certainly don't know who is responsible for the different age categories and teams. How, then, can the players know? How can we keep sending teams away with coaches and NPCs who just aren't suitable, and don't even know the players they're travelling with? Would it happen in any other sport? Are these the hallmarks of a child- or player-centred and driven approach? Parents are not happy, but are so scared of the possible consequences for their child that they're afraid to speak up. What we have, then, will be a situation where the players will play for a few years, but as they become older and assess things for themselves, and can be told the truth by their coaches and parents, they'll walk away from table tennis when they find something less time consuming and more fun. Sound familiar……?
And there's the nub of the problem; fun. Make no mistake about it, this sport, like any sport, must be fun. Fun can be found in different ways, in winning or in simply competing, in being selected for your club, or your province, or your country. However, we as an Association just don't get it. We expect players to keep playing, and paying, even when there's nothing on offer for them, no development, no trips, no variety. We wouldn't condemn our dogs to such a dull existence. Even the 'lucky' ones who get a selection we expect to keep paying to play, or expect their parents to do so, to pay for levies, and gear, and rubbers, and trips, and tournaments, without any corresponding belief that there is any onus on the ITTA to recognise the contribution of these players and parents, and to run things in a professional way wherein the demands of the ITTA and those of the parents and players can be accommodated side by side, rather than ignoring the player in this equation. And, for a time, we get away with it. But only for a time. As we continue to make no effort to offer variation and opportunity in our sport, and as we continue to run things without empathy, and to suit ourselves, players drift away. We ignore it, but it continues to happen. We just make no effort. It must be fun, it must be challenging, there must be opportunities. Without this, you can fool them for a while, but eventually, the kids and the players will cop on. And then they'll just quit. They always have done, and yet we continue to do nothing about it. Somehow, the ITTA thinks it's the players fault!!!
And so it goes on. We have no Performance Director, so we have no cohesive strategy being applied in the area of Performance. Likewise, we have no Participation Director, so don't expect to see numbers at tournaments rising anytime soon. We are a year away from targeting a 'high placing' at the European Youth Championships. We should be developing squads, and we should be developing player-NPC relationships. However, all that can be seen are teams and players continuing to travel with different people, in some cases completely random people who haven't even known the players they're meant to be looking after, without preparation and without resources! What are we doing?!
While there are a number of young players who have shown potential over the last couple of years, by not proactively developing any structure or programme for them we are now allowing these players to fall behind the curve. In short, we are falling directly into the same mistakes year after year. The longer it continues, the more damage is being done. No plan seems to be in operation; no preparation takes place. How can we expect junior players to perform on international duty at the Six Nations Championships, when we're offering them no training or preparation in the weeks beforehand? My club team has been training together for 12 weeks in preparation for an event the same weekend as the Six Nations, yet we can't get our international squad together once? In one of those marvellous pieces of 'ITTA timing', we schedule a National Training Camp on the calendar for when the Junior & Senior National Squads are away competing. Brilliant. 'ITTA timing' was also in evidence with the release of the teams for the Six Nations before the Munster Open. I would say that this was an unfortunate mistake, if it wasn't for the fact that this is the 2nd time in 3 years that a squad has been announced unnecessarily before this tournament. More upsetting than the release of the teams were the misleading reasons - some would call them lies - given for their release. To say that 'the entries had to be in' is just plain nonsense. It's the Six Nations. I've captained at the event! You're not going to be kept out if you turn up with a slightly different team. Your draw is still the same, and in any case other countries do it every year. So what, then, was the reason for selecting and releasing the teams? Well, the reason was because it didn't matter what the players did in Cork. Only one junior selector was going to be there anyway, because the other two couldn't be bothered travelling - sorry, I meant to say they were 'busy'; in which case, it didn't matter what that single selector thought, as he was going to be in the minority. Once again, the system is being operated to suit the selectors, rather than being operated to suit the players. I once again recall my time as a Selector, when on many occasions we studiously didn't make a final call on a selection, certainly with 4 weeks to go, until we attended the ranking tournament that was closest to the event; frequently, we would travel with selection letters prepared, with the blank of the players name to be filled in, depending on results from that tournament. There would then be a brief selection meeting to make a final decision on a player. Since that time, the new members of the Committee are Colum Slevin and Jing Yi Gao. Myself and Tara Fusco have left, while Arthur Brett moved up to becoming a senior selector. Somewhere along the way, it seems that someone among the 3 junior selectors doesn't care any longer. Perhaps that's because they're paid or in position anyway, irrespective of their own performance or their own fulfilment of criteria? Or perhaps that's because, in order to be informed enough to care, some people would actually have to go to tournaments? I'll let you all make your own judgement on this one - I think it's pretty clear, though……
So why do I think the fault for this row lies entirely with the Board and the Performance Committee? Especially when I've defended in principal two of the things that are causing most angst? Well the answer is that I think the system is failing, and the process is at fault. I think some of my reasons are quite clear from the points above; there is no communication; there are no explicit squads selected; players don't know if they're in a squad or not; players don't know if they're in the frame for selections or not; coaches aren't kept in the loop; National Training Camps are all but gone; the National Coach hides from any dialogue or interaction with players, coaches or parents; selectors don't turn up to tournaments; selections often seem, at best, arbitrary; the selectors own guidelines for selection aren't followed; rules, such as insisting on attendance at a tournament, are disregarded depending on what province you're from, or if the entire province decides not to travel; there is no consistency with regard to policies and decisions; issues and disputes are allowed grow, with players missing ranking tournaments to prove a point (not for the first time); and above all else, these people are holding official positions within the Association - no matter how wrong a parent, player or coach may be, the onus is on the Performance Committee to sort it out, and to mend the situation. Again and again it's like dealing with a group of ostriches - except I would suggest that the dark hole in which they're sticking their collective heads may not be in the ground……
And why do I blame the Board? Because for three seasons, there's been a problem here. Communication has been bad, decisions have been arbitrary, selectors haven't done their job, the National Coach costs money hand over fist with no apparent return - in short, its been a mess. For some reason, the Board has decided either that, bizarrely, everything is fine, and we're all making it up; or alternatively, that it's somehow going to fix itself, or be fixed. Wake up, Alex. Wake up, Ken. Your stewardship of our Association has been bad. You can choose to fix it; or you can choose to ignore it. If it's the latter, I suspect that, before long, there will be some blood letting in Irish table tennis. When that happens, things will get very messy indeed.
So, for a change, try dealing with some of these issues, ideally in a transparent manner rather than your usual obfuscatory tactics. Don't take the shamefully easy route of dismissing the problems because they're raised by people you ignore, or in a forum you don't like. Instead, examine the substance of the case. Is there a problem? Is it possible that the National Coach is not respected outside a dozen people? Is it possible that the selectors don't do the job we need them to do? Is it possible that we have the wrong people in the wrong jobs? And is it possible that the Board has, up until now, taken the easy way out with regard to decisions? We're 4 months away from the ITTA AGM - have the problems that were raised in the 'Open Forum' last year been impacted upon in any way? These are the key questions. How you answer them is, for the moment, up to you. However, answer them you must. I'm sure the Sports Council continues to watch the ITTA with concern, as we can be in no doubt that they're well informed as to what's going on. Somehow though, we remain confused that our grant remains low!!
I started writing this article the other day, on February 2nd. It was only after this that I realised the irony in the date. It was, of course, Groundhog Day……
Strategic Planning Process & Review by Owen Kelly
I note with interest that the process of reviewing the current ITTA Strategic Plan is due to start soon. I feel like writing a lengthy review of it for the website but there again is there any point, I have better things to do and I would only be repeating what I have been saying since the planning process started in 2003.
I am however going to make just two points.
1. There are not enough people with the time or the finances to sit on all the various committees. There are not even enough people to Chair (Directors) these committees at National or Provincial level.
2. The ITTA does not receive enough core funding from the Irish Sports Council to implement half of the proposed strategy and does not generate enough alternative funding to make up the difference.
The 5 Strategic Programme Areas and their goals are:
1. Management: Effective and efficient leadership.
2. Coaching: Improvement in playing standards for all on the player pathway.
3. Participation, Playing and Developing: An increase in participants playing better table tennis in more sustainable club and school units.
4. Performance: Improve and sustain high performance standards with a view to starting a targeted high European placing programme by 2007 (next year!)
5. Marketing: Table Tennis promoted as a life-long sport, which encourages healthy lifestyles.
There are "Measurement criteria" for all these areas within the strategic plan.
Read it and make your own mind up.
Assessing the Coach by Owen Kelly
I was delighted to note that the ITTA have announced that they are launching four new awards to highlight the contribution made by coaches and volunteers in Irish Table Tennis. One reason for this being the fact that I had included it while I was drafting the development strategy for the ITTA.
It was a bit of a shock however, as being involved with the Coaching Committee I had expected the Coaching Awards to come from that direction, as it is listed as part of the Coaching Committee's responsibilities under Objective 2.3 subsection 2.3.8 "Develop ITTA Annual Coaching Awards." The Volunteer Awards, being the separate responsibility of the Participation, Playing and Developing Programme. (Objective 3.1, subsection 3.1.2)
However, wherever it comes from it is still a good idea to support, encourage and acknowledge those who do considerable work for the association.
As most of the committees seem to be struggling under the weight of implementing the strategy it is quite understandable that the ITTA Board might decide to take on this initiative.
It might also explain why the new Coaching Award criteria is aimed at "Performance" coaching rather than participation coaching as was originally indicated and budgeted for within the National Strategy. The award being given to the male and female coach "who has contributed best to the achievements of the players under his/her tutelage." In fact I can not find any reference to "performance coaching awards" under the High Performance programme, so I presume this is some kind of initiative outside of the current National Strategy.
I maybe reading this wrong but it appears the ITTA are intending to reward coaches for the achievements of their players. I am not quite sure how the members of the Board are going to quantify who has "contributed best" or how the "achievements of the players" are to be assessed. If as I suspect, the achievements are to be assessed in regards to performance then I presume we are talking about players who are nationally or even possibly provincially ranked? As for "contributed best," I have no idea what that actually means, let alone how it could be judged.
As an ITTA Tutor I have delivered a number of Level 1 Courses and part of the course is the outlining of the different roles of the coach. These include organiser, motivator, role model, communicator and of course educator. Out of this, a coaching philosophy is developed. Maybe I have misunderstood but these awards appear to be highlighting and emphasising the "Winning Coach," philosophy. I hope that the ITTA will also consider rewarding the coach who deals with the development of players and encourages the participation for all. Comparing a coach who coaches 100 players a week with a coach who deals with a dozen for me does not equate. A coach dealing with a small number of players is far more likely to have players "achieving" at a higher level. Maybe the ITTA would like to encourage us to have fewer participants and concentrate on the few rather than the many.
The Coach of the Year for me would be one who works away, encouraging all their players to participate and for each and everyone of them to feel that their talent and potential are given equal status. The player who achieves their 1 Star Award is as important and valued as the one who wins a national title.
If you agree with me why not take the opportunity to nominate a coach who you feel displays the qualities that you would like to see in a coach, I am sure they would contribute best to the achievements of the players in their care.
Ladies Training Camp Held In Lucan by Paul Dolan
Just a quick comment on last weekends Ladies Training Camp Held In Lucan.
I would like to express special thanks on behalf of ALSAA T.T Club to Arthur Brett for running last weekends camp, a number of our players participated, as both Irish squad and provincial players.
Arthur conducted the camp with his normal enthusiastic drive and this was reflected in the participants work rate and enjoyment over the two days all provinces were represented except Munster which was a pity, there was some tired legs going home on Sunday evening
As most of the players who attended were Cadets and Juniors one can not help wondering why it took The Irish Senior LADIES NPC (Arthur Brett)to organise this badly needed initiative and not the anonymous Cadet and Junior NPC,s whose responsibility these players fall under.
Maybe for the players information ITTA Marketing should include the names of The NPC,s in the next newsletter as I only found out this week unofficially!
Again thank you Arthur,
Regards and Happy Christmas.
Paul Dolan ALSAA TT Club.
A light at the end of the tunnel? By Owen Kelly 14/11/05
I have been very conscious about wanting to write something positive about Irish Table Tennis over the last month or so. I personally have had a really good start to the season, after I returned from training in China I was a little despondent, as the gulf between the sport out there and back here at home is so extreme that table tennis is almost unrecognisable. I asked myself how I could apply what I had learnt through that experience in my every day life as a table tennis coach. Unfortunately there seemed very little.
I realise that my coaching philosophy had to change. Partly due to my experiences, which have been documented in various articles on the site and partly due to the fact that 6 years ago I didn't have a family of 4 children. In the time BC (Before Children) I was in a position to travel the whole country, providing transport and spending most of my weekends in various sports halls, as well as most of my nights in training halls.
There were some great trips away to Belgium, Sweden, France and the UK with various squads; I managed to get to the IYC in Belgium with three U15 lads, my wife and two small children. James was less than a year old at the time. The next year we entered with 5 U15 girls and the family camped along side the team. Changing nappies in a tent, in the dark and in the rain! However the players were great and helped so much with carrying pushchairs and taking the kids to the park. We haven't tried it with 4 kids and I think it will be sometime before we do!
So it's time for me to realise that life has to change and consequently so does my motivation and goals. Realism needs to set in. So I'm now a "participation" coach, my philosophy is about increasing number and providing the first stages of the pathway to as many as I can. As most coaches would acknowledge if you have too many players and not enough tables you will not produce players of a high standard. I call this the "Capacity Issue" and have written about it before. If my intention is only to provide the first couple of stages of the pathway then capacity is now not so much of an issue.
When I say "high standard" I mean a player who is highly ranked provincially and competing at Irish Junior Rankings and realistically in order to do that I feel a player needs to be training more than 2 hours a week.
I also realise this is a fairly tough thing for me to come to terms with. However it has been made a lot easier by how this term has started. I have more work than I can cope with as I have regular sessions, 5 days a week as well as the odd training camp on weekends. I restrict myself to only coaching within an hour of home, which creates a neat triangle as I live on a peninsular. I currently cover 5 national schools and 5 secondary schools. I also run two clubs in the two major towns (Skibbereen & Bantry) that the kids can come to outside of their school session. This potentially gives each player a two-hour per week training session. Each club has three graded sessions, starting with the "Tots" 5yrs-8yrs old, "Intermediate" 8yrs-12yrs old, "Advanced" 12yrs-17yrs old. The ages are used only for guidance and players of a younger age can train in a higher group if they have the ability. I measure ability by using the ITTA Star Scheme and the West Cork Proficiency Award Scheme. Within the school sessions there are nearly 200 kids and of them around 60 kids come to the clubs, they don't necessarily turn up every week!
So, so far everything is going really well. What I know would help even more is if I found another coach that could take a session when I wasn't there. I have the players, I have the tables, I have the venue, what I really need now is another coach.
Over the last few years I have Tutored a number of Level 1 Courses and a number of those who qualified came from West Cork. For various reasons I've not managed to find a coach close enough or with enough time to help out. This weekend I ran another Level 1 Course in Kinneigh West Cork, the majority of coaches were from Cork City and beyond but a couple were from West Cork. What was even stranger for me was the three student coaches, were all players I had coached from U12. In fact the course had a number of players who I had first come across as juniors and had achieved a very high standard of play. I was delighted by the enthusiasm of everyone on the course as well as the high standard of coaching skills displayed. If these coaches translate these skills back into the clubs and schools around the province then the future of Munster table tennis looks very bright indeed. It will take some time but for me at least there is a much-needed light at the end of the tunnel. I hope the Munster Branch has the sense to follow up and support these coaches by providing opportunities to further their experience and recognises their true value.
Whether I get to see any of this talent come my way I'll have to wait and see, they all have clubs and opportunities slightly closer to home than I can offer!
In my mind if you want to achieve anything in sport you must look at coach education. I am currently working away on the new ITTA Level 2 Syllabus. I don't want to say too much, as a report of our last meeting with the NCTC has to go to the Board first. But I'm sure that there is no problem in me saying, things are moving forward and at least from my prospective progressing well.
Maybe in five years time I might be able to use more of what I've learnt in my travels abroad. But for now I'll concentrate on developing a good structure, becoming financially viable, identifying suitable qualified volunteers, developing a broad player base, increasing the profile of the sport in the area and providing what the customer wants. Once that is achieved maybe then I can look at developing players to their full potential.
Richard Butler Comments
And so here we are again - welcome back to the Pound Shop of Irish sport that is the ITTA. Of course, none of the things you are about to read ever happened. It's just a combination of circumstances. Everything's fine, honest. Nothing to worry about it. All under control. According to plan. Not as bad as it looks. The devil's in the detail. Watch this space. Strategic Plan. Pathway. Balyi. (Enter your own random ridiculous platitude or meaningless buzzword *here*)
It's been a Summer and Autumn of mediocrity as usual in Irish table tennis. First though, the main news. There was marching in the streets with the news that our 'Performance' Supremo, having completed his mission to go where no man had gone before, was relinquishing his position. Like the legendary empire builder, the ex-Supremo having brought 'performance' to hitherto uncharted levels of efficiency and competence, had no fresh worlds to conquer. We wish him a long and satisfying retirement. Other news came with the retirement of the Director of Participation, who had also completed his mission. If anyone has any idea what that mission was, we'd be pleased to hear of it.
Of course, the vacancies caused lead to the usual random floundering of the officer board in attempting to fill the vacant positions. As being linked with the idiots who are occupying some positions in the ITTA is not so much a poisoned chalice as a poisoned barrel with 'POISON' and a skull and cross bones stencilled on the side, it's not particularly surprising that there hasn't been a rush of takers for these positions. Most of the people with the talent to fill positions in the ITTA have given up the ghost, while any others who are involved are becoming increasingly disaffected.
Also back in June, the 'Open Forum' held before the AGM had about as much teeth as a sugar addicted vagrant. Not so much brainstorming as single cell-storming, at least for those whose single cells haven't died of loneliness, despite a frank exchange of views from the usual suspects most of those present were either too scared or too stubborn to express any kind of critical opinion of, or offer any kind of real insight into, how things are. The Emperor was wearing a particularly fine set of robes that afternoon.
Regular readers of these articles will remember my prediction some months ago that we would shortly be under pressure from Guernsey. Although sooner than expected, it should have come as no surprise, then, when the Official Report from the Schools International held in June, which included a loss to a Guernsey team, told us that Guernsey was now the 'yardstick' by which we should measure ourselves. How fabulous. I couldn't have made it up if I'd tried. Don't blame the players - the fact is that the Guernsey TTA isn't riven by factions and infighting, isn't p***ing away money on a National Coach that is effectively working to rule and has instead largely got its act together. Expect more of the same…….
The Summer saw the usual flurry of players travelling to, among other places, France, Sweden, Spain and China for training. This commitment by players and coaches alike to better themselves is one of the most admirable things about this sport and those who take part in it, and frankly is something the ITTA doesn't deserve. We cannot continue to depend on the goodwill of players and coaches to spend so much money for no tangible return, and as such the continuing non-existence of opportunities for both seniors and juniors would be laughable if it wasn't creating a legacy we will have to live with for many years. For a brief period a few years ago we were looking like we had married together the best of two systems of talent development - the streamlining of opportunities for our select group of players who are at the top of the rankings, and who have the potential to continue there; and the development of a squad system, to keep pressure on the top players, to deepen the pool of talent and to ensure that there is sufficient opportunity for all players. The first system without the second doesn't work as it puts all our eggs in 2 or 3 baskets; likewise, the second system without the first broadens the number who are at an advanced level, but comes up short in advancing these players sufficiently to make a real impact at international level. While it is difficult to divine anything that is going on, as players and coaches are told nothing officially, it seems safe to state that we have opted exclusively for the first system, of ploughing all our resources into a select group of players. What will we do if and when they give up, like virtually every other player of talent has in the history of Irish table tennis? We are two retirements away from having no Ladies team to speak of, with not that much more wiggle room in the Mens. If anyone wants a dose of reality, that fact alone, though perpetually unaddressed, must be dealt with. No competitive result, no matter how good, should distract us from this reality. Perhaps the most telling point is that if this new system of taking the top 2 or 3 players had been enforced 8 years ago, two of our current senior team wouldn't have been in the picture - at U12 level, these 2 players couldn't make their U12 Provincial team. Just look what they have become through their hard work and commitment, but also through a system that didn't just focus on a narrow band of ranking, and instead identified and fostered new talent. No squad programme, no opportunities, no hope.
So what to do? Well if you're not part of this elite bunch that really is the question. The junior squad, boys and girls, seems to have been cut adrift entirely, as what were regular development trips for this group seem to have been discontinued. There is a token participation in Junior British League and 6 Nations, but that's about it - that's three selection opportunities a year, down from 11 selection opportunities for junior boys alone in the season 2002/2003. In addition, the one selection that fringe players usually had an outside chance of aiming for, the Schools International, this year saw our lowest participation rates for many years - this despite a commitment in the Strategic Plan to support the event at current levels. It's funny when you consider that teams took part in this event all these years with a few committed administrators and no resources, but when the ITTA took things over it collapsed. That's that reverse-Midas touch again. When are we going to realise that there are players, particularly at cadet and junior level, who are not happy simply to play and take part? Their aim is to be as good as they can be, and their aim is to be selected, selected for anything at all. If we don't offer even a hint of being able to fulfil this aspiration, why should they keep playing? We cannot continue to use the phrase 'player pathway' as some kind of buzzword, and instead we must offer some semblance of a future to aim for, some carrot. Without some kind of structured approach and some example of joined-up thinking, we really are blowing into the wind. Last years big focus was seniors. This year it's Under 12s. What next? When can we hope that there will be some cohesive plan to replace the current flightiness that is being sold as a plan? The selectors and National Coach are offering such disjointed thinking at the moment that they seem to have the attention span of a goldfish. There are players now in the Top 10 and higher in the junior rankings that have never got a selection, and more importantly, and distressingly, merit that recognition. With the rival attractions of school, jobs, relationships, study and life, as well as other sports that have got their act together, don't expect them to be around much longer, lads.
The saga continues regarding the absenteeism of some selectors at ranking tournaments. The first Irish Junior tournament was a case in point, where there was only one selector present for the event. Can we take it that he will be the only person picking squads until the others get back up to speed? While two selectors weren't in the country, one on holidays and the other away on international duty, the same can't be said for our National Coach. I'll clear this up for you all, having gone to some lengths to find out what the hell is going on - the National Coach will not go to a tournament to watch it unless he is paid for it. Despite this parameter being an essential part of the guidelines for every other selector, the National Coach has decided that it doesn't apply to him. It seems a complete joke that what would be a debilitating and indeed disqualifying factor if applied to any other sport is instead seen as an acceptable stance in Irish table tennis. I can see the headlines now - 'New Irish soccer manager demands more pay to attend Premiership matches to view potential players'……….or maybe not. Perhaps that's why we're rubbish? Things got better at the second junior tournament, as the two junior selectors were at least present. Maybe if all the tournaments were in Ulster, we'd have both selectors present all the time? Just a thought. At the same time at the Ulster Junior Open, the Branch there still hasn't got to grips with the rules laid down for junior ranking tournaments, and introduced a doubles competition to distract the masses from this fact. Dear me. It's not that difficult. GROUPS INTO GROUPS. I'm sure we can arrange instructions and a diagram for those who are still struggling with the concept. The final piece of humour on offer from tournaments is the continuing saga of the senior ranking system. Look, this is also straightforward. It's in bits. The theory is good but the practical application is appalling. Stop messing around with it, go back to the old system, and let someone with brains come up with a new system. Once again in the ITTA, activity is mistaken for progress. Finally, to be fair, kudos to the Munster Branch for producing a clear and concise entry form for the Munster Open so early. Maybe they could share some tips for professionalism with everyone else.
There has been a somewhat hysterical reaction in some quarters to the regular criticisms of the ITTA that come up on this website. Other reactions have been less hysterical, but still critical. This is the school of thought that says we should sort things out internally, resolve matters, not let them be aired in public, debate rather than fight, etc, etc, etc. Well people, we have tried this approach, and to be quite honest I don't think I've ever had to deal with as blinkered and short sighted an approach as that displayed by some of our officers. Let's lay it out plainly - you either think that everything in the ITTA is fine and dandy, or you don't. If you genuinely think that the biggest problems facing the ITTA are caused by some of us being critical, then it's probably best that you cocoon yourself with that opinion and hide yourself somewhere you can't do further damage, keeping yourself far away from sharp instruments. If however you think that there's something wrong, you can either choose to address it, raising it in whatever forum is available, or choose to leave it. In an earlier article I stated that 'to say that the ITTA is overcome with inertia would be to imply a far higher level of organisational energy than currently exists'. Maybe this will strike a chord with some, when I say that when that article was written we looked like a model of organisational excellence compared to where we're now at. With only a few exceptions, the people running table tennis in Ireland, at most levels, are responsible for a level of institutional incompetence that makes Fawlty Towers look like a five star holiday resort. Collectively, most of the Board and committee members are about as useful as a person with no lips or legs attempting to run through the city playing a trumpet.
Approaching my final thoughts, I decided I'd make reference to the recent fine performances by Irish teams at 6 Nations and European League among other events. Some of the results recorded have been very, very good indeed. It's a pity that these have been drowned somewhat in the frenzy of superlatives breaking out in some reports. It looks as if someone got a thesaurus for their birthday and in an attempt to paper over mediocre victories keeps using words such as 'fine', 'excellent', 'superb', 'fantastic' and 'exceptional'. Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; this contributor gargles. However, if we look beyond some of the hyperbole churned out regarding these successes, it is important that we note one or two points. Firstly, the victory of our Mens team over the Welsh Mens team is a perfect example of how important it is to not simply depend on a small group of 3 or 4 players. This is what has happened in Wales, with the result that when two top Welsh players did not play, the fall back position wasn't there. That's how we beat them, and without a squad this is what can happen, and what will happen to us if we let it. Secondly, let's start measuring ourselves by the only dominant country in these islands. Is it good enough that we judge ourselves by whether we are worse or better than other mediocre countries? Does the Irish rugby team celebrate wildly when we beat Italy in a Six Nations match? If we do not set a standard of excellence and at least aspire to some level of achievement, we're clearly competing at the wrong level and we're clearly aiming to take part in the wrong Olympics.
Finally, I've left till last my comment on the recent report by Colum Slevin, on the performance of the Mens Team at the Europeans Qualification. In it Colum writes "It's also nice to be able to write something positive after all the negativity that has been written over the past 2 seasons. I don't really get it. We're all representing the same country. It's easy to write negative about any subject. Why not concentrate on the positive things that are happening for a change?"
Apparently, things aren't clear enough for Colum and he doesn't 'get it'. So, in the interests of making things clear for him and anyone else out of their depth, I thought I'd sum it up;
- The membership has little confidence in the Board of Directors;
- The Strategic Plan is rubbish and unworkable, and key stated targets aren't being met;
- Participation levels are down;
- Selection opportunities are down - cadets, juniors and seniors increasingly feel sidelined by the way they are treated and the opportunities open for them;
- Coaching opportunities are down and our coaching development strategy is struggling;
- We are desperately short of coaches who have the professional competence and insight to develop players to an international standard, and little is being done to develop what little coaching talent we have;
- Table tennis loses ground to other sports every day;
- We have no adequate fundraising or marketing strategies;
- We have no National League;
- Player and Coach pathways are unclear, if they even exist;
- There is little evidence of joined-up thinking in the 'strategies' and policies being pursued by the 'Performance' Committee.
- Unless radically dealt with, elements of the Coach assimilation scheme are going to be significantly discredited;
- A perception exists that, more than ever, a players club will dictate their likelihood of selection;
- Coaches and NPCs are frequently not being selected on their coaching ability, and instead their level of sycophancy, their club affiliation, their provincial affiliation and their gender have become factors;
- Regional Branches are all but collapsing;
- The Association is plagued by low morale among players and administrators;
- We have disaffected and driven away some of our most able administrators;
- Worse, we have disaffected many players and ex-players, who no longer feel any allegiance towards the ITTA;
- The Chairman and President of the ITTA, though capable of doing so, have elected to offer little drive or leadership;
- The National Coach generally doesn't speak with players and coaches, has poor organisation, motivation and communication skills and feels no obligation to contributing to things in the ITTA unless he is paid for every nanosecond he spends doing so;
- The article being commented on is the first public communication by the National Coach in years;
- Selectors commonly miss tournaments and commonly do not communicate with players;
- We no longer have selectors for each age group because the National Coach seems unable to work with different types of people or engage with differing opinions;
- People continue to occupy jobs and hold positions that they have no ability or talent for, simply because of a lack of administrative drive and an unwillingness on the part of our Chairman and Board to face up to reality, no matter how unpalatable that reality may be.
- Structurally, we have no grasp of professionalism, competence or administrative best practice, and we are on a progressively steeper slide downwards
- Those who do criticise the ITTA are generally ignored and ostracised by the silent, and occasionally gutless, majority
This is just the tip of the iceberg, but hopefully will make things a bit clearer for Colum and anyone else struggling for command of the issues.
Despite the occasional flurry of good results, these cannot paper over the cracks in a deeply flawed system, and the fact is that these results are despite, not because of, the ITTA and the organisation and structures of the ITTA. For this reason, these results are all the more remarkable, and the players involved deserve even greater credit.
Colum says he doesn't really get it. That's kind of the problem, Colum. You don't really get it. We've been saying that all along, and now you've confirmed it. Unfortunately, you're not alone.
Past event in Blackpool by Eamon Nealon
Can someone in the ITTA give me the reason why Jenny O'Donnell the Irish no-2 cadet was not selected for the event while others who are ranked lower than her are selected?
This is an on going problem in tt for the Connaught girls, they have throughout the end of 2003, 2004-05 season seen certain players ranked below them, selected for both senior b and Junior British league teams, some of which did not take part in the 2004 top 12 in Cork but still were picked for International schools, Hasselt, etc.with the ruling enforced that if you did not attend you would not be selected for international events, was it enforced ? No.
On the other hand the same rule applied at this years event in Belfast we were informed that if anyone did not attend you would not be selected for Hasselt; no excuses by anyone would be excepted, its a pity the rule did not apply for everyone the cadet girls had an non top 8 member play in Belgium. I suppose we were better off as it cost us less to travel and participate in the event than it did the Irish team, and still we came home with the medals ; yes you are probably aware of this as its in the ITTA marketing newsletter summarising up the 04-05 season ---sorry how could I make a mistake like that, its on the ttireland web site, as the ITTA forgot to mention the above success in their summary of the year, glad to see the favourites got a mention.
As we are now talking about acknowledgement; my friend Paul you are well aware what happened in the primary schools e.g. the accommodation and service where we stayed was a disgrace. The players came home with silver, narrowly beaten on count back. We all got a nice letter from the ITTA saying well done; but wait for it the punch line that came with the letter; we in the association have to charge on players an extra 100 euros on the additional fee, all ready paid to cover the cost of sending the players to Cardiff. LUCKILY parents refused to pay the 100euros and it was reduced to 50euros. Had we not been charged an extra levy do you think they would have acknowledged their success?
Please note before travelling to the event I had made reference at national level with Irish coaches would it be possible to organise a training camp for the girls, or could I give a camp in Ballina, no costs involved. I got a reply saying it was a good idea, we will get back to you; well they never did.
Europeans; we got to send a cadets boys team but no girls, this caused a lot of dissatisfaction and annoyance, Upset and dreams shattered for the girls at the club, you see like all good coaches should, you sit down with the players at the start of the year, you put a plan in place and set certain and realistic goals for the athletes. This happened to be one of those goals.
Ciara O'Donnell and Susan Nealon were 1 and 2 respectively in their age groups during the time of selection, and for some reason the performance committee decided not to send the girls. This decision not to send the girls also cost the club a major sponsorship deal for the coming season,
reasons given for not sending teams;
1---no funds; but we can send a boys team
2---the poor results at the Europeans; so the girls are punished for what happened the previous year
3---another excuse used; we wont send them to the Europeans, but we will bring them to a training camp of importance;;;ya ya ya we are still waiting; Notting but deceit and lies.
Now while we are on the the subject training camps. The ITTA invited us to a training camp in Lucan earlier in the year, to find when we arrived at the venue that some of the juniors were not there, as they are playing Junior British league. Please lads if there is a national training camp held make sure all are there, and it would be nice to see the junior ladies Capt. there showing an interest. This is just one of the many reasons why we would not be bother attending a camp in further. Oh yes, I would much prefer when coaches at the camps change club players to different rubbers that if they could communicate and notified their coaches of such change. I do welcome their opinion, but just let one know, and why?
Euro mini elevens; yet another kick, I was informed the ITTA were sending both Chloe and Nial O'Flynn to the event but were unable to go as the ITTA could not get an npc to travel. As this competition was over 9 days, 6 of which was a training camp and 3 days of competition, I myself offered to travel out to the event but would have had to return home on the 7th day. No other npc offered to go out for the 3 days of competition, I was also at a loss of 6 days holidays, as I had to book them in late May .I wonder will I get my days back?
Throughout the year we struggled to have npc travel with Connaught players; eg west of Scotland last minute a girl of 18years had to take the role as npc for the cadet girls, as well as competing in the event herself. We also had the same problem in the international schools in England. A week leading up to the event we got Mrs Hayes in England to travel up to the event and act as npc and might I say did an excellent job as trio Ciara Susan and Jenny spoke so highly of her.
To the ranking I think Owen summed it up in his article and from what I am made to believe last years ranking was discredited at the national A.G.M, and are now back to the old system. If it were perfect why change it back to the old system? So from a discredited system we judge our seeds 1,2,3,4,5. Another point, we send 5 girls to the ranking at the weekend to find 2 of the girls play in the same group even though there was 8 groups they travelled 140miles to play each other in the first round of the
group stages.
Now Paul if you thought that the girls not playing was a disgrace, what of the above matter? Cause we are Connaught does one think we should role over like a little puppy wag a tail and except what has being dished out to the girls. I DON'T THINK SO. FORTHER more I'm disappointed to hear you say that your junior girl's success at the Leinster Open was hallowed by the fact that my club players did not play. From what I hear she played very well so don't knock her achievement. But I am delighted to see your interest in the girls and giving me the opportunity to reply and our point of view across.
WHY PLAY ANOTHER SEASON just look at Susan's achievements for the 2004-05 season, under player on the Celtic TT web site, one would have to ask how she only got selected twice for Ireland while players ranked lower than her in cadets got selected for much more?
Then there's the people that moan a lot, complaining that as a coach I train my club players to a higher standard than most, setting goals that maybe the rest of the country find hard to comprehend. I hope this gives you a brief insight into why we feel compelled in sending our most valuable players abroad for further training.
In reply to ALSAA Club Coach Paul Dolan's Comments
Firstly I would like to thank Paul Dolan for taking the time to comment to the article "Reflections on the first day of term." TTIreland welcomes the input from those who give their time to supporting table tennis in Ireland. For the sake of clarity I will try and restrict myself to addressing his comments rather than the many other points raised in the original article.
Firstly and very much over simplified, there was "no such commotion in the boys," due to the fact that Ireland sent an U14 Boys team to the European Youth Championships and didn't send a girls. The selectors obviously felt that the girls had not performed adequately enough during the season to warrant being given this opportunity. I won't make a direct comparison between the performance results of the two squads but you can look up the results on the website and compare them for yourselves.
I would however like to congratulate Susan and Jenny for their 4th place finish at the IYC in Hasselt as well as Susan's Silver medal in the U14 event and Chloe Nealon's Gold medal in the U11. It is unfortunate that they were representing Ballina and not Ireland.
"The problems arose when a number of top seeded female players did not play the first Tournament." I'll just repeat the article posted on the TTIreland website:
"Celtic Table Tennis Sponsored girls Susan and Chloe Nealon opted out of the 1st Irish Ranking in search of a higher standard abroad and were vindicated in their decision, returning from Blackpool with three gold medals and two age group wins and with their reputations very much enhanced. (Chloe: U11 Winner & 3rd U13, Susan Winner U13 and Winner U15 Band Singles)." And you say they should have played in Dublin! No wonder we have produced so few top European players over the last ………years.
The fact that our ranking system can not take into account the performances of our players at a higher standard of event, in my mind only goes to highlight the failure of our system. The fact that the girls are then penalised for this performance is ridiculous. In fact if Susan were to travel out to Blackpool with the Irish squad I am led to believe she would be seeded No.1 for the event. In Ireland she would have been seeded No.8 in the Cadet Girls. I'll add one more unbelievable comment, if she had turned up to the Top 8 she would not have even allowed to play in the U14 event! I know it is hard to believe but there you go.
"If fairness is to brought in to the equation how fair was it on Saturdays No 1 seed in the girls U12, to be beaten by her own club mate (Who would have been No 1 seed if she had of played a fourth tournament) in the quarter final, was this a rough kind of justice?"
I'm sure we all agree who should have been the No.1 seed. If only sense had prevailed and we were athlete rather than system led. I see no "rough justice" in a girl who had attended all the ranking events of last season. She should have been seeded No.2, being drawn in the ¼ finals against a player who should have been seeded No.1 and would have been, in the systems employed in most other countries. A provision for "wild card" entries should exist. I can not believe that if Colum Slevin decided to play in an Irish Senior Ranking that he would not receive a seeding. But there again anything is possible in Irish table tennis.
"Is it fair that one of my junior girls after finishing in the top 4 felt her success was hollow because of the failure of some of her fellow juniors to participate in this event?"
I feel genuine sympathy for your junior girl. I felt similarly aggrieved when Emma Jane Helen won the Top 12 and a number of players failed to attend, incidentally it did not effect their selection for Irish teams. I am sure you would have shared my disappointment over the fact that she failed to be selected for any Irish team that season including the Schools International played in her own home province. What do you think the girls are protesting over? Just such issues. I feel we need to address the disease and not the symptoms.
"Or does it sound fair to tell a player during the season that even though even they have the ranking another player is being selected ahead of them because they are too good to play Irish Tournaments."
Colum Slevin our current National Coach and member of the Performance Committee has been and still is regularly selected for Irish teams. I think we need to look at the Irish rankings as a tool to help identify talent and not a straight jacket that restricts the selection of our top players. We need to get beyond the fact that a player can win an Irish tournament and start selecting players that can perform at international standard if we are ever going to compete on the international stage.
"Let's get real no other Country would permit players or coaches to snub there National Ranking events."
OK let's get real, they do! Take China, France, Germany or any other country where players play in foreign leagues.
"To see two of the top young female talents in this country standing watching instead of playing on Saturday was a disgrace."
I totally agree, I hope I have managed to explain just a couple of reasons why they are protesting, what other course of action do they have open to them?
I hope I've covered your points and that I haven't been "cryptic," maybe you'll answer just one more question for me? Why weren't both those "top young female talents" selected for Blackpool?
"It's time to stop using this website to send cryptic messages and the "Adults" need to sit around the table."
Firstly I don't think it should just be adults, I feel the players whether they are underage or not have a right to be heard and as it is their hopes, dreams and ambitions that are directly effected it would be disingenuous not to provide them with that opportunity.
I don't agree that it is time for this website to stop informing the Irish table tennis community of what is going on. Surely no one believes that the Irish table tennis website affords any opportunity to question the arbitrary decisions made by various committees. It was TTIreland who first highlighted the inadequacies of the "new" ranking system brought in last year. I think we were all glad to see it go. It was TTIreland who pointed out the failure of the Top 8 to allow players to compete in more than one age group, thus undermining the seeding for this season and I'm glad to see that it is to be changed. And it is TTIreland who will continue to defend and support those who are not listened to due to the failure of those who are responsible for the provision of fair and equitable opportunities for all our Irish players.
I would also like to state one final point. I feel that the overwhelming majority of the association is full of well meaning and hard working individuals who only have the best interests of the members in mind. That the individuals who are working within the association to improve the situation are giving their time on a voluntary basis and are trying their best to tackle a difficult situation. TTIreland has been criticised for putting forward a negative point of view and that could well be a fair point. This is mainly due to the fact that TTIreland is trying to point out some of the problems so that solutions can be found and is reflective of the emails and phone calls that I regularly receive from the many individuals around the country.
Paul Dolan.Club Coach ,ALSAA Table Tennis.
I have to disagree entirely with your comments on the “discredited” ranking system of last season and its impact on the first Junior Ranking. Why was there no such commotion in the boys?
The problems arose when a number of top seeded female players did not play the first Tournament, and this had a knock on effect for the rest of the year compounded when an even larger number of players did not play the top eight, In some cases this resulted in some players only playing in 3 out of 5 events thus losing there seeding.
If fairness is to brought in to the equation how fair was it on Saturdays No 1 seed in the girls U12, to be beaten by her own club mate (Who would have been No 1 seed if she had of played a fourth tournament) in the quarter final, was this a rough kind of justice?.
Is it fair that one of my junior girls after finishing in the top 4 felt her success was hollow because of the failure of some of her fellow juniors to participate in this event?
Or does it sound fair to tell a player during the season that even though even they have the ranking another player is being selected ahead of them because they are too good to play Irish Tournaments.
Let’s get real no other Country would permit players or coaches to snub there National Ranking events.
To see two of the top young female talents in this country standing watching instead of playing on Saturday was a disgrace
It’s time to stop using this website to send cryptic messages and the “Adults” need to sit around the table.
I am personally very fond of all parties involved in this “Stand Off” and it’s only the players and Table tennis that is suffering.
Reflections on the first day of term by Owen Kelly
The first junior national tournament has been played in Dublin. I thought we had seen some sense made of last year's mistakes. It was admitted that the ranking system last year failed and consequently we have returned to what we all agree is an unsatisfactory system. So we start the season with seeding based upon a now discredited system. Consequently we have players who should be seeded higher knocking out those who have been wrongly seeded. In practical terms we saw a No.1 seed knocked out in a ¼ final and will consequently be seeded outside of the top 4 for the next event. Where if the same thing happens again in the next event we see the hopes, dreams and ambitions of a potential Irish International player destroyed by this discredited system! Sounds like insanity to me!
We have a player who was ranked No.1 for most of last season beaten just once and their ranking falls immediately with no regard for any of their previous performances. This means that the first tournament of the season has a far higher import than any other. I personally feel we need to look closely at this and whichever committee is responsible needs to come up with a solution if we ever want to consider the ranking system fair to our players.
The girls' game seems to be in turmoil at present with everyone pointing the finger at each other. It appears we have top Irish juniors deciding not to play at Irish ranking events and turning down Irish Squad and team events. I personally understand their reluctance and feel they have been badly treated, not just last season but it has been endemic for years. TTIreland has illustrated this in a number of articles, I'm glad to see we now actually have an Irish Girls Captain, but this has brought little change or comfort to our top girls. They have been excluded from playing at the European Youth Championships while the boys have been given this opportunity. I myself have heard no explanation. They were threatened that if they didn't attend the Top 8 they would not be selected for events. Even though at least one player who did not attend was still selected and in the previous year the winner of the junior girls' top 12 was not even selected for the Irish Schools let alone the Europeans. In fact hardly any Ulster players went to the Top 12 and it didn't effect their selection. No point using a stick if there is no carrot, do the selectors think they are stupid?
So battle lines have been drawn and trenches rather than bridges have been built. Unfortunately like in all wars everyone looses. Irish Table Tennis is the one to suffer. I think it is time to call a treaty and for both sides to lay their cards on the table. I have heard both sides of the argument and both sides have legitimate concerns. The girls have been poorly treated and the system sucks. The ITTA is poorly funded and is bursting at the seams haemorrhaging personnel who are frustrated at the lack of support. I don't know how we will implement the new volunteer strategy when we have no volunteers to implement it!
I would have few suggestions that I feel might help but there again what do I know.
1. Each squad should have a realistic development plan, drawn up in consultation not isolation and using SMARTER goal setting.
2. Players and coaches need to be aware of this plan.
3. Personal Development Plans for individual players need to be developed in consultation with coaches, players and parents and including costing.
4. Preparation for events such as the European Youth Championships need to be made at the start of the season not a month before.
5. Communication between National Captains and coaches/players needs to be clear and open.
6. National Captains need to attend National Rankings to be aware of players' performances.
7. A co-operative rather than dictatorial environment for players and coaches.
8. Fair and equitable opportunities for girls and boys.
As I'm on a roll just a couple of other points. I am delighted to see a player going back from the table and chopping, my only fear is that we don't appear to have the room behind the table in order for players to capitalise on this style of play.
As far as I understand it the Irish Ranking events have a format. First round groups, into second round groups then into knock out. This is fair and agreed upon. Having players go from first round group into knock out is not fair, it restricts the number of games. Irish rankings also have 5-8 play-offs, this is necessary in order to have seedings for events and is especially important at the first event. Let's hope that all ranking events fulfil this agreed format. . I propose that if there are too few entries then lesser place play-offs should be played. Players should be entitled to a minimum number of matches for their entry fee especially when they have to travel some distance to events. Otherwise the decline in numbers attending will increase and surely that is unsatisfactory for everyone.
Reply by Club Coach Paul Dolan Here...
"GIVE US DE MONEY."
THE AFFILIATION ISSUE by Owen Kelly
It is some time since TTIreland has commented on the going on's of the ITTA. What with my trip to China, having a new baby, attending the National Coaching Forum, working on the Level 2 Syllabus, delivering a Level 1 Course and starting three new coaching schemes in my local area as well as enjoying the wonderful summer, time has been a very precious commodity.
But with a few minutes on my hands before the kids go off to school I thought I'd jot down a couple of observations in regards to the perennial affiliation issue and the new STIGA School & Club Development Scheme, more on that in a minute.
Math was not always my strong point and without a detailed treasurer's report I can only surmise a couple of points that I'm sure that someone in the ITTA will set me straight on in due course. Firstly the total affiliations due from the Provinces for 2005-2006 will be 9450Euro. The projected target from the National Strategy is 12,000Euro. I presume that the shortfall of 2550 will be made up with affiliations from the Veteran's and Intervarsities as well as the new *STIGA School & Club Development Scheme.
With 15 Schemes to be delivered, I'm guessing we could have as many as 100 kids at each school paying 5Euros we could expect a possible 7500Euros return. I'm not sure whether the money collected would then appear under Fund raising or Affiliation fees but anyway in the end it could be a big boost to the ITTA. Maybe there would only be 50 kids/school leaving us with 3,000Euros which I'm sure is still a step forward. The ITTA are also contributing 1500Euros to assist the provinces towards the preparation of a report on what was feasible. I don't know whether the allotted 100Euros per school (Total 1500Euro) is referring to the cost of administration but suspect that it instead goes towards the cost of the package itself. If it is for the package, I also presume that the other sundry costs relating to the administration and provision of cards will be included in the final analysis. I have no idea of how much that will be but I am sure the ITTA has taken all that into account.
The two points I would like to throw into the melting pot are:
1. Effect on local affiliation and provision of services.
2. The total membership of the ITTA
Firstly I can only approach this from my own local experience I'm sure the situation in Leinster and Connacht is different. The report by the Participation Director at the AGM and repeated in the last ITTA newsletter, would seem to indicate that Munster had no representative on the participation committee. As one who is involved in just one small corner of that province, I myself sent any information I was asked for directly to the ITTA Participation Director. Unfortunately as I have already pointed out in previous articles, I do have concerns that Munster has struggled to find volunteers to fulfil all the roles, that the ITTA, through its new strategy plan has requested the provinces to do. In fact in reading the latest newsletter it confirms that the ITTA itself is also experiencing these self-same issues.
Schools in West Cork who are actively involved in table tennis pay a block affiliation to the WCTTA of 100Euros. The majority of these primary schools, unlike the larger urban areas, are small local schools. For that affiliation all of them receive coaching from one of the qualified Level 1 Coaches active in the area and are entitled to play in the local West Cork Rankings, West Cork Open, West Cork Schools Cup and Munster Schools Cup, as well as partake of the ITTA Star Award Scheme. 33 Teams entered the West Cork Schools Cup with 21 of them from National Schools.
It is hoped a new individual schools competition is to be piloted this season. A very small number of individual players also make the long journey to Cork or even to Thurles to play in the Munster Rankings. The WCTTA collects the affiliation and then uses this to pay for its affiliation to Munster and to organise various events including providing and improving equipment.
As far as I understand it the STIGA School & Club Development Scheme collects affiliations that go straight to the ITTA. If this scheme is organised in one of the many and increasing number of schools participating in table tennis in West Cork the amount of money available to the WCTTA will be reduced. This means that the money that currently goes towards the development of local table tennis will now go towards the development of the NGB. With no provision towards the development of these schools and with a direct effect on the capacity of the WCTTA to continue to provide a quality support service.
If the STIGA School & Club Development Scheme is organised in one of the schools not currently affiliating to the WCTTA then the WCTTA will receive little direct benefit. The WCTTA prides itself on delivering a large number of coaching schemes around the region and currently has two full time coaches as well as other part time coaches actively involved in schools table tennis. There are a number of capacity and quality assurance issues facing the organisation, which the new STIGA School & Club Development Scheme could potentially undermine.
TOTAL AFFILIATION
I read somewhere in an ITTA document that there are 15,000 people playing table tennis in Ireland. Going back to the math, if all of them paid 5Euros to the ITTA, that makes a potential income of 75,000Euro over 6 times the projected income from affiliations made in the ITTA Development Strategy and 5 times the amount projected for 2007. This would go along way towards dealing with the 45,000Euro short fall from the ISC Funding applied for. Maybe the ISC are better at math than I am?
Unfortunately like may others I'm not convinced that there are 15,000 people playing table tennis in Ireland. Maybe there are 15,000 people who have played table tennis at sometime in their life in Ireland. As a point of interest where exactly did that figure come from? However, not to get side tracked, I'm sure we are all agreed that there is a real potential to increase the current participation levels within the ITTA.
Now I'm going to be very radical* here and put forward the same suggestion I made when I was National Development Committee Chairman and before I resigned from the National Strategic Planning Committee. Why not get everyone to affiliate directly to the ITTA? The ITTA could then distribute the money back to the provinces based on their actual level of participation. You might well ask why this would be of any benefit.
1. The ITTA would have a central database of everyone who is affiliated to the ITTA.
2. The ITTA would know exactly how many people are playing and their profile (age, sex, contact, geographical area etc.)
3. The ITTA could then realistically target any future development plans.
4. The provinces could then receive development funding from the ITTA in proportion to their actual level of development.
5. Clubs and schools could still pay membership to the local organisation towards the administration and the running of events that they were directly involved in.
6. Provinces would be motivated to increase affiliation levels of participation if directly linked to NGB development funding.
7. The ITTA would not have to set arbitrary levels of affiliation with figures plucked out of the air at each AGM.
8. The ITTA would be motivated to assist provinces with their development in order to increase the levels of affiliation.
Simply put, without knowing how many are participating how are we going to increase it? And why would you want to? Maybe the new ITTA Membership Package mentioned at the AGM and in the newsletter will cover these issues but so far I can't find any reference to a centrally based scheme.
In practical terms if you didn't have an official ITTA membership card you could not play at ITTA events, membership numbers to be included on the entry form. Now we are in the 21st Century we could even use a card swipe system, where players swiped their card at an event and their details could be recorded. This is surprising inexpensive. We would then be in a position not only to know how many are playing at each event but how many events each player is attending. One day we could even have it so that the draw could be made automatically on the information received at the event! Now that's what I would call effective and efficient management.
The danger however is the tendency of the ITTA to only partially implement ideas. The ITTA would need to convince the provinces that they would actually receive a realistic return on the new system. How the ITTA would restore their credibility? Well that may well be the makings of another article all together!
During a recent discussion with a number of coaches at the National Coaching Conference in Limerick I was surprised by a comment made by our current part-time ITTA National Coach and Development Officer that he was not responsible for the development of table tennis in Munster. I presume he meant not just in Munster!
I would welcome any comments on this or any other issue. Email me at owen@ttireland.com and please indicate if they are for publication.
*STIGA School & Club Development Scheme: I would like to be very clear that the comments about this scheme are in no way directed towards STIGA or their agent Tommy Fitzgerald. I personally believe STIGA have been, and hope they continue to be, extremely supportive of Irish Table Tennis
*For those of you involved in other sports I do realise that a central membership system is not actually that radical.
Season Review by Richard Butler
And so we come to that time of the year where things slow down for a few months, and we have the opportunity to cast our minds back over the main part of this season. I took the opportunity to do that, and as a result came up with my own little list of Award Winners for the year. Of course, as with the ITTA, I have no responsibility for my own actions in this regard, and any offence caused by commission or omission with regard to this list is the responsibility of somebody else.
Holiday of the Year; No real competition here, this title was secured by Andy Dennison off the back of his handy trip to the Europeans in Denmark, 'on the team' to keep his mate Colum company. Who said there are no perks in being a Selector?
Unfortunate Press Statement of the Year; With virtually nothing in the papers there wasn't a lot of competition in this area, however even in a crowded field the Belfast Telegraph's description of elements of the Ulster Senior Interpro team being 'unassailable' was always going to cause a laugh if the results didn't work out. And they didn't.
Disaster of the Year; In a very crowded field, the always doomed introduction of new ranking systems at senior and junior level left even seasoned judges stunned. The breadth of incompetence and wilful pigheadedness displayed in the light of overwhelming negative feedback was quite awesome to behold. At this stage it seems that those responsible have developed the hitherto unknown 'reverse-Midas touch' (everything they touch turns to s***e).
Moneyspinner of the Year; Again, this title was secured early in the season, with Coaching Enterprises Inc. of west Dublin running away with the prize at an early stage. The added advantage of using it to secure business for ones budding medical career made the judges really have only one winner in mind at the end of the day - much like the arrangement itself!
Disappointment of the Year; As with many other categories, competition was tough, but taking a look at things over the last few years, the complete absence of any development and the consequent damage caused by such inactivity by the Participation Committee and the Director of Participation made them a tough act to beat - it's hard to do less than nothing.
Disingenuous wordplay of the Year; With so many glib utterances, it seemed that only one man was going to take this title. This was indeed the case, but from an unexpected angle, as knockout rounds in the Ulster Junior Open were described as 'groups of two'. You could nearly be impressed by such marvellous wordplay, if it wasn't for the fact that it was dumping kids out of a tournament and breaching the guidelines laid down for the tournament by the ITTA.
Shambles of the Year; That there was such a clear winner from so early in the season is a tribute to how truly bad the Performance Committee is. Where can I start? The ranking systems, a team playing one person short, the barely fit player travelling to the Europeans, captains that don't talk to players, disillusioned juniors, some selections that can only be described as appalling, a squad sent to Belgium with no experienced team leader, no squad programmes, squads left without NPCs for the season - these are all factors in the award. However, what has singled the Committee out for this award is the fact that, for the first time ever, all 6 of our teams (Senior Mens/Ladies, Junior Boys/Girls, Cadet Boys/Girls) are ranked either bottom or 2nd bottom in Europe. What an achievement. And just so there's no confusion, I'm not blaming the players. They, as always, do their best, and as always they are failed by inadequacy as regards preparation, inadequacy as regards coaching, inadequacy as regards training. A couple of years ago there was the feeling that we were making small progress. That's all gone now. This Committee has reached rock bottom, and now it's starting to dig.
Bridge Building of the Year; It's that man again! Bemused kids at the 6 Nations in Belfast couldn't understand when the person who was meant to be part of their squad and on their side took a cut out of them for displaying the flag of their country. Having a row with children when you are in such a position of authority over them and in the middle of a playing hall when players are on international duty clearly isn't the time or place. It now seems that when the Supremo opens his mouth, it's only to replace whichever foot is currently in it. Bless.
Performance of the Year; It's only right that the few silver linings in the ITTA should also be recognised, so this award goes to the Primary Schools Squad & NPCs for their achievement this year, and indeed over the last couple of years.
Country of the Year; It used to be Macedonia, then it was Iceland, they're much better than us now, so currently it's Kosovo. The break up of Europe has largely resulted in big countries who could kick our ass, becoming many smaller countries, who can also do a number on us. Thankfully, we also have Kosovo, who generously swept in to take the title of 'worst in Europe' from us in 3 categories over the past year. Perhaps it's some consolation that we're only second worst! Hopefully by the time they're good enough to start beating us in last place playoffs, they might have splintered again - although as one ex-international said to me recently, with our current coach and set-up we'd probably lose to Timo Boll's back garden.
Provincial Branch of the Year; With clear development strategies and a dedicated approach, it is clear that Ulster is the only province that has got its act together in any kind of structured way, and as such nobody else even comes close to this one. Fair play.
Club of the Year; Never an easy one - Eastpoint & ALSAA have clearly done immense work in the area of developing junior talent, Ballina are virtually alone doing serious work in Connacht, while Glenburn continue to dominate Ulster table tennis and likewise UCD completed a unique treble of Leinster & Irish titles. However, for the combination of hard work, dedication, good attitude and perseverance and as they win their first All Ireland Schools title, I'm going for St. Johns in Dublin.
Irish TT Website of the Year; There's not that many of them, but it's safe to say that the 'official' site isn't even in the picture. If there was an award for being trite and pedestrian, they'd take it. There are a number of solid club sites, but in terms of the information contained, and in terms of the frequency of update, only ttireland.com hits the spot.
Trite & Pedestrian Irish TT Website of the Year; Why not, let's share the love! As above, only one real contender - it's a first award for irishtabletennis.com!
Team Building Exercise of the Year; Only the man who puts the mess into Messiah could really take this title, however with a track record of looking for money for blowing his nose and the usual standard of not being able to communicate with the players coupled with extremely ill founded delusions of adequacy in terms of tactical competitive coaching and administration, he was going to have to deliver something special to make us sit up and take notice. This he duly managed, as the two younger players at the European Senior Championships (seniors in their own right) were told to 'stay in your room', while the older team members headed out at night with their posse to capture the sights, sounds (and tastes?) of Aarhus. Nice one, lads.
Cock-up of the Year; So much crapness, only one award. Once again it had to be something special to catch the eye. The participation of the Senior Ladies team in the European League, one player short, was this special achievement. The analogy in an earlier piece of mine would be for the Irish Soccer team to play with only ten men, or the rugby team with only fourteen. Somehow this also isn't the responsibility of anyone. The mind boggles.
Future Threat of the (Decade?); The day is fast approaching that, unless we get our act together, our junior teams, at least, are going to be under serious pressure from Guernsey. Theirs is the perfect example of getting structure and funding set-up right, appointing a National Coach that is able to manage every aspect of their job, and using the best and most talented people available to them to fill key positions that suit them, rather than appointing sycophants. You have been warned.
Fiasco of the Year; Taking the title for the 2nd year in a row, it's the Junior Top 8. Or is that Top 12? Top 17? Top 22? How is it that every other country and even continent can run a Top 8 in such a straightforward way, but we manage to make a balls of it with contradictory statements, absent players, threats and inconsistencies. Oh dear. The wheel is turning, but the hamster is dead.
Administrator of the Year; No competition. As with every year, it's got to be Tony Martin. Without his competence and work, well above and beyond what could reasonably be expected of anyone, it's frightening to comprehend, but things would be far, far worse than they are. The only reason that the ITTA is still afloat.
Underperforming Administrator of the Year; Lots of competition here again (why do the awards that reflect our mediocrity have so much competition? Hmmm…) but considering his responsibilities Ken Strong as Chair of the ITTA has an awful lot to answer for. A nice man, but must bear significant responsibility for the ITTA setting low standards ……….and then consistently failing to achieve them.
Misplaced Tantrum of the Year; Can only go to the remarkably self indulgent foot stamping exercise that was seen from some regarding our pathetically low grant from the Sports Council. I'm not happy with the grant either, but could it be that the Sports Council has copped that we have a crap Strategic Plan and a National Coach and a number of office holders who would be out of their depth in a puddle?
Coach of the Year; There are so many drama queens and egomaniacs in this category, I'm not even going there! Apologies to those of you who don't fit either of these descriptions!
Strategic Plan of the Year; With a clear set of achievable objectives, the ITTA plan is the best……. no, I'm only joking. This one goes to the IRFU, who have now picked up 15m Euro over the last 4 years from the Sports Council, 3.5m Euro this year alone.
Worst Strategic Plan of the Year; You'll never guess! Yes, the most worthless document since Chamberlain struck a deal with that nice Mr. Hitler, it's the ITTA Four Year Plan.
Players of the Year (Junior); A number of players in the picture here; in the boys, with team and individual gold at the Primary Schools, it has to be the fast improving Sam Hanley. Let's hope he breaks the mould for what usually happens to talented players in Ireland. In the girls, for the combination of super wins against top class opposition in the UK, domestic high performance and recent sterling performances at the Junior Interpros and Hasselt, and most of all the drive to keep going in the absence of little encouragement or reward from the ITTA, Susan Nealon is a clear winner.
Players of the Year (Senior); A clear winner in the Mens, as the return of Brian Fitzgerald to the senior tournament scene resulted in the first defeat of Jason Sugrue by an Irish player and the National Mens title and shows what a loss Fitzgerald is to the Irish Senior Team. In the Ladies, Tara Fusco remained the backbone of the Irish team, performing this role for over a decade now. With her commitment never in question, her continuing hard work and her constant sacrifices to make herself available for every aspect of Irish team duty, she remains a role model for every aspiring cadet & junior girl - and indeed for some of her fellow seniors.
So there you have it. And I thought I'd even make some suggestions for the months ahead;
To the Board; Stop making rubbish decisions, and stop walking out of a meeting knowing you've made them. For the last 2 years we've seen the wrong people appointed, the wrong decisions made, the easiest options taken. No work has taken place in two of the key programme areas, little work has taken place in a 3rd and all the wrong work has taken place in the 4th. Irish table tennis can't absorb much more errant decision making, if indeed it's not too late already. It's gone well past time that you start making the right decisions. If you can't manage that, then it's time for some of you to go.
To the Chair of the ITTA; We only have a handful of people of talent. We only have a handful of positions to fill. It should be possible to match the people to the position, rather than wedging people into roles that they have no talent, ability, track record or interest for, and all we're really doing is giving them a job with the promise of possible future competence. You wouldn't do it in a company - why do you think it could possibly work in this situation?!
To the Director of Performance; Stop surrounding yourself with idiots and servile incompetents, and stop thinking you're right all the time. Let's get back to where we were at a couple of years ago, with proper programmes, qualified & dedicated committee members and player centred & driven decisions. Autocracy selectively applied is a far greater tool than autocracy applied without measure.
To the Directors of Coaching & Participation (Do we have any?); Do something. Anything. Anything at all. Please.
And for those of you who like quotations - and of course, those of you who use them to justify all manner of rubbish decisions - I'll leave you with a couple;
'Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, just terrible things' -Russell Baker
And finally, this is one for the Performance Committee;
'The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man' -George Bernard Shaw
In Reply by Owen Kelly
In what has now become something of a tradition I will try and answer some of the assorted emails I've had over the last couple of weeks. Facts are difficult to fully establish but I'll do the best I can to answer some of your comments. These are my own opinions and very unlikely to be shared by anyone on the ITTA.
1. It is unfortunate that the current Irish National Champion Brian Fitzgerald has not been selected for the European Championships team. I agree he is playing extremely well and showed his level of form even as early as the Leinster Open, then at the Nationals and once again at the Senior Interpros. I presume the selectors only realised this after they had selected and entered a team already. I don't know if it would have made any difference if the Nationals had been played on the date first published in the calendar.
2. I appreciate all the comments coming out of Connacht over the Senior Interpros and how some players are eligible and some are not. There are regulations that were agreed by the ITTA after the trouble in Dublin a couple of years back. Unfortunately if your province is not well represented on the various committees you are unlikely to get things changed in your favour. The ITTA is not a benign force looking after the interests of the branches and if your province doesn't have the manpower or the finance to commit to travelling to Dublin it is probably going to be considered your fault. The ITTA appears to take the view that it's exclusive concern is the organisation of only things on a national level and consequently that will favour the larger provinces, Munster and Connacht have been left to sink or swim of their own accord. I think this is a historical legacy that we will have to struggle on with for some time.
3. As far as I understand it the fact that Jason Sugrue qualifies to play for Ireland through his Munster connections has no effect on his eligibility to play for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games, I don't fully understand how it works. I'm sure it is well within the regulations how ever absurd. David Hayes also qualifies for Ireland through a Munster connection but is not eligible to play for Munster at the Interpros, I don't think Northern Ireland have approached him yet? Ulster and Leinster are just probably lucky to have Chinese, Russian and UK based players who are eligible to play for their provinces I do not know if it is a planned strategy. How this reflects on our sport as a whole will be left up to you and the general public.
4. I believe the criticism levelled at Connacht for allowing juniors to play at senior level is a little inconsistent. As far as I understand it Ulster had a junior playing for their senior team and a junior girl also played on the Leinster team. This is all in accordance with the wording of ITTA Interpros regulations. I personally think it is important for the game to have each province represented at the Senior Interpros and commend Connacht for trying to field their best team. I believe their U14 had at least two wins against Munster.
5. The way our sport is going in this country I think we will see more and more foreign nationals representing the provinces. I have no opinion whether this is a good idea or not only that the world is changing and we will have to learn to adapt. It may have a positive effect in the long run, let's hope however that at least one or two Irish born and Irish produced/coached players get to represent Ireland on some occasions. At the same time we might also raise the standard of home bred talent in order to take pride in our junior and senior National Teams. Realistically in my opinion we don't have the money, structure or system in place to do so at this time.
The Junior Top Hates. by Owen Kelly
You've guessed it! Here comes another grumble. I've tried to keep quiet but has anyone put any thought into this new tournament stuck on the Irish calendar? Do any of the players know what it's for and what it is meant to achieve? That's players, not committee members, I presume by the National Strategy we are going to be player focused at some stage?
Last year the Top 12 was a mess. Mainly brought about through the significant absence of Ulster players. As I understood it they didn't travel because the Junior Interpros were also held in Cork and as everyone knows it is a long way from Ulster to Cork.
So this year we have the Top 8 in Ulster, the same location for the Junior Interpros and the week after the Senior National Championships. The key words for this event should be foresight and planning. I presume we have the Top 8 because the Top 12 didn't work and reducing it to the Top 8 will help in some way. Or maybe because it would be a struggle to get 12 to travel or just maybe it's different in Ulster as they only play tournaments on one day, surely they of all the provinces could afford two?.
Putting all that aside, what does the Top 8 really represent and why? I think we probably all agree that on the surface bringing the top 8 in each age group together to play a round robin is a good idea. However look a little closer and things don't make much sense. Being in the minority I am concerned about the Junior Girls so that means the majority of you can now stop reading as I appreciate that many don't consider the junior girls worth talking about. I wonder why there are so few of them?
Out of the top 10 junior girls 5 of them if they turn up, will be playing in the cadet event so you will not have the top 8 players playing each other. As a note this does also effects the boys with 3 out of the top 8 U17s playing under 14 and 3 of the top 8 Cadet boys will be playing U12!
It has been claimed that the event is to be used as a selection event. However that doesn't mean that if you win it you will get selected. Last year's junior girls winner did not get selected for the Junior Home Nations, travel to Hasselt, go to the Europeans or even play for the Irish Schools team. However it didn't effect the selection of any of the players from Ulster who didn't travel, they still played in the Junior Home Nations and Irish Schools however none of the junior girls went to the Europeans, so that at least was fair!
So will things be different this year? The rumour if it is to be believed is still the same as last year it will effect your selection, how exactly will probably be decided when the results are in. It won't matter how well you played throughout the season or whether you are ranked No.1, no show and you won't go, or so they say.
Surely we want our best players playing for Ireland? Is that not what "performance" is all about? The ITTA surely worries about the cost of things, they can't even afford to give away Irish Tracksuits only letting players borrow them! What about the cost to our players and getting the best value out of our players by providing them with relevant opportunities.
Can someone get their thinking cap on and come up with events that players can be motivated by, last year everyone got a participation medal, the winner got a bag of penny sweets and a pat on the head. This year players are having to be cajoled, threatened and manipulated into playing, that's no way to treat or motivate children or those who are genuinely trying to look after their interests. I heard of one player that was so scared of loosing their place on an Irish team they decided to play against their coach's wishes with an injury, brave or stupid? As a coach of over 20 years I know which.
Here are my Top 8 suggestions for improving the Top 8s:
1. Don't run the Top 8 or 12 in the same province as the Junior Interpros. It puts too much expense on those players, parents and coaches that have to travel large distances at least twice a year. I know this doesn't effect Leinster players as much but think about the rest of us.
2. Have a real Top 8 so that all the Top players can play in their age group. Excluding players that are in the top 8 of an age group because they are playing in a younger age group gives the event no creditability what so ever. For example the No.2 U14 girl in Ireland wouldn't be able to play in the U14 event, The No.3 U17 girl couldn't play in the U17 event and so on and so on, that's unfair on the player who can't play and undermines the winner and the Irish Junior Rankings as a whole. How would it sit if the likes of David Hayes and Peter Graham were excluded from the Senior Classification?
3. Start listening to the coaches who are actually spending time training and working with the players they might actually have something to contribute.
4. Avoid trying to threaten and intimidate players and coaches into travelling to events that we in the real world know are not worth squat.
5. Have sub-committees that base decisions on what is best for the players and not what fits in with what they think should happen.
6. Don't create a situation where players who can attend every Irish Ranking for years can be ruled out of selection because they miss just one tournament.
7. Select players on their ability to play rather than their ability to jump through hoops
8. Do not give power to individuals or sub-committees to make decisions halfway through a season that are arbitrary and capricious and negatively effect both players and coaches.
Surely we are trying to develop a system where Ireland is represented by the best players not the ones who have more time and money than others? Table Tennis a sport for everyone (who can afford it!) try to remember Table Tennis is NOT a contact sport.
Are things beginning to change?
Maybe I'm just in an optimistic mood but the latest ITTA Newsletter made me feel that things might be turning a corner. The statements by Chairman Ken Strong concerning the Grant Application and the steps being taken to improve communication and highlighting the needs in regard to our provincial and club volunteer structure are the main areas we need to address as an association if we wish to move forward.
The regular reporting of events is also very welcome and the efforts being made by the various PROs and the ITTA Marketing Director Michael Healy are excellent. It is great to hear how our players are getting on both here and abroad and will certainly help us feel more of a community.
Chairman Ken Strong hit the nail on the head when he said, "The success of any voluntary organisation such as the ITTA is dependent on having a core of volunteers. This is particularly necessary within Provincial Branches. We are co considering what steps are necessary to increase the number of volunteers. All too often the pressures of running clubs, coaching, etc leave many with no time for helping at provincial level."
Those steps need to be of the highest priority if we are to move ahead.
The Table Tennis Ireland website will remain committed to providing a forum for everyone involved in the sport to openly discuss and debate the issues we face, however unpalatable they maybe. As editor I would like to compliment the ITTA on the steps it is taking and hope that they are able to deliver what they are currently aspiring to achieve.
Personally I would also like to congratulate both the Womens' British League teams for their excellent performances this season.
Where is the Plan, the Money and the Problem? by Owen Kelly
Funding from the Irish Sports Council is delivered on the strength of the NGB's Strategic Development Plan. Unfortunately the ITTA Plan has a number of flaws, these were pointed out by at least a couple of members of the planning committee but the ITTA and their plan facilitator chose to ignore the opinions of these experienced individuals and ploughed on regardless. Resignations from that committee followed and we are now left with the legacy of those who chose to ignore the obvious.
So what are those obvious flaws? Well, the main one is there are not enough experienced, knowledgeable and willing volunteers to fill all the increased number of roles and committees demanded by the new plan. Before the new plan we struggled to get 4 active volunteers to assist with the work of the National Development Committee (NDC). This was not due to a lack of interest in the development of the sport but was a reflection of the problems being faced by every province at the time.
So why are there so few members willing to help with the provincial branches? As Chairman of the NDC I spent a considerable amount of time trying to come to terms with this problem. My experience as Head Table Tennis Coach for Munster Special Olympics has taught me a lot about how important it is to develop the volunteer structure and this is all built upon a genuine regard for their role within the organisation.
As a coach I also believe in the importance of a good foundation for players, this applies to any structure. In order to provide sustainable growth you need to prepare the ground well in order to develop healthy and vibrant roots. Under the new structure the Participation Committee covers this area, good luck in their plans to:
3.1.1 Develop and implement a national recruitment programme which, can be implemented locally through Provinces and Regions of Provinces.
I think it should read: Develop the structure of the Provinces and Regions of Provinces in order to develop and implement a national recruitment programme.
I believe the key to any successful programme within this area will have to address the issues of communication, motivation and reward.
So what about communication? Few will deny that the main source of information for anyone interested in table tennis in Ireland over the last few years has been the Table Tennis Ireland website.
From the start TTIreland came under attack as it published articles from a number of different sources that were considered inappropriate, as they criticised the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness within the ITTA structure. Ironically one of the main criticisms levelled at the ITTA at that time was their lack of strategic planning and now the main goal for the Management Committee is to provide more effective and efficient leadership.
I am sure we all eagerly await the launch of the new Irish Table Tennis website and finding out what everyone is up to on the new committees. It appeared that the first ITTA Newsletter would give us periodic updates as to all the numerous activities that are getting underway and updates on how the National Strategy was progressing, unfortunately we have not heard much since. As for the www.ttmunster.com website advertised in the STIGA newsletter, it doesn't actually exist! Luckily you can still find out information on the Munster section of the TTIreland website (That goes for Connacht as well).
As for now we can only hope that the Performance Committee stops it's present "Rankings Hokey Cokey" and comes to some kind of armistice. Congratulations to the Performance Committee who managed to undermine the stature of both the Connacht Open and Munster Opens and maybe someone is regarding that as a success. I personally feel that both Connacht and Munster have shown huge potential to develop and the cavalier attitude being shown towards them by under mining their main sources of income and prestige for these two provinces is destructive and extremely ill advised.
So we come to the "outrage" over the Irish Sports Council's Grant, only 65,000 Euro. That puts Table Tennis 28th out of 54 in the funding table. Table Tennis is one of 22 sports whose funding went down this year.
According to the ITTA Strategy they were applying for 100,000 Euro in order to implement the strategy, so table tennis falls by 35,000 Euro. With the projected sources of income the ITTA will have 143,000 Euro to use towards implementing the strategy. If you were the Irish Sports Council how much would you allocate to table tennis? I have experience coaching in three of the sports bodies who have been awarded significantly more grant that table tennis, Special Olympics (499,257), Athletics Association of Ireland (307,427) and the Irish Cricket Union (151,229). In the last 5 years these organisations have undergone major redevelopment and the results and the rewards indicate the commitment the ISC has to developing sports that can deliver at both levels of participation and performance. Table Tennis in Ireland is simply not in the same league and has consistently failed to deliver.
ITTA Coaching Director John O'Donoghue can not understand why Clay Pigeon Shooting is a Focus Sport simply the ISC High Performance Plans criteria states: "They have been identified as having the potential to deliver success at elite international level. They will have a separate investment based on High Performance Plans." The Badminton Union of Ireland gets 272,628 for the same reason.
In a recent email Rory O'Connor from Cork raises some good points he said:"I would be more concerned to establish why we only got what we got. I would be even more concerned to find out why the amount is less than the previous year. Finally we should know what it takes to get more and work towards that objective."
Irish Table Tennis is offering to "Improve and sustain high performance standards with a view to starting a targeted high European placing programme by 2007" and "An increase in participants playing better table tennis in more sustainable club and school units." If I were the ISC I would say "really, gosh, that's nice for you. Let's see some evidence that you are not just a bunch of chancers." We don't even have a National Development Officer or do we?
Being positive with a final thought Special Olympics (499,257), the Irish Wheelchair Association (299,509) and National Community Games (239,000) all have active participation within table tennis.
If you would like to comment on this or any other subject email TTIreland at owen@ttireland.com
And the band plays on………..! by Ricard Butler
In a collection of tableaux eerily reminiscent of scenes from 'The Wizard of Oz', Irish table tennis lurches incontinently towards the Christmas break. Rumours that key ITTA figures have been approached to take positions in a pantomime are unconfirmed at this point.
Despite many emails, phone calls and letters of support from around the country for my opinion piece posted on this website in August, I'm sure it will surprise none of you to realise that nothing has actually changed! Quite an (under)achievement, when it is clear that the majority in Irish table tennis were able to support at least many elements of what was contained in that article.
Unfortunately, the craven among us continue to say nothing publicly, while those who are really pulling the strings - and it's only about four people - continue to do what they please.
Perhaps the greatest farce continues in the area of 'performance'. The comedy of errors continues apace here as, with only one or two exceptions, selectors have now become a rare breed at Irish ranking tournaments. Apparently, this is because a number of them don't like answering questions or engaging with people - you know, those pesky irritants like players, parents or coaches who are anxious to know how they or their charges are getting on, if there's any advice they should take, etc., etc.…….. In this regard, allegations that a senior paid employee has the charm and articulacy of a retarded mole have been denied.
Of course, the sure fire way of gaining the attention of individuals engaged in selection is to pay for the privilege. To this end, the coaching enterprise masquerading as 'provincial' coaching in a hall in west Dublin is doing a roaring trade. Here's a tip - players don't pay for provincial or national coaching. If you're paying for it, then it's a private enterprise. Lads, not everyone is saying there's anything wrong with it, but if you're going to be sweating money out of kids and their parents the least you can do is dress it up as what it is. Of course, there's a school of thought there that would think that individuals who got so much from the game and from the ITTA should be giving something back, and not always with the hand out……. maybe I'm just old fashioned…….
We're still waiting on the squad programmes, or even squad selections, for the season, that enable players and coaches plan for the year ahead. It's coming up on 12 months now since I first started asking for information, good to see we're still flying by the seat of our pants. Meanwhile, the Junior Boys enjoyed the services of their 4th NPC in 12 months - and they still can't seem to find someone to measure up to the job! At least in this area it's pleasing to see that the Committee is desperately searching for someone who can return to the level of efficiency in team management that this team used to enjoy - I appreciate the compliment!!! Also in the Junior Boys area, any foolish notions that the organisational and coaching factors behind the substandard performance of this team at the European Youth Championships would be examined or dealt with in any way have been laughed out of court - I'd like to say that the Board members are twiddling their thumbs in this regard, unfortunately they haven't even progressed this far as most of them are still using their hands and a flashlight searching for a part of their anatomy.
Among many wonders of professionalism in the 'performance' area have included sending our Senior Ladies team to compete in the European Championships Qualification with only two players, where three are required to form a team! Let's dwell on this for a moment, it's my particular favourite. To draw a parallel, this would be like Brian Kerr only sending 10 players to Israel to play a Qualification match (no subs, no goalie), or perhaps Eddie O'Sullivan will be curious to discover how an Irish rugby team with one man short will perform against fifteen players (no Ronan O'Gara or David Humphreys, depending on your viewpoint!)!!!!! It's almost too far fetched to believe. The blame for this one has been shuttling around, with the 'performance' Supremo of the belief that it clearly has nothing to do with him. Perhaps he's marching to the beat of his own individual drum.
This was followed up with the inspired decision to send a large squad to take part in the Bath Grand Prix with only one NPC! There are Irish club teams travelling to events with better player>coach ratios than our national or development squads!!!
The magic touch of our wonderful new Supremo has also been displayed with the introduction of the new ranking system in both senior and junior events. For the senior events, we decided to forgo the existing system, which, though flawed, had at least operated semi-efficiently and equitably for the last decade. To replace it we looked around, and decided that a scheme entirely modelled on the ETTA points system was the way to go - never mind that the ETTA themselves had already worked out that their system was in fact inadequate! The English had no sooner introduced modifications to their system - awarding points to reflect progress in a tournament as well as points for expected/unexpected wins and losses - when we adopted the old, flawed, ETTA system in its essence. Superb, lads! Some particularly bright spark never worked out the implications of leaving people on the points they gained last year under the old system, for the start of the new season, making it near mathematically impossible to gain ground on players significantly ahead of you. Alternatively, some might even say that the bright spark did work out the implications and this new system best suits those most closely connected to current players…….
If we thought the senior ranking system was a joke without parallel, we reckoned without the sheer breadth of the wilful randomness of our 'leaders', who followed up their breathtakingly appalling senior points system with a new junior scheme, the basis for which was changed after the season had already started! We were told at the ITTA AGM that there would now only be three tournaments that top ranked players would have to play (Class 1), which would allow these players;
'To reduce the requirements for top players to play every tournament and consequently leave more time to take advantage of sports medicine opportunities and additional practice time' (Gilbert Graham)
However, with the release of the rankings after the first tournament came the unique ITTA ability to change horses in mid stream - usually moving from the carthorse to the blind, lame donkey - the new proposal including the caveat stipulating that the traditional 'discard' of the worst result from 5 tournaments played would now only be applied at the end of the season! As a result, the seeding for each tournament will ostensibly be based on cumulative points from all the previous tournaments! Brilliant! With this logic, we are in effect telling players that the only tournament they can miss is the Junior Top 8……….. which is a Class 1 tournament! We've gone from a state where players only had to play 4 out of 5 tournaments, to a worse state where they now have to play all 5 junior tournaments!! Only in Ireland could we have put this proposal forward as progress!!
Meanwhile, around the provinces, things are nearly as funny as they are at National level. Connacht Marketing representative, Pat Keegan, finally gave up the ghost and walked away after, by his own account, waiting for months for a meeting to be convened or for the opportunity to engage in any real way with his counterparts around the country. Clearly things are moving as efficiently in the Marketing area as at 'performance' level - a pity, as the wealth of talent available on the Marketing Committee surpasses most others. The Connacht Open continues to blaze a trail, now having become a byword for efficiency and punctuality - You forgot to enter the tournament? Never you mind, head on down anyway and we'll let you in!! Some players now actually deliberately don't enter the tournament, as they know if they show up they'll be let in anyway!! Of course, that's if they even bother going - to be fair to Connacht, they became the first of many victims of the new senior points system, resulting in the decision of senior players to not travel to a ranking event in order to safeguard their position. The logic is that if they don't play they can't be beaten. Expect more of the same in the future, and in tandem with this, and in the absence of any moves forward on the development or participation front, we can expect the gradual decline of any level of diversity in the calendar of events.
The silence from the 'performance' committee has also been deafening regarding the farce into which the Ulster Senior Open descended, as the schedule became a mere aspiration. One would wonder if any other tournament committee or province would be let away with it so easily if finals in events, including U21 Singles, were reduced to being the 'best' of one set……. watch this space……. The Ulster Junior Open also decided to adopt their own interpretation of what constituted the 'groups into groups' rule for Irish Junior ranking events, with groups of 3 or 4 players qualifying into 'groups' of 2 players. Again, here's a tip - a 'group' of 2 is a knockout match. It is generous to describe claims to the contrary as wordplay. Here's the thing - by playing with words you're not fooling anyone, and the only people damaged are the kids who get less matches and who don't get a fair chance to recover from a bad draw. Once and for all, either run the tournaments properly, if required over a Saturday & Sunday as in the rest of the country, or don't run them at all. The UJO also shone with their inability, once again, to seed players in a logical manner. Given the close links between the 'performance' committee and the Ulster Branch, it's difficult to work out how this slip up happened…….. I wonder where all the players were from…….. Changing the subject completely, it seems that provincial affiliation is not necessarily a guarantee of anything, as erstwhile NI Commonwealth team member Jason Sugrue discovered to his cost, and embarrassment, as his 'brethren' decided to support Chinese finalist Yin Xin against 'home' player Sugrue in the final of the Ulster Open. Matters weren't improved as his NPC and team-mates 'forgot' to coach or support Sugrue sufficiently as he made his way through the draw at the Bath Grand Prix. Way to go on the team building front, lads.
A couple of months old at this stage, but the Leinster Branch had its own version of 'shock and awe' - or should that be 'schlock and bore' - back in September. The EGM held in September was to mark a watershed, bring in new blood, move the Branch forward, adopt zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…….. sorry, I fell asleep. What actually happened? Well, the meeting was held, business took place that wasn't on the agenda (you're not allowed do that at an EGM….), a whole 'new' Committee and Officeholders were elected, who bore a remarkable resemblance to the same people who've been hanging around for years - hang on, they are the same people! One new face out of 12 people doesn't constitute meaningful change. Other than that, nothing happened, and it's safe to assume that nothing will happen. Once again, as with nearly every committee in Irish table tennis, two or three individuals of competence and vision are strangled by mediocrity and inadequacy. The brilliance of what was done got its first outing at the IJR in Dublin in October, where the tournament management & scheduling system collapsed, only to be rescued by a mass committee effort - it'll be interesting to see if the Committee learns from their mistakes when apportioning jobs next time out…….
To come back to where we started, where, I hear you ask, does 'The Wizard of Oz' come into all this? It's quite simple really - we're surrounded by Munchkins. The main characters are desperately in need of courage, a heart and especially brains. The 'Wizard' himself who is going to save us turns out to be an incompetent failure. I'll leave you to work out who the Wicked Witch is and what province they're from. Finally, like Dorothy, we're all desperately trying to get back to where we came from. Maybe the writers of the book and film had the ITTA in mind?
On occasion I have had my differences with the owner of this website, Mr. Owen Kelly, usually over method rather than substance. On this occasion, however, I have to say that I am in general agreement with what Owen has had to say, and indeed the way he has said it. I feel that most of his comments have been accurate and measured. Further, I don't believe his tone criticised the players in this situation in any way. While some may not like what he had to say, careful reading will confirm that the comment piece underlined nothing but support for the players, and indeed for all our junior players. Owen is quite right when he says 'we have as talented junior players as the rest of Europe'. I think to somehow paint this as critical of players is a bridge too far.
We are definitely worse off now than we were 36, 24 or even 12 months ago. We have made an appalling appointment in our choice of National Coach, a decision I admit I was party to, nominating someone to the position who quite simply doesn't have the experience, qualifications, communication, motivational or organisational skills or administrative competence to do the job properly. Despite clear evidence of this fact, and despite major misgivings at many levels within the Association, the problem is as stated above - it was one thing to make the decision to appoint someone, but the ITTA has long demonstrated its ability to shy away from making any kind of tough decision. In our desire to grasp at any straw, come up with any method, to improve the state of the Association, we yearned for the return of the National Coach to this country like he was the Messiah. Surely, we thought, this is the answer to all our problems, the means to fix everything in one step. The sad truth is that it's not, and we can't. We made a terrible assumption - a most basic error - as we assumed that a good player would automatically make a good coach, disregarding the evidence which points almost exclusively, with a few well known exceptions, to the contrary. There is a world of difference between setting exercises and demonstrating strokes, and having the full range of ability that adds up to being a coach. There is a certain irony present, as we look at the twilight of the career of the great JO Waldner, given where the career of Waldner and that of the National Coach intersected early on, and as we consider that there is no belief in Sweden that Waldner, the greatest player the world has ever seen, will ever coach. Why? Well, because he wouldn't be very good at it and he knows his limitations.
Richard Butler
Coach, University College Dublin
Chair, Irish Universities Table Tennis
Former member of the Executive Council, Leinster Branch ITTA
Former member of the Management Committee, ITTA
Former member of the National Training & Selection Committee, ITTA
Former member of the Strategic Planning Committee, ITTA
The problem is motivation... by Seán Spelman
Reading through some of the comments on the website, it struck me that perhaps one of the primary reasons for our lack of international success comes down to motivation. I don't mean personal motivation to actually attend practice or put in the training hours, but more tangible motives to play and to continue playing table tennis in Ireland. How many times have we seen talented players just fade away in their mid-teens, even while at the top of the Irish rankings? In my view, examining that question will give more insight into the problem than looking at the results of our current crop of juniors.
To get strength at the top, we need strength in depth. To get that we need motivation for the low and mid-ranked players to play in order to continually push the standard of the players above them. At the moment, there is very little even to motivate the top players. One tournament every few weeks is hardly enough. They need competitive games (against top opposition) on a weekly basis throughout the season - In reality, how many truly competitive games do any of our top juniors play throughout the season? I would say 1 or 2 per competition, so it probably adds up to about 10-15 games a season, and then they are expected to play double that in one week at the Europeans! Most European countries abandoned tournament play a long time ago because it does not nurture success - one bad game and your last 4 weeks training has been wasted. We need to figure out how to get all players at all levels playing competitively week on week. I believe that means more league-style competitions, or moving to a league system completely rather than knock-out tournaments.
Along with that, we need to strive to ensure that every player ranked in the top 12 in every age group gets to see some form of international competition - give them motivation to fight for ranking places outside the top 5 or 6 places. Or hold more inter-provincial style team tournaments (perhaps and "B" and "C" interpros) - we need to be more creative in giving all players something to train for at their own level.
I have just started to play again here in Holland and I am currently practising with 2 different clubs - each club as 100+ members from all ages... Oh yeah, and a Bar for a beer after practice (like I said, motivation!!!).
