Welcome to the new season! I hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable Summer break. Alton RFC U14s are playing in Hampshire League 1 and we look forward to even more improvement in playing standards and an even better season than the last.

I'd like to thank parents and players for the commitment shown; you're a remarkable bunch and it's a great pleasure for me personally to coach the squad, I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the coaching team on this.

In this note I would like to set the scene for the forthcoming season, to make all of you aware of how we intend to run things and to get your feedback.  This feedback can be either immediate or at any time during the season, we're nothing if not approachable and we do value your input.

Registration
I've just completed the online registration myself, very straightforward and convenient. Remember that only registered players will be able to play matches so please get the paperwork sorted early in September.

Playing kit
I'm delighted to say that Dave Gwyther has secured sponsorship from Sony DADC and some funding from the club for a new allocation of playing shirts and waterproof tops. Having seen the dreadful Dennis the Menace shirts last year's U14s were playing in I'm very grateful to Dave and the club for their efforts to ensure that we're well turned out and look the part as one of the top 7 clubs in the county.  To ensure a good fit Ady is still awaiting chest measurements from some of you, so please let him have this information ASAP.

Fixture list
As I write this we are awaiting our full fixture list for the season but the games we do know about are the most important ones, the 6 Hampshire League matches which are as follows:-
25 October Jersey (H) 2pm KO
29 November Trojans (A)
13 December Gosport & Fareham (H)
24 January Petersfield (H)
14 February Portsmouth (A)
18 April Basingstoke (A)

Selection Policy
For the League matches we aim to put out what we believe to be the strongest possible starting XV and squad of 22, these will be competitive fixtures and our aim is to win these games and stay in League 1 as U15s next season. Substitutes will be used tactically and in the event of injury but not everyone on the bench may get on the field.

In a meeting during the close season the coaching team agreed the following process for League match selection:

1. Players to advise Ady, our Team manager, of their availability for selection.
2. Head coach to select team and substitutes on merit.
3. Coaching team to review the selection and finalise.
4. Head coach to speak with non-selected players on a 1-2-1 basis.
5. Team manager to announce the selection.

Our remaining fixtures are friendlies or development games and our policy will be to give all squad players an opportunity to play and make a case for selection in the League matches. The coaching team will follow RFU directives and focus on the development of all squad players in these fixtures and not on the match results. As coaches we do not view the friendlies as must win games but as development fixtures which gives all the squad an opportunity to play in competitive fixtures and progress as players.

The process for selection and substitution will be agreed with the players themselves, we want the players to tell us what they expect in terms of equity and how to balance that with their competitive will to win matches. I'll issue a further note to parents once the selection policy for friendlies has been agreed with the squad.

Easter Tour
We have in previous seasons enjoyed very successful tours to Paris and Dublin and we hope to build on those successes with a tour to Wales during Easter 2010. This will be the third leg of our Six Nations tours whereby we plan to visit Scotland in 2011 and Italy in 2012. Further details on the tour and the fundraiser in January/February will emerge during the seaon and it is hoped that as many players as possible are able to take the opportunity to experience some of the best aspects of rugby with some unforgettable moments.

Training
Three things that we'll be working on in particular this season - firstly, the individual and unit skills (scrum, line out etc) that form part of the Alton RFC Player Development Plan for U14s; secondly, improving the defensive structure and thirdly, adding more backs moves and increasing the tactical awareness in play selection. We will continue to run midweek training session in addition to Sunday mornings when we have no fixture. These midweek sessions have been vital to the squad's improvement in the past few seasons and attendance has been excellent. In the early part of the season we'll mix training with classroom sessions in the clubhouse so we can use video aids to get our coaching points across and get feedback and interaction from the players.

Spectating
I'm proud to say that the Alton parents are amongst the best in terms of supporting their kids and giving respect to opposition and officials. As a reminder and to reinforce our aims I'm providing the spectator's code so that we continue to offer positive support for our players and take responsibility for ensuring that others also adhere to this code.

The Good Spectator's Code:
Clubs and Schools should encourage Spectators to:

• Act as positive role models to all players.
• Be familiar with, and abide by, the RFU Child Protection Guidance in relation to verbal and emotional abuse.
• Respect guidance from the Club or School with regard to spectator behaviour.
• Remember children play sport primarily for their own enjoyment, not for that of the spectators.
• Acknowledge good individual and team performance from all players irrespective of the team in which they play.
• Respect match officials' decisions, even if they appear to make a mistake - remember, they are volunteers providing an opportunity for players to play rugby.
• Never verbally abuse players, coaches, match officials or fellow spectators: such behaviour can create a negative environment for players and their behaviour will often reflect this.
• Acknowledge effort and good performance rather than 'to win at all costs'.
• Verbally encourage all players in a positive manner, shouting 'for', not 'at', the players.
• Encourage all players irrespective of their ability - never ridicule any individual player, regardless of the team in which they play.