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 To all potential London Football League members, thanks again to everyone who attended our annual meeting on April 10, unfortunately, and is all too often the case, the majority of interested teams failed to send a representative; like any volunteer-based organization, it is imperative that members involve themselves in the process, especially when it comes to making decisions that will affect everyone. With this in mind, the following changes will be made, effective immediately: (1) All teams will be required to provide a pre-registration deposit (non-refundable) of $200 on or before May 6th, 2012, so that we can establish an official team contact list and start preparing for the upcoming season ---the remainder of the fees, $550 for returning teams and $630 for new teams (The difference of $80 is a forfeit bond fee teams have carried over), will be due on or before June 1st, 2012 ---signed rosters are likewise due on or before June 1st, 2012 ---Fee drop off can be arranged by contacting Bryan Pratt at 519-642-3600 or John Said at 519-808-5979. (2) All former teams must provide us with the names of at least 2 players who would be available to help officiate during the upcoming season(by May 6th) and attend a preseason orientation session ---strategy---like many other football leagues, create a pool of potential referees from within our membership ---thought process---pay each “player ref” $15/game and pair you up with a more experienced “head” referee, especially early in the season Note: we might want to consider having two members from the same or different teams working together at a reduced rate($10 each), so that we can have three refs on the field at once---this will be decided by you(see #3 for more info) ---implementation---the plan is to devise an officiating schedule that would be most convenient for those involved (i.e. one game either prior to or immediately following your own games) ---accountability---teams that fail to provide referees at their assigned games will be subject to the same penalties which apply to “forfeits” (i.e. fines and possible expulsion from the League) ---underlying philosophy---attempt to create a more positive environment for healthy competition by requiring players to participate in the officiating process, while likewise addressing our glaring lack of available referees ---certification---the League will actively assist anyone wishing to become certified or upgrade their current certification---please note that a Level 1 certification will be the mandatory minimum requirement come 2013 ***new teams won’t be required to supply referees in their inaugural season, for obvious reasons, but they will have to send representatives to the orientation session (3) once an official team contact list has been established, each pre-registered team will receive a questionnaire (multiple choice), by email, which will address several crucial league-related issues ---simply respond within the allotted time and your votes will determine our future direction ---within this questionnaire we will likewise address potential rule changes which could be necessary due to the influx of new referees (ex. instead of our current system, move to a “6 plays at two minutes” format at the end of the half and the game) As some of you know administering this League consumes a significant amount of time each and every year in order to function properly, which has become even more arduous considering our more recent refereeing dilemma. In the past, we have tried to accommodate your individual requests, regardless of the potential hardships, so as to ease your burden and encourage your future involvement in the League. Unfortunately, this has not created the “give and take” relationship we had hoped it would. In fact, demands have continued to escalate, while very few have volunteered their much-needed time. As a result, an increasingly negative mindset has permeated our football community, as is evident by the amount of former referees who are no longer willing to officiate games within our League, the multitude of disrespectful comments directed towards league officials and one another and the increase in unacceptable behaviour (i.e. the usage of illegal players, falsifying information on official scorecards, increased abusive and disrespectful behaviour etc...). There is no doubt that I care deeply for this League and it’s continued survival, which was the very reason I became involved in the first place, but it is clear that some fairly drastic changes are needed for this to happen. In my opinion this is by far the best organized team sport, so now it is up to you to help ensure that it will be enjoyed for years to come. Please feel free to reply with any questions/comments to londonfl@gmail.com. Thanks for your time. |