2015DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

FOLLOW THESE FIVE S’sSymptomsUnderstand what symptoms to look for in order to help recognise a concussion.

SitIf suspected of a concussion immediately take player out of the game and sit on the bench.

SeeEnsure player is seen by a health professional before any further activity is undertaken.

StopIf advised by your health professional, stop all sport and rest.

Safe For a safe return follow the ‘return to play’ guidelines which are on the EIHA website:

www.eiha.co.uk

SYMPTOMS OF A CONCUSSIONThe most common symptoms of a concussion are:

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Loss of balance

• Confusion

• Feeling stunned or dazed

• Disturbances with vision

• Difficulties with memory

STOP & CHECK FOR

CONCUSSION!

Contents

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www.eiha.co.uk

@eiha_official

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INTRODUCTION

GOALS, MISSION & VISION

GOVERNANCE

WORKFORCE

COACHES

REFEREES & OFF ICE OFFICIALS

CLUB DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATION

COMPETITIVE STRUCTURE* JUNIORS * SENIORS * WOMENS

Produced by:MSDC

Graphics by:Kingpin Sports Design

Printed by:Sporting Lizard

Photographs by:Colin Lawson - Ice Hockey Media Photography

Tom ScottJohn Scott

Dave Steadman

18 DEVELOMENT PLAN & ACRONYMS

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As a result of the London Olympics British sport is currently in a period of unprecedented opportunity for expansion and development. Equally this has delivered an environment where sports are competing for the same individuals; whether they are new participants or participants in another sport.

The primary focus for investment has to be in capacity building our infrastructure to retain participation in our sport and to provide an opportunity where they are able to maximise their potential. It is important that we recognise that participation does not equal playing and it is as essential to retain our volunteers, officials and coaches as it is our players.

Current figures show an English player base of 8000 people which is supplemented by coaches, officials and volunteers plus parents who enable their children to participate. In addition there a number of people partici-pating at a level below governing body level in learn to play programmes and in informal rink or community based activities.

It is essential to acknowledge that whilst ice hockey is a passion for those who participate it is a minority sport that requires a very specific facility to play and that the facility operators have far more of an influence than other facility providers do in other sports. For instance most people will have a choice of opportunities to participate in sports such as netball, swimming, football and cricket whereas many people have the choice to play ice hockey removed simply because of where there live.

Whilst the document is no more than a summary, and detailed docu-mentation will appear to support the strategy as it evolves, it is hoped that it is characterised by both ambition and clarity of purpose. If these, supported by a structured, progres-sive framework for realisation, are aligned with the shared ambition and purpose which define the collec-tive progression of sport in England and Wales, then ice hockey can be the beneficiary of increased sup-port from key stakeholder organisations and make the most from the opportunities from the ever evolv-ing sporting environment.

The next stage for the board, in consultation with rel-evant stakeholders, will be to define detailed Key Per-formance Indicators to support the outcomes of the action plan which are measurable, relevant and have deadlines. However clubs will be able to use this plan immediately to drive development and to secure the sup-port required in order to sustain and grow.

Yours in sport

KenKen TaggartChairman English Ice Hockey Association

Introduction

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Goals• Toproduceplayersofallagesandgenderscapableofcompetingatthehighestlevelsofthesport

• Toensurerelevantpathwaysareprovidedtosustainandincreasethenumberofpeopleplaying ice hockey

• Toprovideacompetitivestructurewhichnurturesandenhancesdevelopment

• ToensurethattheclubsareprovidedwiththesupportservicesneededtodelivertheEIHAvision

• Toprovideanopportunityforeveryonetoparticipateinicehockey

“To provide an environment which enables ice hockey players to realise their potential as athletes”

VisionIn the simplest terms the vision of the English Ice Hockey Association can be defined as;

“A commitment to manage, develop and promote the sport of ice hockey in England and Wales through

providing an environment which meets the development needs of all participants at all levels.”

The vision has been defined in the context of the tremendous opportunities and challenges which present themselves for our sport in a time of a rapidly evolving domestic and international sporting and social landscape.

The priority for the EIHA is to sustain participation and to ensure the development of our sport for all those involved; players, volunteers, coaches, and referees. By developing integrated programmes for clubs to embrace and deliver with support from key partners we will provide greater access to, retention within, and enhanced development of, our athlete pathway.

It is our belief that by enabling clubs to focus development on the athlete pathway it will enable ice hockey to market itself to non-sporty, semi-sporty and sporty individuals as a progressive, inclusive sport that provides opportunities for all participants. We have to acknowledge that ice hockey is not a mainstream sport, and that opportunities for participation are limited by facility availability, therefore it is important that we present ourselves as the first choice for people looking to participate and develop in a fast, technically skilled and physical team sport.

At the heart of the strategy is a clearly defined player pathway. The pathway adopts the developmental principles of the Long

Mission

Term Athlete Development pathway. This pathway is well understood and used in most sports and we have adapted the re-search undertaken in other countries and sports to adapt ours to meet our sporting environment.

Our strategy does not exist in a vacuum and needs to function within the rapidly evolving landscape. As well as acknowledging the influence of our external stakeholders who all have different policies, systems and structures, funding frameworks and key stakeholders which creates unique challenges for the development of ice hockey.

Whilst acknowledging that the EIHA will continue to review all avenues for the development of the sport and engage with a breadth of organisations to these ends, this strategy focuses primarily upon the development of the sport by engaging with the local community surrounding ice rinks and empowering delivery by people within the voluntary sector.

As a member owned non-profit Governing Body it is essential that the EIHA operates in a robust and transparent manner whilst meeting the expectations of our stakeholders and aligning with governance assurance programmes.

The current governance structure of the EIHA requires change in order to ensure the sport is better equipped to deliver the sus-tainable growth and development and which is compliant with the Code of Good Governance for Sporting Organisations which the EIHA has signed up to.

A new structure for the Board of Directors will be developed embracing the benefit that independent directors can bring to our sport. In addition, a new staffing structure1 will be put in place which will ensure that there are skilled and committed people in position to deliver against all of the core functions and purposes of a Governing Body. This capacity building is vital to underpin sustainable growth.

The envisaged staffing structure is predicated largely on a volunteer-based premise but with flexibility for targeted funding against certain key roles which will vary dependent upon the phase and success of the strategy.

At present there isn’t a clear division of labour between the governance and operational functions of the EIHA. The emerging structure will provide a plat-form for an increasing distinction between the two although it is recognised that this will require a period of transition.

Over the course of the 2014-18 period a new structure will emerge which will see Directors both elected (where the electorate is pro-ficient to do so) and appointed against particular remits. Such a structure will serve to ensure both continuity of representation and an enhanced skills set and knowledge base to drive the sport forward.

Within this new structure there would be three levels of management

In the simplest terms the vision of the English Ice Hockey Association can be defined as;

• Directors:Electedorappointedagainstaspecific remit to ensure governance compliance and to ensure strategic development

• Managers:Coveringcriticalareasof responsibility in delivery and engaging with key stakeholders

• Officers:Supportcriticalareasof responsibility or deliver non-critical services

We will also continue to operate with a series of Standing Committees, however this will be subject to re-view to ensure they are aligned to the EIHA strategy and deliver best value to our members. Each Commit-tee will be comprised of a Chair and a specified number of members, elected or selected against a published person specification.

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Governance

Additionally we undertake internal governance audits to ensure we continually review and refine our governance thereby ensuring we meet our stakeholders’ needs and can respond to any changes in the sporting, legislative or political landscape.

1 Staffing structure will include both paid and volunteer roles

It is necessary for the EIHA to ensure that ice hockey across England and Wales is supported by the development and imple-mentation of a comprehensive infrastructure designed to support the realisation of the vision through supporting the recruit-ment, development, retention and deployment of coaches, officials and volunteers at all levels of the sport (including Board level).

Recruitment, retention and development across the workforce is vital in not only underpinning existing programmes of work but also those which are planned.

There will be a move to ensure that those people managing the sport are suitably equipped to do so. It is without doubt that a robust candidate recruitment and selection programme will see an increase in the number of people able to deliver against their specific remit. However, it is both pragmatic and wise to work on the premise that all personnel will require some form of induction and continuing professional development, both in terms of their professional capabilities and in respect of the EIHA and the sport in general.

By enabling clubs to develop better links with County Sports Partnerships we will be able to indirectly provide access to train-ing and support in key areas such as safeguarding for volunteers and staff operating at regional and local levels. Additionally we will continue to encourage our board to access development opportunities at a national level aimed specifically at those in strategic and board roles.

It is vital that research is undertaken to benchmark the level of knowledge and skills within the English Ice Hockey workforce relative to nationally recognised programmes such as ClubMark to aid in the creation of resources and identification of inter-ventions designed to support the enhancement of the collective skills set and knowledge base. Addi-tionally work should be undertaken to explore opportunities to formally recognise and reward volunteers, especially those involved outside of club structures.

Workforce

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It should be noted that there is a significant difference between developing the coaching structure and developing coaches. His-torically coaches have been developed, aligned with IIHF requirements which are outside of the structures in place to support coach development in British sport, however that hasn’t always translated to participants receiving quality coaching. Over the past few years there have been a demand, and a desire, to align coaching to British coaching standards and to focus on the qual-ity of delivery rather than the qualifications of the deliverer.

Over the next four years it is the intent of the EIHA to ensure that all participants receive coaching to enable them to realise their full potential and which sustains their involvement in ice hockey.

At the moment coaches are, in the main, volunteers and there is a large proportion that became coaches in order to support their participation within the sport. This means that coaching standards and experience can be variable and the level of technical coaching provided is often based on a coach’s personal experience. Equally the quality of coaching is variable as it is clear that simply having played competitive ice hockey does not necessarily mean coaches are in a skilled in sharing their knowledge and experience.

In order to reduce the variability of coaching it is essential that we provide a structured environment which ensures minimum standards and consistency. The most effective approach is to provide, at a regional level, paid support to develop and support coaches, with this support being underpinned with a national coaching approach. By making the support role paid it ensures that those delivering the support to be held accountable by the coaching programme and the EIHA board.

The coaching support role may vary from area to area to meet local needs however the core elements of the role are;

1. To ensure that coaches are delivering quality sessions meeting agreed standards aligned to a national framework

2. That coaches receive support and opportunities to develop

3. That there is a mechanism for sharing best practise and resources

Currently the level 1 and level 2 coaching qualifications meet minimum standards and can be met with limited experience by coaches who haven’t ever played a game of competitive ice hockey. Equally there is no recognition of coaches who have a wealth of playing experience. Going forward EIHA coaching qualifications will be experienced based and be aligned to the UKCC framework.

Additionally there will be a strong emphasis placed on continuous professional development (CPD), moving away from the cur-rent approach of simply requiring coaches to recertify on a bi-annual basis. The approach to providing CPD will be for people in the coaching support role to work with stakeholders, such as the County Sports Partnerships, to provide opportunities for coaches to attend workshops and networking opportunities. There will also be national events provided by the EIHA to focus on the ice hockey specific coaching development e.g. goalie coaching clinics.

Whilst there are many different resources that have been developed over the years there is no definitive EIHA coaching hand-book that is continually reviewed and refined. Over the next two years a definitive handbook will be produced which will cover all aspects of the game including technical skills, sports science, long term athlete pathway and basic psychology.

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Coaches

From a development perspective the objective is to develop confident, competent referees and off ice officials to manage and guide ice hockey matches at every level whilst addressing the identified barriers which include; lack of information technology resources to support the programme, insufficient numbers of assessors, no mentoring programme to help new offi-cials, no Referee and Off Ice Officials pathway and lack of continuous education/personal de-velopment.

In order to address these barriers we will create a National Referee and Off Ice Official’s Development Programme that includes a Referee and Off Ice Official’s ‘pathway’ of training and development to enable everyone to progress at their own pace, to what-ever level they aspire, be it at Recreational, League, Semi-Professional or International level.

This programme will include a Referee Mentor (RM) qualification. The role of RM is for experienced Referees to support new Referees and Off Ice Official’s in the first two years of their development. The RM’s would be based in each rink. This will involve observing and supporting the Referees and Off Ice Official’s on a match day and also by communicating/meeting up outside of a game night.

Additionally the role of the Referee Assessor will be to build on the work started by the Referee Mentor in ensuring the Refer-ees and Off Ice Official’s continue to develop in line with the National Referee and Off Ice Official’s Development Program. This

will happen once the Referee or Off Ice Official enters a particular stage of the program and will focus on maximising their potential by coaching and supporting their

development. This will involve coaching the referee on a match day and identifying strengths and development areas. This may involve com-

munication/meeting up outside of a game night.

In line with the coaching programme there will be devel-opment of standardised Referee and Off Ice Officials

resources maximising an e-learning platform to support self-learning where possible. There

will also be integration of National Referee and Off Ice Official’s Development Pro-

gram into the player passport thereby enabling multi-faceted players to

play, coach, referee and volunteer for Off Ice Duties.

As we move to engage more with external stakeholders

and align with best practise we will seek to incorporate

and utilise existing United Kingdom Coaching Certifi-cate (UKCC) programs to enhance the development of Referee’s and Off Ice Official’s as well as de-velopment opportunities offered by the County Sports Partnerships. Where feasible we seek to align qualifications to meet external, recog-

nised standards.

Referees & Off Ice Officials

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Clubs are the lifeblood of ice hockey regardless of whether they are professional clubs delivering a competitive, entertainment product or junior clubs providing healthy recreation and social interaction opportunities. It is therefore essential that clubs are sustainable, run robustly and transparently and are empowered to develop players, coaches, officials and volunteers to realise their potential.

Whilst a number of clubs have obtained Clubmark there is no standard for club governance defined within British Ice Hockey, with no clearly defined development pathways, linked to limited non-player role recruitment and support. This is compounded by the lack of central support services provided by the EIHA and is something we intend to address as a matter of urgency.

As a start job descriptions for the main roles within a club will be produced. These roles are; Treasurer, Chair, Secretary, Safe-guarding Officer and Head Coach. Clubs will need to ensure that these roles are met and will need to provide the details annually of the people appointed to these roles within a club.

Clubs2 will be required to become Limited Companies, ideally by guarantee. Clubs will also be encouraged to become either CASCs or Charities where appropriate3. Clubs will be required to provide the EIHA with a copy of their M&A’s, a copy of their an-nual return and a copy of their abbreviated accounts. Support for this will be provided by the EIHA.

By meeting minimum standards of governance clubs will be in a position to ensure they are able to access funding from stake-holders such as Sport England and the County Sports Partnerships. Introduce an annual club conference to support development and to engage with stakeholders

Whilst sanctions should be a last resort it is essential that we are seen to ensure that clubs meet governance standards. Clubs who are unable to meet governance standards will have their voting rights removed and if they fail to meet governance stand-ards for three consecutive years they will not be allowed to participate in competitive opportunities.

In order to facilitate the introduction of governance standards it is essential that we provide support at a club level. This will include the introduction of a club development pack containing all of the essential documents for clubs to meet minimum govern-ance standards and will be supplemented by an annual club conference.

Additionally we will implement a club development support programme to support clubs in applying for funding, governance, programme development, workforce development and engagement with stakeholders. This will be provided through a contract with an external provider4 and monitored at board level.

In order to promote inclusivity we will develop a programme to support clubs to develop their offering to female players and those with a disability either directly or through partnerships with suitable stakeholders.

2 Excluding clubs which are exclusively Rec Hockey 3 Non-professional and/or non-profit clubs 4 Or through the employment of Development Officer

The key to engagement is through effective, robust and transparent communication at all levels, especially in today’s modern society. The best way to ensure that this occurs is be adopting a strong communication policy and establishing agreed methods of communication.

In addition to introducing a communications policy it is clear that we need to seek to modernise our website and to ensure it meets expected accessibility standards. It is also essential that we utilize the website to introduce a “pull” information culture, thereby ensuring that stakeholders are able to access necessary information and reduce the dependence on email. A focus on the website needs to be on meeting members needs and ensuring the resources and support they need is available.

Long term it is intended to secure investment to engage an officer to manage communication and engagement with stakeholders. As well as ensuring the web site is kept up to date the individual would be responsible for monitoring social media and engaging with stakeholders.

Club Development

Communication

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Competitive StructureAs a NGB it is essential to ensure that there is a competitive pathway for all players, regardless of age, gender or ability that contributes to the development of their ability.

Current Situation:

Currently there is a well-defined, NGB structure that provides competitive opportunities for all participants under the age of 18 in mixed gender teams.

Over the age of 18 competitive opportunities are available for women with a National Premier League and two regional leagues. Whilst there are not teams at every ice rink it is clear that any female over 18 wanting to play competitive ice hockey is able to do, especially as the participation costs are met by the participants making all teams effectively “pay-to-play”. Due to the relatively low numbers of female ice hockey this “pay-to-play” approach is partly responsible for all women being able to participate as the number of participants drive the cost per player.

The situation for male participants in very different. Currently the only formal competitive opportunities provided by the NGB are the English Ice Hockey Premier League (EPIHL) and the National Ice Hockey League (NiHL). From an international federa-tions perspective both leagues are development leagues and do not contain professional players5. This perspective is confirmed by the insurance documentation protecting the players, spectators and facilities.

Current Competitive League Structure:

UNDER 12 UNDER 14 UNDER 16 UNDER 18 18 AND OVER

JUNIORS JUNIORS JUNIORSJUNIORS

EPIHLNiHL

EPIHLNiHL

WOMENS

Participation in both the EPIHL and the NiHL is by invitation only and both leagues include players from overseas (labelled as “non-British trained”). If an 18 year is not invited to join an EPIHL or NiHL team it is probable that they will not be given the op-portunity to play to competitive hockey within a NGB competitive structure again.

Currently a player can be registered with an under 18 team and then play for an adult team if dual registered.

Although there are non-NGB sanctioned competitive opportunities provided by the BUIHA and Recreational Hockey these are arranged on an ad-hoc basis with variable standards and on a variable basis. Whilst the opportunities provided by BUIHA and Recreational Hockey enable participants to continue playing ice hockey it is unlikely, although not unheard of, for players to be invited to play for teams within the EPIHL or NiHL leagues.

The main barrier to introducing new NGB sanctioned competitive opportunities is the lack of facilities. This is because all com-petitive ice hockey currently takes place during the months of September to April with the priority being given to EPIHL and NiHL leagues, followed by the junior competitions and the women’s leagues.

Consultation with the ice rinks indicates that the current timetabling of ice hockey, predominantly with training and games tak-ing place over the winter, is damaging to the sustainability of ice rinks who see significantly reduced income over the summer months with very little reduction in costs. This then gives a significant opportunity for the EIHA to provide competitive opportu-nities to those who are currently deprived of the chance to play and compete.

Although data is limited the evidence, both anecdotal and empirical, indicates that the most common ages for dropping out of competitive junior ice hockey are between the ages of 10 and 12 for both genders (24% male, 30% female) and between the ages of 16 and 18 for males (25%).

5 A professional player is one whose only income is derived from playing competitive ice hockey.

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2013/14 participation rates by age/league

The drop off between the ages of 10 to 12 can be explained by the gradual transition from fun hockey to competitive hockey as well as the move from primary education to secondary education it is less clear why male participants drop our between the ages of 16-18, especially where in many other sports the drop in participation occurs at 14.

Although there has been no formal research undertaken in regards to ice hockey participation rate drops there is a suggestion that a significant number of males drop out between 16 and 18 because it is clear that they will not be offered a competitive op-portunity in the EPIHL or NiHL as it is common practise for males in this age range to be asked to train, and often compete in the competitive adult leagues. It should be noted that teenage distractions and reduction of parental influence also play a part.

Research has shown that we cannot just focus on older players, an encompassing strategy must be followed. As we evaluated the current research, variations of Istvan Balyi’s, long-term athlete development (LTAD) principles are being employed around the globe by more than 100 government health ministries, and sport National Governing Bodies. Within hockey, there is no doubt that countries like Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic produce Elite players. Their numbers are especially impressive when one considers the populations and player numbers from those counties. In each of those countries, long-term athlete develop-ment principles are at the core of their development model.

A significant number of players that play in the North American National Hockey League (NHL) were never drafted. This means that at 18 and 19 years of age nobody was even willing to take a late-round chance on their potential to make it. In other countries competitive opportunities continue to be offered to young adults, something that English Ice Hockey is failing to do.

Ice hockey is not an early specialization sport and our programs must include a long-term developmental pathway that provides competitive and developmental opportunities for participants into their early 20s as the scientific evidence demonstrates that many players don’t reach their full potential until their early to mid-twenties.

UNDER 10

UNDER 12

UNDER 14

UNDER 16

UNDER 18

OVER 18

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2YR CYCLE

M

M

M

M

M

EPIHL

ENIHL

WOMEN

F

F

F

F

F

682 722 599 -

-

-162

-23

2

-3

-41

6

-160

-10

-

-

-

68

543

53

617

59

659

71

506

64

-

-

-

74

575

50

552

53

654

66

496

56

186

819

411

54

520

45

545

50

576

65

499

61

181

772

463

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JuniorsJuniors are defined as players under the age of 18 playing competitive games within the junior competitions, currently under 12’s, under 14’s, under 16’s and u18’s. It should also be noted that players are empowered to play up into the age group above. Whilst the theory is that this provides an increased opportunity for development the reality is that often players are asked to “play up” in order to make team sizes viable, or in some cases, to generate income for the clubs in terms of fee’s.

As the body responsible for the junior ice hockey pathway within England it is essential that the opportunity to play competitive hockey is provided to both participants who enter the juniors programme at the beginning and those who enter mid-pathway.

Competitive pathway

It is also essential that that as a NGB we maximise the retention rate of participation and seek to address the barriers that influ-ence participants dropping out of the sport.

Currently the requirement is for each team to play at least three competitive home events each comprising of at least three games within a season and this approach should continue as it is based on sound principals.

At the moment the age group which has the biggest drop out rate is the under 12’s and this is caused by the move from fun hockey to competitive hockey. Feedback from the EIHA membership indicates that one of the reason for this drop out is the lack of truly competitive opportunities as there are often games with very much one sided score lines. Whilst it is acknowledged that this contributes to the dropout rate the problem of one side games is evident throughout the whole of English junior ice hockey.

In order to address the members have requested that the introduction of a national league is introduced for the top performing teams, however given the geography this may not be feasible from a travel perspective given that clubs may end up traveling from the Scottish Borders to the South Coast for a game.

Therefore to address the balance it is intended to retain the regional leagues split North and South including retaining the two divisions within each league. However the intention is to introduce promotion and relegation into the leagues between the divi-sions at both the end of the season and at the season midpoint6.

In clubs where there are multiple teams within an age group players we need to investigate the production of guidelines, aligned to player development, to ensure we remove the barriers of players being labelled by themselves as “good” or “bad” players par-ticularly within the younger age groups.

At the end of season there should then be a tournament held between the top two teams from each region at every age group thereby allowing clubs to benchmark themselves nationally and enabling a national champion to be identified from each age group.

Currently there is a conference system with five regional groupings; South East, South West, Midlands, North and Scotland. In-stead of following the league age groups the conference age groups are based on odd numbers; under 11’s, under 13’s, under 15’s and under 17’s in order to support selection for the England teams. There are no formal competitive opportunities outside of the end of season tournament.

The conference tournament is largely seen as a showcase event, and whilst selection for the conference teams is intended to be based on skill level, financial considerations can influence’s a child participation.

Going forward it is has been suggested to make the tournament an event to mark the beginning of the ice hockey season moving it from the May bank holiday weekend to the August bank holiday weekend with each team being requested to run at least four training sessions over the summer break and for a selection policy to be published by each conference team at the beginning of each season.

Long term7 the conference should evolve to be a competitive league structure with each team playing home and away over the course of the season and should also be expanded to include an under 21’s team for each conference.

6 Determined by the division with the lowest number of games 7 By the end of the 2017/18 season

under12

under14

under16

under18

over18

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SeniorsEnglish Ice Hockey Premier League:

At the moment there is an identity crisis within English Ice Hockey in relation to the EPI-HL. Some stakeholder’s view it as a professional competitive league whilst others view it as an amateur development league in which players receive expenses or are paid on a seasonal basis. However the EIHA definition stance is; “This league is development for British-trained athletes (minimum 2 years league play at Under 18 levels) and there is a maximum on game day of 4 non-British trained players on each team.”

Currently, on average, each team has eighteen registered players however this doesn’t reflect the true picture as teams will utilise players registered with the under 18 and NiHL leagues. Of the eighteen registered players most clubs will have four non-British trained players as delegated by the teams, theoretically to support development by enabling British players to play and train alongside players trained outside of Britain.

Additionally it is not uncommon for EPIHL teams to utilise player coaches, something not usu-ally seen in other ice nation’s ice hockey leagues or within other British sports played at a com-parable level. The use of player/coaches is often driven by financial constraints and may result in players receiving a sub-standard coaching as the player/coach is more en-gaged in the playing and training aspects of the role rather than providing coaching to the participants.

From the beginning of the 2017/18 season teams will be required to have a recognised non-playing Head Coach. Ideally the Head Coach will the head coach for the ice rink and oversee all coaching at the ice rink work-ing in partnership the regional coaching assessor.

At the moment the average age of a play in the EPIHL is 26, however it is notable that there is a significant difference between teams with one team having an average age of 25 in the 2013/14 season whilst another has having an average age of 318.

EPIHL Average player age by team

As the EPIHL is a development league it is essential that it demonstrates its commitment to developing younger players and to providing a pathway from junior or NiHL programmes into the EPIHL. It is also acknowledged that experienced players are es-sential to the development of younger players.

As defined in the action plan season 2016/2017 all Head Coaches must be in the process of obtaining their UKCC Level 3 coaching award (or equivalent). Once they have obtained their Level 3 coaching award there is on ongoing need to demonstrate continu-ous professional development.

NIHL:

Currently the main competitive opportunity for participants once they are over 18 years of age is the NiHL, however participa-tion in the league is not automatic and is at the invitation of the team. This is further complicated that there are ice rinks with a junior programme who don’t have a NiHL team.

Currently there are two leagues, North and South, and these are split into two divisions. Some rinks may have teams playing in both divisions of a league. Whilst there are North and South leagues there is no formal interaction between the leagues, effec-tively making the NiHL a regional competitive opportunity.

One significant issue with the league is that there is a significant difference between teams, primarily caused by whether the team is a “feeder” team for a higher level team (which could be a team in a higher division of the same league).

8 Statistics taken from the Elite Prospects website players.

26 26 31 27 26 26 26 25 25

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Additionally a minority of teams feel that the driver for the league should be to support the clubs commer-cial activities and that the focus should be on providing entertaining ice hockey to spectators

to enable revenue generation rather than developing players.

In order to develop a link between the North and South leagues we will undertake the pro-cess, subject to agreement by both the North and South league management teams, of in-

troducing a national playoff competition, thereby ensuring that the league is national as opposed to being two regional leagues. The proposal is that the top two teams from

each division will qualify for the playoffs, with the play-off format to be home and away games, followed by semi-finals and a final to be held over the course of one weekend at one rink, however this is subject to a full consultation with the relevant clubs.

Currently some clubs pay some players to play however this is not aligned with the aims of the league. As part of the evolution of governance standards players

will not to receive payment to play but may receive reasonable expenses or be employed in other roles at the club . This is to enable clubs to meet governance requirements and

facilitate their ability to obtain CASC status.

Going forward all Head Coaches must be in the process of obtaining a UKCC Level 3 coaching award (or equivalent). Once they have obtained their Level 3 coaching

award there is an ongoing need to demonstrate continuous professional develop-ment.

9 Guidelines to follow Charity Commission / CASC requirements for amateur sports clubs

In terms of providing competitive opportunities for adults there is far more opportunity for female players than for their male counterpart. Equally within these opportunities it is often the case that that the competitive structures are unbalanced leading to the top teams running up large scores against the bottom teams within the leagues. For instance in 2013/14 one team played 14 games scoring 7 goals whilst conceding 102 coming bottom of the Women’s Premier League. This compares to the league cham-pions who scored 79 and conceded 19.

The current structure is a Women’s Premier League with two regional leagues below and no promotion or relegation. Females are eligible to play for the women’s teams from the age of 16 and although there are junior leagues there are not enough numbers for them to provide a consistent or competitive opportunities.

In terms of developing competitive opportunities for women it is clear that what is firstly required is an increase in the player base and the EIHA will look to develop a specific female participation programme to provide assistance. By increasing the player base a larger, more robust and more sustainable competitive structure will evolve. Funding targeted at increasing and develop-ing female participation is readily available to support such programmes.

Until participation numbers have increased thereby forcing a review of the competitive structure it is essential that we maxim-ise competitive opportunities and remove situations such as the one in the Women’s Northern League where the league champi-ons ran away with the league, conceding 11 goals in 16 games and scoring 12510.

As detailed in the action plan all coaches of women’s team should have started the process to obtain their level 3 coaching quali-fication. Additionally the EIHA will provide annual workshops to assist in the development of women’s team coaches and to sup-port coaches coming from junior, EPIHL or NIiHL programmes.

In order to support female junior development it is intended to introduce an under 16’sa female junior league, initially based on the conference system; North, Midlands, South East and South West. This junior league will commence as soon as the relevant structures and support mechanisms have been developed and with each team playing two home and away games and funding should be available to facilitate this. In addition to formal league games teams would be encouraged to participate in friendly scrimmages against junior teams. Girls playing in the female junior league should continue to train (and compete if appropriate) with junior teams over the traditional ice hockey season. 10 The league runners up , scored 88 and conceded 52

Women’s

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In order to support female junior development it is intended to introduce a female junior league, initially based on the confer-ence system; North, Midlands, South East and South West. This junior league will commence as soon as the relevant structures and support mechanisms have been developed and with each team playing two home and away games and funding should be available to facilitate this. In addition to formal league games teams would be encouraged to participate in friendly scrimmages against junior teams. Girls playing in the female junior league should continue to train (and compete if appropriate) with junior teams over the traditional ice hockey season.

Competitive Opportunities for over 18’s outside NIHL/EPIHL/Womens Leagues

Currently there are no NGB sanctioned competitive opportunities outside of the EPIHL, NIHL and Women’s leagues. Whilst there are informal competitions and leagues administered by the Recreational section and the BUIHA, there are variable standards, limited structure and no restrictions in terms of participation.

Given that it is a requirement of an NGB to provide competitive opportunities for all, it is essential that a new competitive struc-ture is introduced, especially as many clubs and ice rinks are providing learn to play programmes aimed at teenagers and young adults.

It is also essential that we remain respectful of the large number of Recreational teams that currently provide un-sanctioned competitive opportunities. As soon as it is feasible it is intended that Recreational teams classify themselves and that one of the classifications allows for NGB sanctioned competitive games at a regional level and overseen by the Recreational section, thereby ensuring that the NGB meets its requirements without having a negative impact on Recreational hockey.

The leagues can be structured to meet ice time and team requirements with the only constraints being that players are eligible to participate. Whilst there will be limitations on eligibility, for in-stance due to international eligibility or play-ers having played in EPIHL/NIHL/Womens league in the previous season, the remit should be as flexible as possible to meet all stakeholder requirements.

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AcronymsBUCS - British Universities and Colleges Sport BUIHA - British Universities Ice Hockey Association CASC - Community Amateur Sports ClubCIMSPA - Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical ActivityCPD - Continuous professional developmentCSLA - Community Sports Leader Award CSN - Community Sports Network CSP - County Sports Partnership DCMS - Department for Culture, Media and SportDSW - Disability Sports WalesEFDS - English Federation of Disability SportEFQM - European Foundation for Quality ManagementEIHA - English Ice Hockey AssociationEIS - English Institute of Sport EPIHL - English Premier Ice Hockey LeagueFE/HE - Further & Higher Education IHUK - Ice Hockey UKLA - Local Authority LAA - Local Area Agreement LGA - Local Government Association LTAD - Long Term Athlete Development NCM - National Coach Mentor

NGB - National Governing Body NiHL - National Ice Hockey LeagueOfqual - Office of Qualifications and Examinations RegulationPDM - Participant Development ModelPCT - Primary Care Trust PDM - Partnership Development Manager (often used in reference to a School Sport Partnership) PESSYP - PE and School Sport Strategy for Young People RH - Recreation Hockey (also known as Rec Hockey) S&C - Strength and Conditioning SCUK - Sports Coach UK SE - Sport England SEN - Special educational needsSFA - Skills Funding AgencySSCO - School Sports Coordinator SSP - School Sport Partnership SU - Sport Unlimited SW - Sport WalesUKCC - United Kingdom Coaching Certificate UKS - UK Sport UKSG - United Kingdom School Games WSP - Whole sport planYST - Youth Sport Trust

Development Plan

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EIHA Action Plan – Draft V1

2014EIHA Jamboree

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