COVID

The second and third Covid waves and national lockdown periods have had a profound impact not only disrupting the continuity of the WPGM summer and winter seasons, but in players personal fitness and skill levels. An un-foreseen impact on our members is the financial uncertainty and the resistance to want to travel. Strict adherence to Covid sign in procedures on match evenings has been adhered to by the WPGM committee. We have a 93% vaccination rate of members.

WPGM LEAGUE STRUCTURE

The 2021 WPGM summer and winter leagues were run with 5 mens teams. Each team retains it’s selected players for the season. The teams have an elected captain, administrator and coach, all of whom work towards improving communication, team structure, fitness and skill levels. Matches were scheduled for four teams on a Monday evening. The fifth team would have a bye. On rotation, that would give each team in the league 8 games in a 10 match cycle. The team that has the bye can assist with fill in players for teams that are “short” on the match night. The season (winter and summer) consist of 20 match days, with a short break between seasons. The results are posted on the WPGM website and a league table with game results are posted after each round of matches. A floating trophy is awarded to the winning team and the top goal scorer receives an award.

ACTIVE PLAYERS

 WPGM has grown from an active male player base of 46 players to an active base of 80 players. Naturally player availability through injury, work and family commitments is always going to be a challenge to the success of a league. The growth has mainly come from the 55 – 60 age group. WPGMHA has no women’s teams at this stage.

INTERACTION WITH WP MASTERS HOCKEY

Nothing to report.

QUALITY OF UMPIRING

The WPGM League matches are umpired by Clive Belcher (GC graded) and Wotjek Lipinski (Awaiting his grading). Both have committed fully to ensuring a top level of consistent umpiring. They also share rules updates, insight into interpretation of the rules and common player transgressions that take place on the field.

SAGMHA

WPGM TEAMS. Unfortunately, mainly due to Covid and the WC 2022 selection happening on the same weekend (in CPT), WPGM could only manage to field two mens teams to this years GMIPT. Four players were selected for the Invitational 70+ team.

We fully intend to have a stronger showing at the KZN IPT in February 2022.

SGGMHA Hockey activities

1. We have a thriving and growing hockey playing group, 55 and above.
2. All our hockey includes both men and women.
3. We host a “Pitch ‘n Play” evening on Tuesdays. Players arrive with a black and a white shirt, and get put into 2 sides (sometimes 4 sides, half a pitch if there are too many).
4. On a Thursday evening we run a “league.” Players have been rated and we divide them into 6 teams, aiming at achieving teams of equal strength.
5. We have 102 players registered (80 men, 22 women), and have 7 players from Eastern Gauteng that we include in our group.

Covid

1. Like all hockey throughout SA, Covid prevented us from playing games, during the national embargo on amateur sport.
2. We have strict access controls, measuring temperature, keeping a record of all players who attend an evening.
3. We have had some scares, where a player has been exposed via family or work, and have had occasion to stop playing for 10 days to ensure no spread of the disease amongst our players.

SG Masters

1. We have all but integrated with the SGMHA.
2. We have 2 representatives on the SGFMHA Committee who look after hockey affairs for those over 60.
3. We have had great support from the “juniors” in arranging the IPT.

Teams at IPT

1. SG will field 6 teams at the IPT.
2. The 2 women’s teams are in fact joint teams with Eastern Gauteng.
3. There are also 9 SG based players playing for other provinces.

COVID

Covid together with the restrictions caused the season to be somewhat erratic.

Once a week practices were organized during the period April to June .

During this period most players were also involved in the club leagues and consequently not much GM league hockey was played.

However we do enter a team in the Masters league which runs on a Thursday and Friday evening.

From June no hockey was played resuming only in late August.

Here again organized practices were once a week with a GM team also playing in the Masters league.

To date only 4 of our members contracted Covid but thankfully all have recovered and I would guess that some 80% of all players are now fully vaccinated.

ACTIVE PLAYERS

Currently we have 59 active players in the 55 – 75 age groupings.(42 men / 17 ladies)

Our numbers have not increased much with new players and those retiring due to age, injury and relocation balancing one another out.

INTERACTION WITH KZN MASTERS

Preliminary discussions have taken place and both parties are in agreement that further interaction is necessary but with no real intent being shown.

This matter is to be pursued by the incoming committee.

UMPIRES

Generally the standard of umpires made available is acceptable with the occasional “learner” umpires used proving a bit challenging especially in the Summer league.

SAGM IPT

Currently KZNGM will be sending 4 teams, 3 men – (55 / 60 / 65) and 1ladies (60), to the tournament with a total of 17 making themselves available for WC 2022 selection.

Further KZNGM has provided Tony Markewicz as 60+ Selector and Steve Garrett as proposed coach for WC60+

How you have dealt with Covid

Hockey was suspended for the majority of the Covid period with formal league games only commencing in August 2021. The season was extended until 10 October in order to get in a full round of fixtures.  The standard Covid protocols were put in place at the field venues.

Regularity of games.

On average, Masters level players played only 8 games in the 2021 season.

Number of active players, growing or declining; men and women

There has been a slight decline in the men’s teams, several clubs are struggling to field sides and there is a tendency towards “borrowing of under-age” players.  Annual subscriptions have definitely slowed down because players feel that they did not get a fair return in terms of play and club time.

Women are holding their own. Prior to Covid, we experienced some growth in women’s hockey.

Interaction with Masters hockey

In the E P, there is no real dividing line. We even practice together via a weekly pitch and play at St Georges Park which is open to all hockey players and visitors, irrespective of club affiliation.

Quality of umpiring 

Umpiring is at an acceptable level.  Each team is responsible for providing an umpire. No issues.

Teams being fielded at the October SAGMHA IPT

E P is fielding one team (men’s) with an average age of 60.2 yrs.  (However, we are concerned about our numbers for the Durban tournament)

Any other relevant points of interest worth sharing 

To date, our selection policy has essentially been based on loyalty (that is, attendance at previous tournaments) and word of mouth. We plan to follow a more formal and more defendable selection process in 2022.

Best regards,

Greg Dawson

Eastern Province

11 October 2021

1.     Covid

The Covid and national lockdown restrictions been altered during the season caused many changes throughout the season. The Eastern Gauteng League was started the weekend of the 10/11 April but unfortunately due to the increased lockdown due to the 3^rd wave the league was paused from the 6^th June to the 14^th August. The Men’s leagues stopped at the end of September and the Ladies on the 9^th October

2.     Active Players

There were about 8 Grand Masers players that took part in the Easterns leagues this year. With a further 5 playing in the Southern Gauteng Night Leagues.

Easterns Grand Masters unfortunately lost a number of players this year, with 2 players passing away from Covid and 5 more players retiring or moving out of the province.

We are excited to note that we have a strong pool of players in the 53-55 age group that we are targeting to encourage to strengthen our over 55 side in the coming years.

3.     Interaction with Eastern’s Masters Hockey

There were discussions between the Masters Chairman and our committee and there are no issues with us integrating into one body. The Grand Masters Chairman, Gary Talbot, will be sitting on the Master Committee and coordinating Grand Masters affairs.

4.     SAGMHA IPT

Due to Covid and the loss of some players, it has been a struggle to get sufficient players for the GMIPT this year, however Easterns will be entering a 55+ and a 60+ side into the GMIPT. We also have 2 70+ players that have been invited to join the  SG 70+ side so that they can play in their age group for selection purposes.

At this time we do not have a Ladies side and those Easterns Ladies that are wanting to play have joined the Southern Gauteng Ladies sides.