| Subject: Minimal effort ? I think not.... |
Author:
vish
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Date Posted: 09:16:55 03/16/02 Sat
In reply to:
James
's message, "Re: Conditions for entry?" on 19:00:09 03/12/02 Tue
First, it isn't minimal effort that allows a woman to participate in a men's team. Secondly, I don't find much encouragement in the current situation.
The National league was modified to a far more intensive competition after only one year of the succesful formula. Would someone mind telling me how many administrators we have to assist with this change?
Everyone knows that change is reviled in corporate structures, but it is resisted just as strongly in social situations. People like consistency, they like to have an illusion of control over life. Most importantly, a consistent structure allows for them to commit to a long term or medium term goal and benefit from it. The National League structure has been made into an unrecognisable format, and is certainly not user friendly to those people who have to do all the work to ensure a smooth changeover. It's one thing to get your National Women's squad to sign a contract that binds them to a National League, but it's another thing to change the National League after you get that commitment.
Now, most women in our region are administrators. Those that aren't administrators, are reliant on those same administrators to develop them. Let me give you an example of what that is like for me, personally.
It feels like a constant struggle. I spend my days sending emails to people who don't reply. I'm not talking about players, I'm talking about people who have taken on an administrative job that requires them to do some work for people. I ask those administrators for advice, because I am not in the loop for National League and it's not my position to know everything about it. I remind them of the deadline, I ask if the women's team is included in their plans, I ask if anything is to be done about the women because I haven't got a clue about who is in charge of that in my club.
Guess what? No reply. Oh sure, the women have always been included in the National League, but the top female administrators have to sort it out, because the men don't know any of the women. Now, how ironic is that? I have to send out mass emails to complete strangers - the mailing list of our entire region, asking them if they'd like to play, when I personally do not have authority on behalf of my club to enter them in the competition.
It gets better. I have to send out the email, after my team is excluded from the League. Yes, that's right, after all that questioning about what is going on, I find my club has already made a decision.
"There isn't a women's team".
When I read the newsletter (because noone bothered to tell me this personally) I find that there is a men's league team, who are offered funding for their travel, and ironically enough, they are INVITED TO APPLY TO THE SQUAD. There's no womens team, but there is an invitation to apply for the men's team.
Now, in my current mellow state of intelligent debate, I suddenly find I want to strangle someone. Yet, with a lack of administrators in our sport, I decide I don't want to leave the sport one administrator down ( I'm talking about my possible arrest and incarceration here, by the way. We're not including the body count. ).
Where was I? Oh yes, my club had decided to put me in a position that conflicted with my National Squad contract, without any consultation or even advance notice given to me.
So, what does everyone think about that? Who cares, I'll tell you what I think.
I've already posted an opinion on women in sport, and I believe that the playing field is not in any way level. This is absolutely a gender issue. I have to make more effort (than a man) to get a team together because of this. Believe me, I am making the effort, and always have done. I then have less people who are likely to want to play my sport, so that decreases the likelihood of a strong player base again. I work in a boy's school, so my influence is bringing 12 year old boys into the sport, not 12 year old girls. This takes up my Friday nights, on top of my administrative duties for the region. My club doesn't even give me or fellow female players the incentive to play, and the proposal that includes the men's team practically (but the women's team only theoretically) isn't available for us to analyse. I don't have time to spare, i have an injury to recover from, and my club (and possibly other administrators) seem to think I have to prove my commitment, prove my administrative capabilities, and that I need encouragement. They provide this encouragement, by making negative consequences if I fail, and putting my "organisation" skills up to scrutiny.
Hallelujah, thanks for the encouragement. A kick when I'm down always does wonders for my enthusiasm.
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