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 As the 08/09 season has now ended, thanks once again to all those who contributed to Norths CC throughout the season.
09/10 SEASON There has not been too much of a break for the committee as we have started the planning for the upcoming season already. Barry James, the new coach is determined for us to start the season off running with a lot of changes to the off field side of the game. The main thrust of the committees work in the near future will be centred around the development of the Club House facility as a main focal point of the club and also look at improving the training facilities, improved lighting for both the net and fielding areas. This will ensure we can maximise our training time which in turn may assist our on field performances.
THE CLUB HOUSE In the next month we will be gutting the clubhouse and developing the area with paint, carpet, furniture, new notice boards and some new fittings. What can you do to help? We need a couple of old Lounge Suites. If you have something in the shed that still has some life in it, then let us know and we will organise to pick it up.
NETS/TRAINING AREA We may have managed to secure a couple of flood lights that will be placed on the roof of the main building. This should greatly improve the lighting over the near section of the ground. We will be setting up lighting for two nets which will allow us to bat ‘into the night’ using white balls. The bowling machine will occupy one of those nets.
TRAINING Training will remain Tue/Thur nights however a Fri night session may be introduced to those who are keen for a last minute hit using the bowling machine. I think the whole focus of training is about to change with the new coach and I think ‘structure’ at training will go a long way to improving our on field performances.
RECRUITING The committee is always open to recruiting new members to the club. Let’s start now and not leave it to the commencement of the season. What can you do to help? Now is the time to think of past players, talk with work colleagues, talk with uni mates, do you know players in other teams that may be looking for a change? Get them excited about the upcoming season and get them excited about the changes that are happening at Norths.
INITIATIVES FOR THE 09/10 SEASON
Club Champion All the awards will remain in place but one new award will be the Club Champion Award. This is open to all senior grades. Basically your performances will accrue points with the award going to the person with the largest tally of points at the end of the ‘home and away’ season. Results will be published weekly on our website.
Record Partnerships Other areas we are looking to is the recording of the Cricketing milestones throughout the season. This will also include a section dedicated to the Record Partnerships for each wicket, no matter what the grade. Both are very popular initiatives in a lot of senior clubs around the world and should create other incentives for players to improve.
First XI Caps Playing First Grade Cricket in Townsville must be considered as an achievement and such an achievement should be earned. Such an achievement will be rewarded with a special cap, embossed with FIRST XI on it. It is another incentive to do your very best.
History The history of any organisation is vital to their success. In the upcoming months we will be attempting to discover the history of Norths CC. At this stage it appears that the club was formed in 1949, although there may be some indication, without facts, that it may have existed before the war. If our club did in fact start in 1949, then this season we should be celebrating our 60th anniversary. What can you do to help? Are you aware of any records, past photos or past players that might be able to help?
Public Relations We need to advertise to as many people as possible the changes to North CC this season. The committee will be working on a PR plan to assist us with recruiting as well. What can you do to help? Do you have any contacts that may help us? WEBSITE Our greatest communication tool is our website, http://www.northscricket.com.au/. We have spoken with Shane about upgrading and modernising the website and Shane has been busy already. Between this and the Club Notice Boards we can all stay in touch with the club’s endeavours. There will be a special section dedicated to the Cricket milestones made throughout the season.
CONCLUSION This season we plan to see great advancements for the Norths Cricket Club. We will see changes in the way we are approaching our cricket, on and off the field. I will be looking for your support, no matter how small it may be in the upcoming months. Yours in Cricket… John Short - President |
