2012 Minutes for planning session - Squash BC

Squash BC Planning Meeting MinutesMay 26, 2012, 9:45 am, Cedar Hill Squash Club, VictoriaIn Attendance:Mark Robinson – President (Bayside)Bill Vipond – VP Finance Treasurer (Evergreen)Jon Money – VP Operations (VLTBC)Greg Bunyan – VP Player Development (Victoria Squash Club)John Roche – SBC Past President (Cedar Hill President)Natasha Doucas – DoublesKim Christiansen – Officiating Committee (Victoria Squash Club)Asif Hudani – Officiating Committee ChairLee Clackson – Vancouver Island Rep (Victoria Squash Club)Kevin Dorrius – Kootenay Zone Rep (Revelstoke Pres)Sandra Thompson – Junior Dev Chair (Jericho)Phil Croteau – Interior Rep (Global)Chris Yap – new to Vancouver (from Alberta)Ben Ulianna – Canada Winter Games Coach (Cedar Hill Squash Club)Kevin Kydd – Executive Director (Newlands)Diana Hardie – Bookkeeper (VRC)Introduction:Approve agenda and minutes of last planning session:Motion to Approve the 2012 Planning Session Agenda – Mark Robinson1 st – Greg Bunyan2 nd – Kevin DorriusAll in favour; approved.Motion to Approve Minutes from the January 2012 Planning Session Minutes – Mark Robinson1 st – Lee Clackson2 nd – Sandra ThompsonAll in favour; approved.i

INTRODUCTIONSquash BC is a registered society and the governing body for squash in the Province of BritishColumbia.The roles of Squash BC are to:• Function as the central authority in BC in all matters connected with the development andthe organization of the sport of squash;• Encourage, facilitate and develop strategies to increase opportunities for all members of thecommunity to play and participate in the sport of squash;• Encourage, facilitate and assist with the development of technical skills and proficiency inthe sport of squash including coaching, refereeing, and player development;• Coordinate, develop, and promote the sport of squash through the implementation ofprovincial policies and plans that are accepted by Squash BC’s Members, localassociations, leagues, the squash community and other squash governing bodies (SquashCanada & World Squash Federation);• Encourage, facilitate and develop cooperation between organizations and personsassociated with the sport of squash, including players, club operators, administrators,coaches and referees.OUR VISIONSquash is and will continue to be a growing, flourishing, lifelong sport of choice for active,health conscious British Columbians of all ages.THE MISSION OF SQUASH BCSquash BC is a non-profit organization providing leadership and direction for the growthand development of the sport of squash in BC.We will do this by:• Promoting the growth of squash throughout BC and encouraging more people to playsquash.• Providing valued services to our individual members and squash clubs in BC.• Promoting and sanctioning competitions within BC.• Promoting our athletes at the national and international levels of play.• Developing programs that will increase the level of play and improve the quality of coachingand refereeing.• Building strong relationships with BC squash clubs and local, provincial, national andinternational squash associations.• Seeking and accepting gifts, donations and legacies that will further the sport of squash.OUR VALUES• We value our members and will endeavour to meet their needs and exceed theirexpectations.• We value ethical squash environments that foster the principles of fair play, safety, respectand healthy competition.• We value excellence in the timely and professional delivery of our programs and services.• We value collaboration and partnership with squash stakeholders across the province andCanada to ensure open communication and the development of win-win partnerships.• We value the role of our sport in both community and athlete development.3

THE CURRENT SITUATIONOUR STRENGTHS• A strong active squash community particularly in southern BC and Vancouver Island.• Sound financial management.• Many dedicated volunteers at the club level who continue to support squash in their club.• A dedicated core group of volunteers who are committed to squash at the provincial level.OUR WEAKNESSES• Retaining and growing our membership.• A low percentage of squash players and club members who choose to join Squash BC.• A lack of players, coaches and referees in Northern BC.• A lack of a Provincial Coach and Technical Coordinator.• Insufficient funding at the provincial level.• Lack of elite junior athletes and particularly, the lack of female junior athletes in our programs.• Significant dependence on a few dedicated volunteers to deliver the provincial Squash BCprograms.• Retention of clubs and their members with the continued recession affecting club finances• Aging membershipOUR OPPORTUNITIES• The potential to increase the visibility of squash through the hosting of Professional SquashAssociation (PSA) events.• Increase Squash BC’ contribution, presence and influence on the inter-provincial and nationallevel.• Facilitate a club owners association.• Make greater use of technology to benefit Squash BC.• Facilitate the building of a permanent show court facility in BC.• Increase communications with members where members perceive value e.g. tournamentreports, minutes of Board meetings.• Increase our membership by encouraging past members to become members again.• Promote squash to the 20-30 age group, get involved with universities, colleges and otherinstitutions.• Promote squash at the grassroots level, particularly with school aged children.OUR THREATS• Loss of government funding.• Loss of membership revenue.4

ENVIRONMENTAL SCANSquash BC (as of November 2011) has 2301 active individual members of which 73.5% are maleand 26.5% are female. The overall average age of these active players is approximately 41 years.Age Distribution of Active Squash BC Members (2010-2011)Age Range # Members % of membership2006 2010 2006 20100-19 290 303 14.3 13.320-29 112 195 5.5 8.530-39 809 295 39.8 12.940-49 435 828 21.4 36.250-59 321 488 15.8 21.360-69 58 153 2.9 6.770+ 6 24 0.3 1.0The membership of Squash BC is aging in a similar fashion to the general population inthe province of British Columbia. The mean age has increased from 37 to 41 over the past5 years. The percent of members in their 30s decreased by over 50% and the percent ofmembers in their 60s more than doubled.5

Projected Age Distribution of Active Squash BC Members (2010-2020)Based on the membership trends seen in the data from 2006 to 2011 projections werecalculated for the 2015-16 and 2020-21 membership years. Based on these projectionsmembership in the 20 and 30 years age groups will decrease from 21.4% to 11.7%.Members 40 years of age and over will increase from 65.2% to 73.4% of the membership.The largest projected increase will be in the 60 and over age group from 7.7% in 2010 to34.2% in 2020. These projections do not take age-related mortality rates into accountwhich would be expected to reduce the proportional rate of increase in the 60 and overgroup.6

Squash BC Active Membership by ZoneSquash BC uses the zone definitions set by Sport BC and the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and theArtsZone Number Zone Location Active Members Percent of Total2006 2010 2006 20101 Kootenays 54 39 2.0% 1.7%2 Southern Interior 199 243 7.5% 10.7%3 Fraser Valley 197 123 7.4% 5.4%4 Burnaby, Delta, 317 280 11.9% 12.3%Coquitlam, Surrey,Richmond5 Vancouver, 1438 1236 53.9% 54.3%North Vancouver,Whistler6 Vancouver Island, 386 352 14.5% 15.5%Powell River7 Prince Rupert, 5 3 0.2% 0.1%Terrace, Smithers8 Prince George, 71 1 2.7% 0.01%Dawson CreekOnly 12.5% of the membership live outside of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Over85% of the membership outside these 2 areas is located in the Southern Interior (Kelowna,Vernon, etc). 4 of the 8 zones have a minimal membership presence in Squash BC, accounting forless than 7.5% of the total membership compared to over 82.5% for the other 4 zones.OUR CHALLENGES• Squash BC membership is not gender balanced.• Only 12.5% of the membership lives outside the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.• Over 50% of Squash BC’s funding (Government grants & Gaming funds) comes fromgovernment directly.7

OUR LONG-TERM GOALSGOAL #1: GROWTHAs a provincial organization, we are committed to the growth of our sport. We want to recognizeand develop the people involved in the sport. We want to increase the number of clubs andfacilities offering squash and we want to provide increased opportunities for everyone toexperience and enjoy squash.PEOPLE• Squash BC will raise the profile of squash. We will provide any possible support to a group orindividual trying to raise the awareness of squash in their community.• A strong provincial junior program is a significant contributor to the growth of squash. SquashBC will work with clubs to promote junior squash and retain these juniors as adult memberswhen they graduate from junior play.• Provincial marketing strategies will assist local clubs with attracting more people to the sport.• Lowering the average age of Squash BC members by increasing membership in the 20-30 and30-40 age groupsCLUBSSquash BC will:• Encourage all facilities and clubs offering squash to become members of Squash BC.• Bring added value to clubs who choose to be members of Squash BC.• Provide advice, support and expertise to clubs promoting squash in their communities.PARTICIPATIONSquash BC will:• Promote the value of squash as both a fitness regime and active social life.• Assist clubs providing squash opportunities to local schools.• Take a separate approach to promoting squash outside the Lower Mainland and VancouverIsland.• Develop retention strategies for existing players and provide information and analysis onreasons for dropouts from the sport.• Work with post secondary institutions to promote squash as a sport in their facility.KEY INDICATORS OF SUCCESSMeasurable Objective 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11Individual Memberships 2219 2404 2524 2286Retention of ExistingMembers 82% 84% 83% TBDNew Ind. Memberships 28% 24% 19% TBDClub Memberships 55 53 50 52Retention of Existing Clubs 93% 89% 87% 90%New Club Memberships 11 3 3 68

GOAL #2: PERFORMANCEPLAYERSSquash BC will:• Develop programs to recognize and support both juniors and adults who excel in squash.• Provide support and expertise to groups organizing regular opportunities for squash playerssuch as leagues and tournaments.OFFICIALSSquash BC will:• Actively encourage individuals to become certified referees by providing programs andtraining at appropriate locations around the province.• Provide resources and support to existing referees wishing to upgrade their skills.COACHESSquash BC will:• Actively encourage individuals to become certified coaches by providing programs andtraining at appropriate locations around the province.• Provide resources and support to existing coaches wishing to upgrade their skillsSUCCESS AND EXCELLENCESquash BC will:• Recognize and celebrate the successes of BC squash players, organizers, volunteers,coaches and officials.• Do everything in their power to ensure the BC Winter Games will feature squash as a sport.• Maintain an up-to-date ranking system so all Squash BC members and active players willbe able to measure their performance provincially.KEY INDICATORS OF SUCCESSMeasurable Objective 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11Number of PlayersRegistrations Coaching FoundationsRegistrations Coaching IntermediateRegistrations D4 RefereeingReferees UpgradedTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD9

GOAL #3: BEST PRACTICESCOMMUNICATIONSquash BC will• Regularly communicate with its members to provide them with the latest news andinformation on squash in BC.• Maintain a schedule of tournaments and events in BC.• Annually recognize and reward the outstanding athletes, coaches and volunteers in theprovince.EFFICIENCYSquash BC will• Maximize the benefits of the funds granted by government and fees paid by members.• Be the link between BC clubs and the national and international organizations.• Facilitate the sharing of innovations in squash between clubs in BC.RELATIONSHIPSSquash BC will• Build and maintain strategic partnerships inside the province, nationally and internationallythat benefit squash in BC.• Promote alternative models for successful squash clubs and disseminate information onthese models to any interested party.KEY INDICATORS OF SUCCESSMeasurable Objective 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 2010/11Annual Survey of SBC members completedMonthly e-newsletter sent to membersTournament schedule complete by July 31All funding application deadlines met and successfulAll yearsAll yearsAll yearsAll yearsCONCLUSIONThis plan describes a Vision and set of Goals that define Squash BC as an organization. The planis intended to guide but not dictate the actions of Squash BC. It will be reviewed on an annualbasis.Play hard, play fair, play safe, play squash10

APPENDIX A – PARKING LOT OF GOOD IDEASThe following list represents some of the suggestions made during the planning process that couldcontribute to the success of Squash BC. While not a part of the formal strategic plan, they arepotential actions for the future:• Squash BC Board needs to continually be on the lookout for new Board members – thosedemonstrate a willingness to view squash beyond their own club• Use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to distribute news items• Increase the visibility of Squash BC by utilizing the booth at major events. Board memberscould take a shift at the booth.• Add Board members to the website with their picture and a short bio.• Create a student membership for Squash BC.• Encourage the development of high school leagues, pair them with the nearest squashclub.• Hire a Technical Director (aka Provincial Head Coach)• Create a new Board position for Membership• Obtain permission from each member to automatically renew their membership in the• following year• Assist with the creation of a squash ladder at the universities• Encourage clubs to offer a student rate to post-secondary students, also possibly retain thatrate for a period of time after graduation11

Marketing and Communications: Jon Money gave the following verbal report.Squash is not a visible sport like tennis or basketball, with known stars like Steve Nash.Can Squash BC copy a program like in the Cayman Islands and get school kids turned on to thesport of squash? In Revelstoke, Kevin Dorrius markets squash by getting families involved bystarting with the kid and then getting the parents involved. Squash BC is actively working on amarketing plan and has hired a person to do it.Squash Canada information: Mark RobinsonSC is trying to reformat their membership structure, as not all provinces are billed with onecommon system for their annual dues (either on per member or per court system). i.e. Ontariopaid $12.8k in dues (three times the size of BC in population) and BC paid $11.7k. Vote willdetermine a common metric and a minimum amount. All but Ontario and Quebec have accuratesystems for tracking active members. Note that dues paid are proportionate to # votes for thatprovincial member. SqCan VP Finance, VP Player Development and VP Technical are up forelection; VP Finance is going to be won by acclamation by Anne-Marie. Gerry Poulton is up againstthe incumbent, Dennis Bishop and Graham Waters is running against incumbent, Tom Craig. Asiffelt the new people will likely bring transparency. (BC gets 6 votes). Motion to come to increasethe per member rate from $5 per person to $6.25 per person, or $25 per court to $31 per court;however, note that ON/QU pay only $9.14 per court. Membership issues need to dealt with firstbefore fees can be raised. The Patrons Endowment fund is being brought back to the SquashCanada account and the money will go to 2 groups, grassroots and high performanceMotion to not approve any SC fee increases until there is a one metric system for all provinces.1 st – John Roche ; 2 nd - Kevin Dorrius, All in favour; approved.Motion to have SC follow & enforce membership fee policies if the new fee structure getsdefeated.1 st –Sandra Thompson; 2 nd – Mark Robinson, All in favour; approved.Motion to have present SC committee structure dissolved, and have the 2014 non-profitcommittee re-structured as SC suggests, but amend with a junior development committee as asub committee under high performance:1 st – Sandra Thompson, 2 nd – Phil Croteau, All in favour; approved.Motion to have Squash BC vote in favour of the change of the SC standing committees, with orwithout the addition of the Junior Sub-Committee under High Performance.1 st - Sandra Thompson; 2 nd – Lee Clackson; All in favour; approved.12

Philosophy: programs and access to funding: Mark RobinsonA discussion was had about Squash BC funding athletes who do not support Squash BC programs.Kevin went through the sections in the Player Development policies that would be changed. Thesewere mainly in the first section, and everybody agreed with the new policies.1 st – Sandra Thompson, 2 nd – Phil Croteau, All in favour; approved.Long Term Player Development: Kevin KyddSBC has developed LTAD implementation plan and will be using it as a sport model for developingour athletes.CS4L is the large sport policy to develop all sports and make it fun. LTAD are the steps from cradleto grave, by maturity level of athletes, both physical and mental. LTAD Guide is produced forparents whereby athletes are introduced to competition gradually, and the athlete is developed asa whole. LTPD has been developed by Squash Canada, and the book produced is called “Beyondthe Nick”. Emphasis is on a full range of athletic skills, without early specialization. The stages are:Active Start, FUNdamentals, Learn to Train, Train to Train, Train to Compete, Train to Win, andActive for Life. Common terms include: CS4L Canadian Sport 4 Life, LTPD Long Term PlayerDevelopment and LTAD Long Term Athlete Development. Coaches, board and parents need to beeducated with respect to this development model.Around the province reports:Zone 1, Kootenays:Cranbrook and Nelson are 2 problem areas in the province. Nelson has had the courtstaken away, and running their programs with 2 upper courts, with a rock climbing group.Trail has 2 racquetball courts that could be converted. Cranbrook has plans for 3 singlesand 1 doubles court with the challenge of access to capital and private use of dedicatedcourts. Revelstoke has about 80 members, of which 25 are juniors.Zone 2, Okanagan:Penticton is doing well with leagues and renovations. Vernon is doing well and so is theKelowna Club, with the Global Fitness Club with indoor tennis, 3 racquetball courts and 5squash courts. Chris Buechler moved to Kelowna from Winnipeg. He’s a certified Level 3Coach, and has experience running drill nights and has MBA. Need more assistant Level 1coaches to help our Chris, and need to have some early junior camps at the beginning ofthe season. Four tournaments are hosted in Okanagan ending with the Squash Fest onthe Lake. The Okanagan is hoping to host 4 officiating clinics, 1 Penticton, 2 Kelowna,and 1 Vernon. Tree Brewing is interested in some kind of sponsorship agreement toaccess the 30-50 year old demographic.Zone 3, Fraser Valley:Chilliwack, Abby, Langley and White Rock all have clubs. The FVSL Fraser Valley SquashLeague hosts the FVS Championships. Not much has changed; however, it does look likenumbers are up with the conversion of squash players from fitness members.13

Zone 4, Delta, Richmond, New West:The Bayside Club building is currently up for sale. The club is looking at the potential ofleasing the building from the owners, the sale price is $2.6M. The River Club is still goingon status quo, and John Fleury has now had his knee surgery, and Karen Tremblay iscoaching the juniors. Sport Central has Joe Forster and Shakiru running their coachingand junior programs there. They are looking at potentially hosting senior and/or juniornationals. The Bonsor Rec Centre did some renovations 2-3 years ago, and still doingwell. Carnoustie building is still there, but hosting golf carts.Zone 5, Vancouver to Whistler:Denman Fitness is going to start up league teams. HCC, ESC, VLTBC, and VRC are stillstatus quo. Meadow Park is charging $129 per month for squash playing privileges, butmakes sure the members only stick to the set court times. Sunshine Coast took part ingrassroots program, and Murray Olsen is building up the junior programs. However,Sunshine Coast has joined as a club, but not signed up any individual members.Zone 6, Vancouver Island:Campbell River lost Piers Jackson as a coach, when he moved to Arizona. Comox hostedthe Easter Bunny tournament, and status quo in regards to league. Parksville has 2 courtsin the hotel, but the courts are in need of major renovations. Nanaimo now has GregVanderkooi doing coaching and elementary school programs, (see report at end of zone 6report.) Port Alberni is using the courts there infrequently and there is some smallamount of interest in squash. St. Michael’s, Panorama, YMCA, UVIC and Cedar Hill havelots of recreational squash. Shawnigan Lake and Brentwood are private schools under thecoaching management of Mike Johnson and doing very well. Cowichan Valley has lots ofpotential. Victoria Squash Club has Kristie Tyrell has been hired to manage the club forStuart Dixon. Quadra has lots of recreational members, but the facility isn’t interested injoining Squash BC.The Nanaimo Squash Club 2011-2012Nanaimo continues to be a members own club run by a volunteer board. At present the club is managed byGreg Vander Kooi, Squash Pro and with some administrative help. Our membership has slowly grown in thelast two years and is currently hovering at 140 members. I believe we will continue to grow and will be over150 this time next year.The Junior program is steadily becoming more popular which is bringing lots of parents who are outside theclub. We have had several P.E. classes in for instruction and will continue in the new year. The club isdeveloping great rapport with teachers, schools and parents.It has been a busy year at the club. We have hosted several in house monthly tournaments. These haveincluded a Beginners, Calcutta, Icebreaker, Season Opener, Christmsas and Club Championship. I would liketo thank Shawnigan, Victoria, Courtenay, Port Alberni and Parksville for their participation to help makethese tournaments successful. We hosted a feature match with Viktor Berg and Eric Zarimba, thanks for allthe time you spent with the Juniors. You guys were fantastic.14

We hosted a horse racing night to procure funds for Juniors which should amount to $700.00. I would liketo thank everybody for participating in our big annual tourney "Occupy the T", it was a great success and$1000.00 was donated to the Junior Program. I would also like to thank the 2020 Fund for allocating$1000.00 as part of the grassroots initiative. Those funds certainly jump started the program by validating itand giving it greater credibility. Parents began to take notice and buy into Junior Squash. We were able toparticipate in tournaments, buy equipment, provide individual lessons and much more with these funds.Nanaimo sent 20 players to the Easter Bunny from the club as part of an effort to support mid and northisland squash. Many of our members and Juniors have participated in other tournaments which the club willcontinue to encourage. Ashley Clackson helped as an assistant squash pro this year while attendingmalaspina providing lessons for higher calibre players.Thanks to Kevin Kydd for all the information and involving both myself and the club. Thanks to Shawnigan,Cedar Hill and Cook Street for all your efforts with the Juniors. Kudos to Lynne Grass, Mike Johnston, PhilGreen, Ben Uliana, and Stuart Dixon.Cheers Greg Vander Kooi, Nanaimo Squash Pro and Event Co-ordinator!Zone 7, Prince Rupert to SmithersNo reports. Prince Rupert and Terrace have very little squash activity. Smithers is stillstatus quo.Zone 8, Prince George and area:No reports. Prince George will hold the 2015 Canada Winter Games with 2 very nicecourts and 1 glass court. The Y has closed their courts. Williams Lake might have soldtheir facility.Committee reportsJuniors: Sandra ThompsonGudewill funding will increase this next year. However, athletes will need to comply with theathlete funding policy agreement, to get extra funding. Most athletes will need to be on a squadto get funded; athletes who aren’t on a squad and not supporting Squash BC junior programs, willbe in jeopardy of not receiving funding. Attendance exemptions include SAT tests, sickness/injury,family functions, and must be done before or up to within 2 days of the end of the camp.The Junior Program used $8k from the Vancouver Foundation 20/20 fund for grassroots programs.Richmond’s Sport Central held Shakiru Matti camps. Rob McMahon (Comox), JTC, ESC hostedSunshine Coast, Shawnigan Lake did drop in camps, and Nanaimo did camps.The Regional Training Squads have 5 coaches doing talent identification. The Provincial TrainingSquad (national level players) is headed by Brian McGaw who gets all the camps organized. Thisyear we had more kids make quarter-finals than prior years. Four juniors get to go to Quatar torepresent Canada this summer, 2 are from BC. The newest squad is the Canada Winter GamesSquad for 2015, with Mark Robinson, Lee Clackson, Patti Malone, Sandra Thompson, RebeccaVasislakis, and Ben Uliana directing the programs.Enforcing policy was a challenge this year. One matter required action, and went through anappeal process. Recommendations were presented and put in place. A continual challenge is thetournament structure regarding spacing of matches, and age & gender classifications.Need more B / Novice Events as well as Fun Tournaments for junior players.15

Doubles: Natasha DoucasBC Doubles ReportDoubles Committee• Natasha Doucas, Chair• Marv Mizinski, Past Chair• Lynn Broman, City League Rep• Rick Kochanski, City League RepDoubles Leagues and ParticipationVancouver fielded three distinct leagues including City Doubles League, Womens and Mens OpenDoubles League.1) City Doubles League allows all levels of players to participate in doubles play. We have a fewwomen participating in these matches and the number of playing has doubled since last year.2) The Womens League affords beginner women who would like to try the game an opportunitythat is fun and competitive.In the most recent 2011-2012 season there were 43 full time league players as compared to 26full time league players in the 2008-2009 season. This indicates significant grouth and level ofplay has increased tenfold. There are younger women players (mainly from singles) becomingmore interested in playing. An increase interest in tournament play was also seen this pastyear. There was also a skills clinic that was run at the beginning of the season and it is plannedfor future seasons.3) The Mens League has improved the level of play in Vancouver and has interested some of theyounger men to participate.Doubles CompetitionsTournament participation was even stronger this year. We had players from Toronto ON, CalgaryAB and some US participants at some of the events.This season's past tournaments:September – Early Bird held at VRCNovember - Western Canadian Doubles held at Evergreen ClubNovember - Gamble 100 (Charity tournament)January – Pacific Coast (rotates between Portland, San Franciso, VancouverA solid group of Vancouver players travel to the Portland and San Franciso events. When inVancouver, we do get a healthy participation level from the two US cities.Feburary - BC Jesters held at VRC16

March - BC Open/Mixed help at Vancouver Lawn and Tennis ClubJuly – Summer Doubles held at EvergreenEach year there are a good handful of teams (men and women) traveling back East for NationalTournaments either for the Open or Mixed categories. In particular, last year there were ninewomen who played in the various age divisions at the Canadians in Montreal, QC.Doubles DevelopmentViktor Berg, former #1 ranked doubles player and currently ranked 7 th in Canada in the Men'sDivision, has been instrumental in doubles development, especially in the last two years. This pastyear, he has been involved with settings up Doubles Skill Clinics in the community (North Shore aswell as the South side). Some of the stronger women have been attending sessions. Also Viktorhas been working with some juniors and getting them on the doubles court on a weekly basis. Thisyear we would like to continue this and look at further developing the Juniors on the doublesscene. We have some ideas to develop some Junior tournaments that would prepare them forNational competition that exists already out of Toronto.Also to note is that Vancouver Raquets Club has a weekly Friday Night League where teams arerandomly picked to play 2 matches over the course of the evening. Player level as well as interestto play has increased.The ladies are continuing to play in the weekly Summer League at Evergreen. Again teams arerandomly picked.Having to change up partners weekly forces teams to develop skills and adapt in regards to courtcommunication and strategyDoubles OfficiatingThere was one Doubles Officiating session in January 2012. There are currently 28 players thatare certified on either a Provincial or Provincial and National level for doubles. Also it isencouraged in city leagues to referree matches.Respectfully submittedNDoucasNatasha Doucas17

High Performance: Greg BunyanHP Men’s League organized for adults by Jeff Boag and Winston Cabell at Hollyburn, Arbutus,Sports Central, and Jericho (6 teams and 5 weeks). CW Games is the junior high performance.Post Secondary: Greg BunyanThe Post-Secondary University Championships were supposed to be held in Kelowna but didn’treceive enough entries. Alex Currie is going to organize them again for next season at UVIC.Brody Vejprava from Kelowna, Ashley Clackson from Victoria, and Morgan Latremouille fromDelta were sent to Canadian University Championships in Calgary.18

Competitions/Coaching/Officiating Report: Tim BaleVP TECHNICAL REPORT, MAY 2012We have found that the three committees are more ad hoc rather than standing committees. Kevinis very knowledgeable and experienced in all three areas and they run very smoothly. We arebeginning to implement the Long Term Player Development (LTPD) plan and it is important thatthe VP Technical and members of the committees are fully engaged in this process. Ben Uliana,the chair of the Coaching committee, was involved with the first LTPD meeting in Victoria. We havesome excellent volunteers on all three committees and are well positioned as we move forward.Officiating:We have had about half a dozen officiating mini clinics so far this year. The Vancouver SquashLeague put on and paid for two clinics free to their league members. They were very well attendedwith 32 in one and 37 in another. The Okanagan had several as well. It continues to be achallenge to get officials, who have taken clinics to obtain full certification. We are looking toSquash Canada to reduce their stringent requirements of six successful assessments forcertification at the entry level.Coaching:A coaching course was held in Victoria with 6 attendees. There was another one held on the Dec9 th weekend in Vancouver. We wish Melanie Jans well as she moves to Florida with her family. Weshall miss her grace and skill on court as well as her considerable coaching talents. We also hopethat Shauna Flath’s health will improve as she starts her six month sabbatical from Jericho. Shewill be sorely missed.Competitions:Tournament season ran well. We have encouraged clubs to increase the number of agecategories, to have the loser referee the next match and try different formats. Bentall used a teamtype format for their Halloween Open. The players enjoyed this and the organizers found it easy torun. Quick Draws continues to innovate and helps with the court scheduling as well as therankings. The top thirty men players are no longer including in house matches in the Quick Drawsystem. After some initial comments, this seems to be working well and seen to be fairer for all.The total number of matches registered on Quick Draws was 15,022, which was about the sameas last year, as was the number of tournament participants.FinanceThe financial situation of BC Squash, while satisfactory, could be improved in my opinion. Surpluscash is drained during the summer months as we wait for government money to come in andmembership revenue does not start being collected until early October. We should be budgetingfor a modest surplus each year to increase our financial strength. The custodial function ofprotecting our assets could be improved by opening a separate savings account and byimplementing all auditor recommendations. The risk to the association is low because of soundfinancial policies being in place. Financial reporting could be improved by maintaining a single setof books with a more advanced accounts structure.Tim Bale19

2020 FUNDUse of Funds – Committee RecommendationOnce the 2020 Fund reaches its initial target of $200,000, a portion of the income generated by the Fundwill be distributed each year for the support of junior development and coaching. As custodians of the2020 Fund assets, the 2020 Fund Committee has an obligation to ensure that the monies provided by theFund are used to achieve the mission supported by the Fund’s donors. This document, prepared by the2020 Fund Committee, outlines the Committee’s recommendations to Squash BC for the use of the moniesdistributed from the Fund.Distribution of Funds – Division of Responsibilities/Process• 2020 Fund Committeea) In conjunction with Squash BC, establish the principal objectives for the use of 2020 Funddistributions (see below)b) In conjunction with Squash BC, review and either re-confirm or modify objectives annually.c) By March 31 st each year, advise Squash BC of the anticipated level of distributions in theupcoming fiscal year.d) By October 15 th each year, endorse the use of funds proposed by Squash BC JuniorDevelopment Committee for the upcoming fiscal year or request changes as appropriate.• Squash BC (Junior Committee)a) Propose programs to be supported by 2020 Fund distributions that are consistent with theobjectives established by the 2020 Fund Committee.b) Determine the allocation of funds to each program.c) By September 30 th each year, report the proposed use of funds in the upcoming fiscal year to2020 Fund Committee and obtain approval.d) In conjunction with (c) above, report the actual use of funds in the (previous) fiscal year to the2020 Fund Committee.Fund Objectives/PrioritiesThe 2020 Fund was established to provide an ongoing source of funding for the development and coachingof junior squash players for the purpose of protecting and building the future of the game in BritishColumbia. Consistent with this mission, the 2020 Fund Committee has established the following generalobjectives for the use of the funds.• Support programs that expand the base of junior squash players (have a “grassroots” focus)• Support programs that encourage juniors to remain actively involved in squash (coaching/refereeingeducation, participation in squash at university/college, etc.)• Assist in upgrading junior coaching skills through mentorship programs with experienced coaches• Encourage junior role models through support of sportsmanship awards• Support coaching education for those involved in coaching at a “grassroots” levelMarch 201221

Financial Report: Bill VipondFinancial Status as of April 30, 2012See Financial PDF’s attachedDeferral of Special Intake Gaming Funds transferred into 2012-2013 totalling $23,200. Wereceived these funds on March 28, 2012. These deferred funds were spread over thevarious programs within the budget with the applied for amount which we should find outthis summer. SBC has budgeted the total gaming funds as follows; $16k to Juniors, $7k toHP, $3k Post Secondary, $3k Coaching, $2k Officiating, and $14k Marketing &Communications (Publications). This sets some parameters for the proportion of spendingin the sub categories (i.e. 40% to Junior Programs and 15% to High Performance).Bill Vipond prepared a report to give an accurate picture of the financial health of Squash BC, andspecifically provide rebuttal to Tim Bale’s comments raised in point 4 of his technical report:Comments from Tim Bale on Squash BC’s Financial ReportingTB: Surplus cash is drained during the summer months as we wait for government money to come inand membership revenue does not start being collected until early October.V-P Finance: Our auditors consider the surplus cash drain as unavoidable. It is due to the seasonalactivity of our sport. The auditors are completely comfortable with our surplus cash drain situation.TB: We should be budgeting for a modest surplus each year to increase our financial strength.V-P Finance: The auditors say a very modest surplus could be budgeted to cover future obligations inthe event of bankruptcy. The minor surplus could accrue and be earmarked for severance if SquashBC goes out of business. Being a non-profit organization, the auditors feel any surplus which is notspecifically earmarked could jeopardize our non-profit status and future government funding.TB: The custodial function of protecting our assets could be improved by opening a separate savingsaccount and by implementing all auditor recommendations.V-P Finance: Surplus cash is invested in GICs which are segregated in Squash BC’s bank account atVanCity. In the opinion of our auditors, a separate savings account would be no more secure than ourGICs and would pay a lower interest rate than GICs. Our auditors have confirmed we haveimplemented their recommendations in a manner to their satisfaction. The auditors acknowledged wemust differentiate between what is practical and what would be nice in a perfect world. The auditors’report for 2011-2012 does not contain any recommendations; this is further evidence of their comfortwith our financial modus operandi.TB: Financial reporting could be improved by maintaining a single set of books with a more advancedaccounts structure.V-P Finance: Our auditors confirmed Squash BC maintains only one set of books and in their opinionthe detail of our financial records is completely appropriate for the nature of our operations.22

May 26, 2012President and Executive Directors Report:Presidents Report 2012 AGMSquash in BC is doing well, both on the court and off the court. This is my second and last year asPresident of Squash BC. I have been on the Board of Directors for the past 11 years in manycapacities: zone rep (Delta – 4A), Vice President, President and now I am moving on to PastPresident. I have also recently taken on the role as a committee member of the Canada WinterGames and shall be a part of this until 2015. What keeps me going is the dedication that thevolunteers have towards the sport. I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy being a part of this greatorganization and working with fantastic people.As the President of Squash BC I am the head of the organization in name and title only. Thisorganization functions as well as it does because of countless hours that the volunteers put in.Some have titles like Vice President or Chairperson of a committee while others run tournaments,coach juniors, organize leagues, officiate at events, donate to the 2020 fund, to name a few. All ofthese and more are what makes OUR organization great.This is the first year in the past four that we have not made any significant changes to theConstitution, By-Laws or policies. The work we have done will keep the organization functioningvery well for the foreseeable future. I think of this as us creating a good succession plan. Peoplewill come and go but if we have good policies, by-laws and a sound constitution the organizationwill run smoothly no matter who is at the head. I wish to thank all those people that have helpedin this.The Executive Director, Kevin Kydd, continues to be invaluable to Squash BC and squash in general.I know I have counted on him for advice, history and passion about the sport. He has made my jobeasier and more rewarding.Squash BC has accomplished many things this year with the help of those mentioned above. Ourprovincial Calendar of Events listed 25 singles, 9 junior and 8 doubles tournaments hosted in BC.There were 15,079 matches recorded in our ranking system over the past 12 months. 49% of thematches came from Leagues, 31% from club ladders/leagues and 20% from sanctionedtournaments. Last year we held 4 coaching courses with 40% of the participants being juniors.With officiating there was one certification and 8 mini courses held. On the financial side SquashBC remains in positive financial shape in spite of government funding. We have been forced to tryand reduce our reliance on government funding and we have done a good job at this. By anymeasure squash in BC is doing very well.The Board of Directors of Squash BC is constantly looking to make our organization better for allthe members. Once again I would like to thank all of you that have made a contribution to squashin BC. I am honoured to the President of Squash BC and I hoped I have served you well.Mark Robinson23

Squash BC’s Executive Director’s ReportLast year squash in BC had a very good year.June 2011 to May 2012Last Sept/Oct saw the launch of our new web site. With the new logo our look was updateddramatically. The new web site also allows me to update various news items and certainother parts of the web site. (I don’t think I’m trusted with full access.) I’ve updated all thejunior section, awards and provincial champions sections. I’ve also edited most of the otherpages to reflect some of our new policies.The backend of the web site continues to be improved although the major updates are doneand everything worked very well this year. Our web site is sort of like an iceberg, 90% of itisn’t seen.The Squash Book was posted to Issuu.com instead of printing hard copies. The actual workof putting it together is still labour intensive but there are no printing costs or mailingcosts. There was zero feedback on the fact we didn’t mail them out. The Issuu web sitetracked that there was 331 views.Dara keeps Facebook and Twitter updated for those that need information on a daily basisand the e-mail newsletter goes out every second Wednesday. All in all I do believe wecommunicate very well with our membersThe junior program is going along just fine and I see only improvement on the way withthe 2020 Fund starting to pay out dividends and groups around the province taking a moreactive role in grassroots. A Canada Winter Games committee was struck and a coach andmanager were hired. I’ll let Sandra tell you all about juniors. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank Sandra for all the hard work, thought and probably sleepless nightsshe has put into the junior committee. There have been some tough issues to deal with andthey have been dealt with fairly and diplomatically. Thank you Sandra.The coaching and officiating keeps trucking along with getting people certified in bothareas the biggest challenge facing the programs. The officiating program is a timeconsuming process that shouldn’t be like that. I gave a certification course at Jericho inOctober 2010 and I have yet to be able to certify one person from that group. Coachingcertification at any level is time consuming and expensive. I believe both programs shouldbe easier to get the initial certification and harder as you go along. There are rumours atthe Squash Canada level that they may look at changing the processes.Doubles in BC seems to be going along just fine. They take care of themselves for the mostpart and I help out where I can. The ladies doubles league is growing and they just finishedtheir second year. There are a few wrinkles to be ironed out but they are getting there.Natasha Doucas has volunteered to take over the doubles committee for Marvin. Marvinhas gone above and beyond the call of duty with doubles. A lot of thanks go to Marvin forall his hard work. Thank you Marvin.Last year we had just under 15,000 matches go into the ranking system. The inter clubleagues still lead the way with 49% of the matches. The club ladders/box leagues input 35%and tournaments are at 15%. The ladder/box league system is gaining in popularity everyyear.24

The office continues to function with the day to day activities of Squash BC. Diana is doingthe books/accounting and inputs the rankings. I do most other functions that need doing.I’ve become a jack of all trades, master of none.I continue to meet with various groups, Sport BC being the main one. This last year hasseen a lot of change at Sport BC. They did an organizational review last year and came tothe realization that they weren’t doing much. Tim Gayda pretty much did himself out of ajob by pointing out some real harsh realities. Not sure Sport BC will be around long.However there’s a new kid in town, the BC Sport Agency is flexing its muscle in a big way.The Sport Agency is sort of the offspring of 2010 Legacies Now only with a bigger role.Their main goal is to bring ALL the sport sector under one umbrella. That means theProvincial Sport Organizations, Rec Centers, school sports etc. will all getting their fundingfrom the BC Sport Agency and everybody will have to jump through the same hoops. It willbe very interesting to see how this works out over the next couple years. Turf wars here wecome.Squash Canada continues to take up an inordinate amount of time. I will let Mark tell youabout them.I would like to take this opportunity to thank the board, committee’s, zone reps and all thevolunteers in BC. It is you folks who make this sport function with your hard work anddedication to the sport of squash. Without the thousands of hours you all put in this sportwould not exist. Thank you very much.I’d also like to thank Mark Robinson for being the president for the last 2 years and on theboard for however many years before that. Mark has often been a calming voice when I geta little hot under the collar and for that I thank you Mark. His problem solving abilitieshave also helped in many situations. Thank you Mark for taking the time out of your busylife to help make squash a better place.Respectfully submitted,Kevin KyddExecutive Director, Squash BCAdjourn and Date of Next Planning session and AGMDate of next planning meeting at AGM, May 25, 2013Motion to adjourn the May 26 th Planning Session.1 st - Kevin Dorrius2 nd - John Roche25